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This week the City Council took up several issues important to our community, including the airport and the future of our coastline. More on that plus these topics in today’s update:

• Local control over future airport plans
• Protecting South Carlsbad Boulevard from sea level rise
• New grant will address homeless encampments
• First community garden coming to south Carlsbad
• Declutter at Earth Month events Saturday
• What it means to be a “Tree City”
• Upcoming city meetings
• Shining a light on those behind the scenes

Strengthening local control over future airport plans

As a community member, it could be hard to keep track of all the federal, state and regional government agencies that influence, or even control, what happens here in Carlsbad. McClellan-Palomar Airport is a prime example.

• The airport is in Carlsbad, but the County of San Diego owns and operates it.
• The Federal Aviation Administration regulates the airspace, including flights in and out of the airport.
• Permitted land uses typically fall under a city’s jurisdiction, although state law has a lot of rules about what can be built around airports and what needs to be disclosed to property owners within a certain distance from the airport.

(Caveat: the summary below really just skims the surface of what has been a decades long history of legal, regulatory and policy actions related to the airport. You can read about the details in this staff report.)

Since its opening, the airport has been a topic of concern for many Carlsbad residents worried about noise, air quality and safety. These concerns heightened several years ago when the county developed an updated airport master plan that would extend the runway to accommodate more air traffic and larger commercial aircraft.

This brought up the issue of how “airport expansion” should be defined – is expansion only related to increasing the footprint of the airport, or does it include changes within the footprint, like extending the runway to expand operations?

In 2021, in response to a lawsuit filed by Citizens for a Friendly Airport, the San Diego Superior Court answered that question, ruling that extending the runway was an expansion that would require the city’s approval of an updated land use permit.

This week, the City Council voted to update language in city laws and policies to clarify the city’s role in approving land uses at the airport, including expansion. This is one of several actions prompted by a request from Citizens for a Friendly Airport earlier this year.

Other recent actions include requesting via the county that the FAA convene a community roundtable to address airport concerns and securing a second Carlsbad representative on the Palomar Airport Advisory Committee.

Serve on the airport advisory committee

The county is currently accepting applications for the advisory committee. The committee provides input on planning and operations for the airport to the San Diego County Board of Supervisors and the County Chief Administrative Officer. Applicants for the open seats must live in Carlsbad to be eligible.

Interviews will take place in May, and the Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote on new members at its May 21 meeting.

Protecting Carlsbad Boulevard from sea level rise

This week city staff reported the outcome of a grant-funded project to show how critical infrastructure could be protected from future sea level rise.

The study covered the area around Carlsbad Boulevard between Manzano Drive and Island Way. Staff used modeling to show how over the next 96 years, the rising ocean will affect parts of the southbound lanes.

• Tuesday’s meeting focused on different approaches to moving the road out of harm’s way.
• These are called “adaptation strategies.”
• Because different parts of the road would be affected at different times, the project team split the 1-mile stretch of road into four segments.
• The most vulnerable is the portion that dips down by Encinas Creek (just north of the little parking lot by Island Way).
• The city has already restriped the road in this area, turning the western most lane into a walking and biking area so that vehicle traffic is not affected when strong waves and storms bring water onto the road.

Sea level rise adaptation is still a relatively new discipline, so the city will need more data before further developing options. Staff plan to request funding in next year’s budget for the next set of studies.

Knowing that any work along the coastline will be expensive, the City Council asked staff to return with information about climate resilience districts. This is a tool cities can use to raise revenue, plan climate mitigation or adaptation projects, and implement those projects. Districts can be created to address sea level rise, extreme heat, extreme cold, and the risk of wildfire, drought and flooding.

You can read more about this topic in the staff report. If you want to stay updated with future milestones, sign up for email updates.

While we’re on the subject of roads, be sure to take a look at our construction map of current city projects so you know which areas will be affected and can change your route if needed. Keep in mind the map only shows city projects, not work being done by private companies or local utilities.

Encampments along the 78 focus of new state grant

Last week, the state announced the latest recipients of grant funding to address homeless encampments. The cities of Carlsbad and Oceanside applied jointly and were awarded $11.4 million to address encampments along State Route 78. The ultimate goal is to move people into safe and stable housing by focusing on the underlying issues that lead to encampments.

The grant comes from the state’s Encampment Resolution Funding Program. One of the reasons Carlsbad was awarded this funding is that our Homelessness Action Plan has produced measurable results, which was one of the grant’s main criteria.

