After a year of meetings and activities, Envision Carlsbad published the draft Carlsbad Community Vision document that was presented and accepted Dec. 2 by the city's Planning Commission.
The document will be presented to the Carlsbad City Council this month. This is Phase I in a three-year process that will result in the updating of the city's General Plan, Zoning Ordinance, Local Coastal Program and other aspects of its operations.
The city created the Envision Carlsbad program to plan for the future of Carlsbad as it approaches build-out. Future development will primarily be through infill and redevelopment that can create challenges to our city's attractive setting and quality of life.
The first objective is to identify the most important values and priorities going forward. The second objective is to implement the vision, requiring an alignment of it with the city's policies, regulations and operations, which will occur during the overall city updating process in Phase II.
The program was designed to engage the entire community, those who live and work in Carlsbad, in the envisioning process.
In late 2008, the Envision Carlsbad Citizens' Committee was created by the city with 19 members, plus alternates appointed to represent the economic, social, environmental and youth perspectives in our community, as well as the four quadrants of the city. I am pleased to represent the Carlsbad Chamber as one of the committee members, with Mike Howes of Howes, Weiler and Associates who serves as the alternate.
In workshops and meetings over the past year, the committee worked with city staff and private consultants to develop outreach to the community, analyze incoming data, coordinate emerging themes and review and respond to interim drafts of the Community Vision report.
Community input was primarily gathered in three phases, a comprehensive city-wide survey mailed to 41,000 households, well-attended community workshops held for residents in the city's four quadrants and stakeholder interviews with 84 businesses, organizations and community leaders that also included non-residents who work or provide services within the city.
The Community Vision includes the following nine core values that were developed over this process:
• Small town feel, beach community character and connectedness.
• Open space and the natural environment.
• Access to recreation and active, healthy lifestyles.
• The local economy, business diversity and tourism.
• Walking, biking, public transportation and connectivity.
• Sustainability.
• History, the arts and cultural resources.
• High-quality education and community services.
• Neighborhood revitalization, community design and livability.
Input from residents, businesses and organizations will continue to be welcome and valuable during Phase II. As our businesses are the financial engines that drive our quality of life, even more so following build-out, I especially urge all businesses in our community to be engaged in this process because changes that occur in the General Plan, as well as city policies, rules and regulations, can affect the way you do business in Carlsbad.
Please take this opportunity to participate to ensure the voice of business is heard loud and clear.
The Carlsbad Community Vision, as well as comprehensive reports from all of the Envision Carlsbad outreach activities, is available online at www.envisioncarlsbad.org. You also can also sign up for Envision Carlsbad News for ongoing updates.
With this month marking the beginning of my term as chairwoman of the chamber's Board of Directors, I want to thank Lou Storrow, our immediate past chair, for his outstanding leadership over the past two years.
Warmest Wishes to all for a great 2010!
The document will be presented to the Carlsbad City Council this month. This is Phase I in a three-year process that will result in the updating of the city's General Plan, Zoning Ordinance, Local Coastal Program and other aspects of its operations.
The city created the Envision Carlsbad program to plan for the future of Carlsbad as it approaches build-out. Future development will primarily be through infill and redevelopment that can create challenges to our city's attractive setting and quality of life.
The first objective is to identify the most important values and priorities going forward. The second objective is to implement the vision, requiring an alignment of it with the city's policies, regulations and operations, which will occur during the overall city updating process in Phase II.
The program was designed to engage the entire community, those who live and work in Carlsbad, in the envisioning process.
In late 2008, the Envision Carlsbad Citizens' Committee was created by the city with 19 members, plus alternates appointed to represent the economic, social, environmental and youth perspectives in our community, as well as the four quadrants of the city. I am pleased to represent the Carlsbad Chamber as one of the committee members, with Mike Howes of Howes, Weiler and Associates who serves as the alternate.
In workshops and meetings over the past year, the committee worked with city staff and private consultants to develop outreach to the community, analyze incoming data, coordinate emerging themes and review and respond to interim drafts of the Community Vision report.
Community input was primarily gathered in three phases, a comprehensive city-wide survey mailed to 41,000 households, well-attended community workshops held for residents in the city's four quadrants and stakeholder interviews with 84 businesses, organizations and community leaders that also included non-residents who work or provide services within the city.
The Community Vision includes the following nine core values that were developed over this process:
• Small town feel, beach community character and connectedness.
• Open space and the natural environment.
• Access to recreation and active, healthy lifestyles.
• The local economy, business diversity and tourism.
• Walking, biking, public transportation and connectivity.
• Sustainability.
• History, the arts and cultural resources.
• High-quality education and community services.
• Neighborhood revitalization, community design and livability.
Input from residents, businesses and organizations will continue to be welcome and valuable during Phase II. As our businesses are the financial engines that drive our quality of life, even more so following build-out, I especially urge all businesses in our community to be engaged in this process because changes that occur in the General Plan, as well as city policies, rules and regulations, can affect the way you do business in Carlsbad.
Please take this opportunity to participate to ensure the voice of business is heard loud and clear.
The Carlsbad Community Vision, as well as comprehensive reports from all of the Envision Carlsbad outreach activities, is available online at www.envisioncarlsbad.org. You also can also sign up for Envision Carlsbad News for ongoing updates.
With this month marking the beginning of my term as chairwoman of the chamber's Board of Directors, I want to thank Lou Storrow, our immediate past chair, for his outstanding leadership over the past two years.
Warmest Wishes to all for a great 2010!