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News from the City of Carlsbad | Oct. 17, 2024

This week the city engaged in a bit of subterfuge, but don’t worry, it was for a good cause. I’ll share the heartwarming story along with these stories in today’s update: 

• Revisiting drive-thru rules in Carlsbad 
• Citizens Academy ride along: Learn, Play, Grow 
• City curator connecting the community through art 
• Halloween fun for kids, tweens, teens and adults 
• National Prescription Drug Take Back Day 
• See where construction is planned next week in Carlsbad 
• Palomar Airport Road on-ramp to be closed this weekend 
• What’s on the agenda for your next City Council meeting 
• Carlsbad veteran gets a big surprise 

Checking in on Carlsbad's drive-thru rules

Following the development of several major projects in the 1990s, including LEGOLAND California, Costco (Carlsbad’s first “big box” store), and what is today known as Carlsbad Premium Outlets, residents became increasingly concerned about protecting Carlsbad’s community character and quality of life.  

To address those concerns, as well as worries about traffic congestion, traffic safety and community aesthetics, in 1997 the City Council directed staff to study options for potentially regulating drive-thru restaurants.  

• The City Council ultimately passed a ban on new drive-thru restaurants.  
• As a result, today Carlsbad has just the original 12 drive-thrus that were already in place when the ban took effect.   
• We originally had 13, but one closed, and that property was redeveloped. 

Given the amount of time that has passed and renewed interest in the issue, in May 2024, the City Council asked staff to develop options for potential changes to city regulation of drive-thru establishments.  

Considering options 

Since it’s been a while since we looked at this issue, staff started by reviewing how other cities are handling drive-thrus. Here are some of the more common regulations and requirements: 

• Prohibiting or limiting drive-thrus in certain parts of a city, such as a historic downtown area 
• Requiring certain architectural treatments, sign standards and landscaping to protect community aesthetics 
• Limiting hours, such as prohibiting 24-hour drive-thrus 
• Requiring a public hearing to approve new drive-thrus (a conditional use permit) 
• Requiring a traffic study or restricting drive-thrus based on how they would affect local traffic patterns 
• Requiring sites with drive-thrus to meet certain design standards, such as where the drive-thru lane is located in relation to the rest of the site or requiring a minimum amount of space for cars to line up 

What do you think about drive-thrus? 

As a preliminary step, city staff will present options to the Planning Commission and the City Council’s Economic Development Subcommittee in November for feedback. These public meetings will also be an opportunity for you to learn about the options and provide input. Both meetings will be held in the City Council Chamber at 1200 Carlsbad Village Drive. 

Planning Commission meeting 

Wednesday, Nov. 6, 5 p.m. 

City Council Economic Development Subcommittee 

Tuesday, Nov. 19, 10 a.m. 

• You are welcome to attend and provide comments in person or watch the livestream. You can also email your comments in advance to planning@carlsbadca.gov.
• Sign up to be notified via email once the meeting agendas and staff reports are available and to receive future updates on this topic. 

Next steps 

• After gathering input on the options, city staff will present them to the City Council, which will make the final decision about how to proceed.  
• If the City Council directs staff to develop an updated ordinance, staff will seek input from the community and interested businesses on the proposed ordinance. 

Fun Fact: Our ordinance language and other legislative documents on this issue use the term “drive-thru” instead of “drive-through,” which is why I too am using this shortened version. I know readers of this newsletter have an eagle eye, so I double checked the Merriam-Webster Dictionary to confirm it’s an official alternative. 

Citizens Academy ride along: Learn, Play, Grow

Our most recent Citizens Academy session focused on two departments you likely already know a bit about: Parks & Recreation and Library & Cultural Arts. Staff in these departments are at the heart of many of the programs and services I promote here – all focused on keeping our community active, engaged and inspired.  

Last Thursday, participants got a behind the scenes tour of the Pine Avenue Community Center and the Carlsbad Senior Center, which are purposely located next to each other to encourage multigenerational interaction (Pine is home to our teen center). Those who opted to learn about how we take care of city trees had a rare opportunity to go up in the “bucket truck” we use for trimming. The bucket lifted folks up one at a time to a height of 55 feet for a scenic view of Carlsbad at sunset (no, we didn’t make them tend to any trees while they were there). 

The session also introduced participants to lesser-known amenities, like the William D. Cannon Art Gallery, which showcases nationally known art exhibits and the work of local artists through rotating shows throughout the year.  

Service profile: Connecting the community through art

I recently launched a series where I get to introduce you to some of the city staff who work to bring you services, events and programs. With October being National Arts & Humanities Month, today I’d like you to meet Alyson Benford. You’ll find Alyson at the city’s Cannon Art Gallery, off the courtyard of Dove Library in south Carlsbad.  