• During the last fiscal year, Carlsbad reported a 25% decrease in the number of people experiencing homelessness.
• Carlsbad’s approach is designed to help facilitate long-term, lasting solutions while also managing the day-to-day impacts on our residents and businesses.
• The city looks to fill gaps and coordinate resources among multiple agencies.
• One of the city’s strategies is to seek outside funding to support homelessness efforts and offset local costs.
• Since 2022, Carlsbad has secured more than $6.5 million in grant funding to address homelessness, with about $5 million more coming from this new grant.

The grant funded work will start at the beginning of the new fiscal year in July 2024 and last until 2027.

New community garden coming to south Carlsbad

On Tuesday, the City Council approved construction plans for Carlsbad’s fourth community garden and first to be built in South Carlsbad. The garden will be located on a section of Stagecoach Community Park that was previously used for storing landscaping equipment and supplies.

Community gardens were identified as a priority in the recently updated Parks & Recreation Department Master Plan. The Stagecoach Community Garden will be similar to gardens at Calavera Hills and Pine Avenue community parks, with 35 raised planting beds, an information kiosk, composting bins, tool storage and a shaded picnic area.

The new garden is expected to open in early 2025. Residents who are already on a waitlist for community garden plots in Carlsbad will have priority for the 35 new planting beds. The Carlsbad Community Gardens Collaborative manages the list.

Home garden help

While we’re on the topic, the city is here to support all the gardeners in our community:

• Pick up or donate seeds at our Seed Library at all three library locations.
• Participate in a Grow Your Garden workshop to swap succulents, seeds, fruit, vegetables and herbs from your garden with your neighbors and learn new gardening techniques.
• Pick up free compost and mulch at Palomar Transfer Station

Monday through Saturday

8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

5960 El Camino Real

Prescription Drug Take Back Day

The city is participating in Prescription Drug Take Back day this Saturday. You can bring unused or unwanted medications to our Safety Training Center, and we will ensure they are disposed of properly.  

Saturday, April 27

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Safety Training Center

5750 Orion Street

• Never flush medication down the toilet. It can end up in the ocean and harm wildlife.
• If you can’t make it Saturday, 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. 

Declutter and help the environment

We’re closing out Earth Month with two popular events:

Donate, Don’t Waste Collection Event

Saturday, April 27

9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

La Costa Canyon High School parking lot

1 Maverick Way

• Donate your used household items and give them a new life.
• Items accepted include small home appliances, housewares and home décor, small furniture, sporting goods, electronics and gently used clothing, shoes, and accessories.
• No registration is required.

Shred and Recycle It!

Saturday, April 27

9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Register online for event location

Securely dispose of documents with personal or financial information at our shredding and recycling event.

• You can sign up online. (Scroll down the web page to see the remaining time slots available.)
• The event location will be provided in a registration confirmation email.
• A maximum of five standard-sized boxes (10” x 12” x 15”) of paper will be accepted for drop-off.
• Residents must bring proof of Carlsbad residency.

Carlsbad named a Tree City

For 20 years in a row, the City of Carlsbad has been named a Tree City by the National Arbor Day Foundation. We’ve cataloged more than 30,000 trees in city parks, streets, medians and around city buildings so we can track their size, species and health. About 2,000 of those trees have been planted since 2019.

In honor of Arbor Day tomorrow, we’re hosting a volunteer tree-planting event Saturday at The Crossings at Carlsbad Golf Course.

Arbor Day celebration and tree planting 

Saturday, April 27 

8:30 to 10:30 a.m. 

(volunteer registration begins at 8 a.m.)

The Crossings at Carlsbad 

5800 The Crossings Drive 

RSVP to sarah.czech@carlsbadca.gov

Volunteers will help plant 25 trees, including crape myrtle, Brisbane box, evergreen pear and western redbud. The city focuses on drought-tolerant species that grow easily in Carlsbad’s climate. These trees are on the city’s list of approved species identified in our Community Forest Management Plan. (The list is just for trees planted by the city.)

Learn more, including what to wear and where to check in, on the city’s website.

You can also help the city expand its “tree canopy” by having a free tree planted in the parkway in front of your home. To see if your property qualifies, contact our parks team at parksmaintenance@carlsbadca.gov or 442-339-2824.

City meetings next week

There is no City Council meeting next week, but some of our city boards and commissions are scheduled to meet.

You can see the full meeting schedule on our city calendar and watch board and commission meetings livestreamed on the city’s website and on-demand afterward.

Thank you to administrative professionals

Yesterday was Administrative Professionals’ Day, so before I sign off, I want to give a shout-out to the talented and hardworking Team Carlsbad members who serve our community in this role. These administrative professionals provide invaluable support and attention to detail across all city departments, modeling organizational excellence and efficiency, which happens to be one of our City Council strategic goals.

Have a great weekend and I’ll be back next Thursday with more updates.

Scott Chadwick

City Manager