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Earlier this week, the City Council made decisions related to beach preservation, south Carlsbad’s first community garden and a future park designed with help from the community. With July being National Parks & Recreation Month, Carlsbad certainly has a lot to celebrate! Here is the full list of topics I’ll cover today: 

• Widening one of our busiest walkways along the beach 
• Robertson Ranch Park designs moving forward 
• South Carlsbad getting its first community garden 
• Alga Norte Aquatic Center maintenance this fall/winter 
• B.I.G. turnout expected for this week’s TGIF concert 
• What’s on the agenda for your next City Council meeting 

Improving the sidewalk and beach stairs along Carlsbad Boulevard

The City of Carlsbad’s Traffic Safety & Mobility Commission will review a project to replace the upper seawall stairs along Carlsbad Boulevard and widen the sidewalk between Cherry and Pine avenues. After considering the proposed design and community feedback, the commission will vote to make a recommendation to the City Council. 

Traffic Safety & Mobility Commission 

Monday, Aug. 5, 4 p.m. 

City Council Chamber 

1200 Carlsbad Village Drive 

More opportunities for feedback 

City boards and commissions play an important role in vetting projects before they are presented to the City Council for consideration. They also create more opportunities for the public to find out about projects at an earlier stage of the process, when it’s easier to make changes. 

Members of our boards and commissions, like the community members appointed to the Beach Preservation Commission this week, are residents who volunteer, usually because they have a particular interest in the topic.

• They become familiar with city laws and other technical aspects of their subject matter and provide feedback to city staff on items brought before them.  
• Boards and commissions also serve as forums where members of the public can provide feedback, which helps commissioners decide what to recommend to the City Council. 
• A few years ago, we began livestreaming all our boards and commission meetings (our City Council and Planning Commission meetings were already livestreamed). 
• This way, you can follow along or even watch meetings after the fact to stay up to date. 
• When you want to weigh in on an issue, you are welcome to come speak at a meeting or email your comments to the commission.  

Now, back to the beach sidewalk and stairs project.

The new stairs will be built in the same locations in the same general design, including the overlooks and landing areas/platforms. 

The sidewalk between Cherry and Pine avenues will be widened by 2 ½ feet to make more room for the many walkers, joggers and other users who enjoy this popular location. 

• One foot will come from the removal of the surface mounted railing and metal beam guardrail, which is consistent with sidewalks to the north and south. 
• The sidewalk will also be extended 1 ½ feet to the west over the bluff. (That portion of sidewalk is built on a platform that is cantilevered over the bluff.) 

The project also includes new streetlights, erosion control and bluff stabilization. 

How to give input 

• Email traffic@carlsbadca.gov before the meeting or come in person and fill out a request to speak. 

If the commission recommends approval, the project will come to the City Council for consideration. Construction is expected to take about 20 months, but we will halt construction during busy summer months. The stairways won’t be replaced all at once; at least one will remain open at a time. 

P.S. We’ve gotten some questions about ADA access to the beach. We are still working on a project that would create access at Tamarack and at Pine for people using wheelchairs. I’ll be sure to update you on that one as soon as it’s ready for review.  

Robertson Ranch Park design concept approved

The City Council has approved the recommended master plan and design for Robertson Ranch Park and gave the green light to proceed with initial permitting and environmental review.  

Next steps and funding 

From start to finish, planning a park like this typically takes about four to five years.  

• Learn about the park planning process

Here’s what happens next: 

• The park planning team will seek permits and environmental clearance and request approval from the Planning Commission in 2025. 
• City staff will present a final master plan to the Parks & Recreation Commission. 
• Staff will then present the final master plan to the City Council.  
• At that time the City Council will consider funding to develop construction plans and specifications, which takes about two years. 
• Once those documents are completed, staff will have a more accurate cost estimate so that the City Council can consider the timing and funding options to build the park. The preliminary cost estimate based on the conceptual design is $30 million. 

I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to provide input into this project, and I will keep you informed as it continues to move through the planning process. 

New community garden coming to south Carlsbad

The first community garden in south Carlsbad will open in early 2025, thanks to the City Council’s approval of a construction contract on Tuesday. 

Carlsbad built its first community garden in 1984, the first in North County and only the second in San Diego County. We have since added community gardens at Pine Avenue Community Park and Calavera Hills Community Park. In addition to the new garden at Stagecoach Community Park, a community garden is part of the approved design for Robertson Ranch Park.  

It’s a good thing, because there is usually a long waiting list for plots. The city partners with the non-profit Carlsbad Community Gardens Collaborative to manage the list and promote gardening through educational events, the seed library at city libraries, volunteer events and more. 