Alyson is responsible for planning the gallery’s exhibits, including the recent one, called “Fiber in 3D.”  

Community character and connectedness is a key goal of the City Council’s 5-Year Strategic Plan, and Alyson’s job is to bring the community together through art. In this Q&A, she explains a little more about her role and how that works. 

Q: How do you find art and artists? 

A: I visit artist studios, research exhibits on display in other places and track current trends. I connect with professors, curators and teaching artists, and always keep an eye out for remarkable work in my everyday life. As a painter and printmaker, I volunteer at art critique meetings where I am constantly introduced to new work and ideas. I also keep tabs on available historical works and traveling exhibits that may be of interest. 

Q: How do you determine which art exhibits should come to Carlsbad? 

A: The most important thing about any work of art or exhibit is how it relates to people. I consider the history of the gallery and its audience and ask myself: is this a compelling and relevant visual story? Are there enduring themes presented that our community could relate to? Ultimately, I hope the gallery becomes a regular stop for Carlsbad community members and that art becomes a source of nourishment in their daily lives. 

Q: Tell us about your background and what led you to this job? 

A: I grew up in Laguna Beach, and my first work in galleries was in the Laguna Art Museum and the Orange County Museum of Art. Since then, I’ve studied art history and worked for public and private arts organizations both nationally and abroad. Before coming to Carlsbad, I worked at the San Diego Museum of Art.  

Q: How does your work help promote community connectedness? 

A: For me, the impact of a public art gallery lies in its ability to visually inspire, elevate, engage and embrace learners of all ages. 

Q: Any sneak peek at future exhibits?  

A: I look forward to bringing back the gallery’s Regional Artist Biennial Exhibit, designed to promote local and regional artists. More than 500 artists have appeared in the Cannon Art Gallery Juried Biennial exhibitions over its history. In the alternative years, an invitational was also part of the cycle, in which the work of a few select artists from the preceding Biennial are showcased. 

Many thanks to Alyson and all of our Cultural Arts Office staff for their dedication to bringing the community together through the arts. 

Halloween fun for kids and kids at heart 

Speaking of bringing the community together, Halloween is almost here, and the City of Carlsbad is hosting events for families, tweens and teens, and our active adults 50+. (FYI: The Pumpkin Plunge is not listed because it is already sold out.) 

Halloween Fixit Clinic 

Saturday, Oct. 26 

10 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

Georgina Cole Library 

1250 Carlsbad Village Drive 

Register online 

Registration is recommended but not required. Some of the most popular items to bring for fixing are bikes and clothes that need mending. If you are already handy, you can sign up to volunteer at the event and help other community members give their broken household items new life. The theme for our next Fixit Clinic is, of course, Halloween, and we’ll have craft activities and an area to swap or repair costumes. 

Spooktacular fun at the Senior Center  

Monday, Oct. 28, through Thursday, Oct. 31 

11 a.m. to noon 

Carlsbad Senior Center 

799 Pine Ave. 

Adults 50+ can enjoy Halloween-themed activities like trivia, spooky bingo, a costume contest and more before the noon lunch program. No registration is required for the activities, but if you plan to stay for lunch, reservations are strongly recommended. Call 442-339-2650. Lunch is free for adults 60+ and $5 for anyone under 60. 

Not-so-spooky Halloween celebration 

Wednesday, Oct. 30 

4 to 6 p.m. 

Dove Library 

1775 Dove Lane 

This family-friendly event will include a Halloween costume party and Día de los Muertos celebration in the Children’s Garden, with stories and dancing. 

Haunted Halloween Bash 

Thursday, Oct. 31 

4:30 to 6:30 p.m. 

Pine Avenue Community Center 

3209 Harding St. 

Register online or pay at the door 

Cost is $5 

Tweens and teens can still get in on the Halloween fun by dropping by the Pine Avenue Community Center to enjoy some creepy cookie decorating, a horribly haunted house, carnival games and inflatables in the gym.  

Día de los Muertos at Leo Carillo Historic Ranch  

Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 2 and 3 

Park hours 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Hacienda tours 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park 

6200 Flying Leo Carrillo Lane 

Explore one of Carlsbad’s historic treasures during an open house at Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park in honor of Día de los Muertos. Tour the hacienda, which will be dressed up with colorful decorations and a customary ofrenda dedicated to the Carrillo family. On Saturday, we will also have a craft activity for kids on the side patio during the hacienda tours.  

