Carlsbad Village, Barrio Plan Focus of Upcoming Meeting

Community members are encouraged to attend an upcoming city of Carlsbad Planning Commission meeting to learn about revisions that have been made to the Village and Barrio Master Plan.

During the 6 p.m. meeting on Wednesday, April 13, commissioners will get a preview of the latest version of the plan, which establishes a vision for future development and land uses in the two historic neighborhoods.

The meeting will be held at City Hall, 1200 Carlsbad Village Drive.

Changes have been incorporated based on input received to date from the community, and the April 13 meeting gives the public another chance to make comments, city officials said.

The Planning Commission will not take any action on the plan during the meeting; it is informational only, according to a news release from the city. A formal public hearing will be scheduled for a later date.

The Village and Barrio Master Plan will update and replace the Carlsbad Village Master Plan and Design Manual, which was adopted in 1996 and has been revised periodically since, most recently in 2013.

According to Scott Donnell, a city planner who is managing the project, the city decided to combine the Village and Barrio under one master plan to enhance connectivity between the two areas.

"The master plan focuses on enhancing neighborhood character, community gathering spaces and economic vitality, based on ideas that came out of an intensive public outreach effort over the past two years. Hundreds of community members participated in hands-on design sessions, an online forum, technical sessions and public meetings," according to the news release. "Along with establishing a vision, the proposed plan refines, rather than significantly changes, the current development standards under which development in the Village and Barrio is presently occurring.

"The master plan includes conceptual ideas, meaning further consideration and development will be needed before they could be implemented. Among the concepts included in the plan are new access opportunities that could result from putting the coastal railroad tracks through the Village and Barrio underground in a trench. The San Diego Association of Governments is adding a second parallel track along the coast and has agreed to study the option of trenching the tracks below ground level, at the City of Carlsbad’s request."

Other ideas for the Village include:

• Make Grand Avenue more pedestrian-friendly by creating a promenade.
• Create public plazas at Grand Avenue and State Street and other places.
• Improve streets and sidewalks west of Carlsbad Boulevard, benefitting drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians.
• Tunnel beneath Interstate 5 to connect Grand Avenue to the east side of the freeway.

Ideas for the Barrio include:

• Along the streets, add crosswalks, trees and pedestrian-scaled lighting.
• Construct a roundabout at Tamarack Avenue and Jefferson Street to create a gateway to the Barrio and beach.
• Ensure new development is in keeping with the current character of the area.

"The plan also focuses on alternatives to traveling by car, such as walking and biking. The city already has emphasized making the Village and Barrio more pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly by placing more than 100 bike racks and corrals in both neighborhoods and by making it easier and safer for pedestrians to cross Carlsbad Boulevard and Grand Avenue," according to the news release. "The plan also includes ways to increase parking in the Village and Barrio and ideas for emerging transportation choices, such as a shuttle system and ride sharing."

Following the April 13 meeting, the draft plan will be available for review at Carlsbadca.gov/villagebarrio. Copies of the plan will also be available for review at the city’s libraries, Senior Center and City Clerk’s Office.

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(Photo credit: Maggie Avants)