The city’s Parks & Recreation staff came forward with the idea of a new community garden at Stagecoach Community Park after an area that had been used for park maintenance equipment and supplies became available. Community gardens were identified as a priority in the recently updated Parks & Recreation Master Plan, which was based on public input, city demographics, trends and other factors. 

In addition to city-owned community gardens, homeowners’ associations, churches and other organizations often operate community gardens. 

Alga Norte Aquatic Center 3-month closure scheduled to start in November  

A three-month closure of the Alga Norte Aquatic Center is tentatively scheduled to begin mid-November, so the city can replaster the pools and spa and renovate the bathrooms and locker rooms. We have planned this work during the off-peak season to minimize disruptions to our pool users.

By taking care of this maintenance and renovation now, we will extend the life of the aquatic center and help avoid emergency repairs down the road, which often come with larger costs and more significant disruptions.

We understand this will be an inconvenience for our regular users and are working on a detailed closure plan. As soon as the schedule is finalized, we will share the details.

B.I.G. is back by popular demand with '90s hip hop and R&B at TGIF

We’re expecting a big turnout Friday as we bring back Brothers Igniting a Groove (B.I.G.), one of the most popular bands from last year’s TGIF series.

TGIF Concerts in the Parks

Brothers Igniting a Groove (B.I.G.)

Friday, July 26

Field opens at 4 p.m.

Concert starts at 6 p.m.

Calavera Hills Community Park

2997 Glasgow Drive

B.I.G. is a Southern California favorite, bringing a mix of ‘90s hip hop and R&B that always gets the crowd on its feet.

Maximum capacity 

We haven’t reached maximum capacity so far this season, but if we do, you will see digital message boards at the shuttle pick up location and as you approach the park itself. We will also post a notice at carlsbadca.gov/TGIF. That way, if you’re planning to come later you can check before you leave.

Establishing an event perimeter with a maximum capacity is one of the new security measures we implemented this year to make sure we’re following the latest best practices for large public gatherings.

If you’re planning to attend, here are a few tips to consider: 

• Take shuttle from Sage Creek High School, 3900 Cannon Road.
• If you live nearby, consider riding your bike and letting our bike valet handle the parking for you. 
• Pack a picnic (food and drink are not for sale this year).
• Be familiar with what you can and can’t bring so you can sail through our new security screening stations.
• Leave your furry friends at home, please. (Does not apply to service animals.) 

Help our concerts stay green 

We’ve received a few questions about the new waste-sorting stations at the concerts. Here is some background: 

• What goes where: Waste sorting stations like the ones in the photo are located throughout the concert area. Look at the pictures on the top of the bins so you know what to put in each. 
• Keep items loose: Please dump your items in the bins individually rather than in a bag (for example, if you gathered trash around your area in a bag or used a bag for your food scraps). Items left in a bag can block the openings and prevent others from using the bins. 

We appreciate your help! 

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

The next City Council meeting will take place Tuesday, July 30, starting at 5 p.m. in the City Council Chamber. A link to the full agenda and staff reports is available on the city’s website. ​​Topics include: 

• Two workers’ compensation settlements 
• Appointing two community members to the Library Board of Trustees 
• Appointing two City Council members to represent Carlsbad at the League of California Cities Annual Conference in Long Beach 
• A state grant that will pay for night vision goggles for SWAT medics and medical supplies for police vehicles 
• Appointing a member of the Traffic Safety & Mobility Commission 
• Adopting an ordinance that will dissolve the Carlsbad Golf Lodging Business Improvement District now that its work has been taken on by the Carlsbad Tourism Business Improvement District 
• A report on the city’s yearly program to clean up dry weeds and trash on vacant lots around the city that could pose fire hazards 
• Updating the city’s zoning regulations, which are reviewed periodically keep them in compliance with state law and make them consistent with other regulations 
• Considering a ban on smoking in and around multi-unit buildings, including apartments, condominiums and care facilities 
• An agreement for the design and construction of pre-manufactured restroom buildings and one maintenance building that will go in the future Veterans Memorial Park 
• The city’s semiannual transportation report 

See the agenda and staff reports.

The City Council encourages your participation. You can get agendas and staff reports emailed to you directly, and if you want to provide input, you can email clerk@carlsbadca.gov before the meeting or come in person and fill out a request to speak. 

If you want to watch from home, we have three options: 

1. Watch the meeting live on the website 
2. Watch a recording of the meeting afterward 
3. Watch live or a replay throughout the week on the city’s cable TV channel, Spectrum channel 24 and AT&T U-verse channel 99 

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.

That’s all for this week. I hope you enjoy your last weekend in the month of July, and I’ll be back next Thursday with more updates. 

Scott Chadwick 

City Manager