Drop off your old or unneeded medications at Prescription Drug Take Back Day

When is the last time you cleaned out your medicine cabinet? If you need some inspiration, the city is participating in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. You can bring unused or unwanted medications to our Safety Training Center, and we will ensure they are disposed of properly.  

Saturday, Oct. 26

10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

Safety Training Center 

5750 Orion St. 

Prescription Drug Take Back Day was started by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in 2010 to give people a safe way to dispose of unneeded or expired prescription drugs.  

Fun facts 

• Last October, Californians dropped off 27,988 pounds of prescription drugs at 216 collection sites throughout the state. 
• Nationwide, people returned 670,000 pounds. 
• In total, over nine tons of prescription drugs have been collected in California since the program began. 

Take Back Day happens twice a year, in spring and fall. Properly disposing of unneeded medication helps keep our community safe and protects the environment. 

• Some government agencies recommend flushing old medicine down the toilet to keep it away from others, but it’s better to use the drop off locations. That’s because certain medications can disrupt the sewage treatment process. 
• If you can’t make it, the city also offers a year-round Prescription Drug Drop Box at the Police & Fire Headquarters at 2560 Orion Way from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.  

See where construction is planned next week in Carlsbad 

Check our construction map to see where other construction is planned next week throughout the city. Remember, the map only shows city projects and doesn’t include construction projects by local utilities, private companies or other agencies that may impact traffic. Either way, if you see orange cones for construction areas, please slow down and watch for workers. 

Southbound Palomar Airport Road I-5 on-ramp closed this weekend

While not a city project, on-ramp work this weekend could affect Carlsbad residents. 

Weekend on-ramp closure 

Palomar Airport Road 

Southbound I-5 on-ramp  

Friday, Oct. 18, 9 p.m. to Monday, Oct. 21, 5 a.m.  

Build NCC is a Caltrans and SANDAG project that includes widening I-5 plus other transportation and environmental improvements along the freeway corridor.  

If you’ll be driving in that area this weekend, please remember to slow down, watch out for workers and pay attention to traffic and detour signs. If possible, try to take an alternate route to avoid traffic delays. 

For ongoing construction updates on this stretch of I-5, sign up for project emails from SANDAG. 

What’s on the agenda for your next City Council meeting

The next City Council meeting is at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 22, in the City Council Chamber. Topics include: 

• An agreement with the company that works with large businesses to reduce the number of solo car trips by employees, part of the city’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Carlsbad 
• Accepting a traffic safety grant from the state to fund the Police Department’s enhanced traffic safety enforcement efforts, including DUI checkpoints 
• Appointing one member to the Senior Commission and two members to the Carlsbad Tourism Business Improvement District 
• An update from the CEO of Tri-City Medical Center on the hospital’s plans 
• A progress report on actions directed by the City Council to address concerns related to the Windsor Pointe Affordable Housing Project 

The agenda and staff reports are available on the city's website.

City Council meetings: 3 easy ways to participate 

1. Sign up to get agendas and staff reports emailed to you directly 
2. Provide feedback via email before the meeting 
3. Sign up to speak at the meeting 

… and 3 ways to watch  

1. Follow the meeting live on the city’s website 
2. Watch the meeting live on the city’s cable channel: Spectrum channel 24 or AT&T U-verse channel 99 
3. Watch a recording of the meeting afterward (online or on our channel) 

Board and commission meetings are also livestreamed on the city’s website and available to watch afterward. You can see the meeting schedule on our city calendar.

Carlsbad military hero gets a big surprise

The city got involved in some subterfuge earlier this week when the Alga Norte Dog Park served as the site of a secret operation to recognize a local veteran. Here’s what happened … 

We were contacted by representatives of the Transportation 4 Heroes program a few weeks back, asking if they could use our dog park to stage a surprise donation of a brand-new car to a Carlsbad veteran. You see, they knew the lucky recipient, Retired U.S. Navy Special Operator First-Class Chris Maddox, liked to take his dog to the dog park and likely wouldn’t suspect anything was up if his girlfriend suggested they go Tuesday morning.  

Chris is a decorated Navy SEAL who served with SEAL Team 8 during several deployments in Iraq and Africa. After medically retiring in 2016, he has struggled to acclimate back to civilian life. With his brand new, payment free 2025 Honda CR-V Hybrid, he can now have more independence as he continues his recovery. Learn more about Chris’s journey.

Congratulations, Chris, and thank you for your service. 

We’ve got two more weekends before the end of daylight savings time. I hope you have an opportunity to take advantage of the extra daylight with a stroll along the beach, a hike along one of our city trails or maybe just take in yet another beautiful Carlsbad sunset. 

Stay safe, and I’ll be back next week. 

Scott Chadwick