When the City of Carlsbad incorporated as a city 60 years ago, it did so to take control of its future. Community leaders saw the great potential of our natural and human resources and took a daring step so that we could shape our own destiny.
Today we enjoy the dividends of that bold decision.
In 1952, we were a small town with many more vegetables and flowers than people. The old Coastal Highway 101 was our major road. The population was less than 7,000.
Growth was a huge issue for the residents and businesses soon after we became a city. Some people didn't want any growth. Others were in favor of controlling growth, although how and how much remained a topic of great debate.
But growth was inevitable, and our city leaders at the time took a daring step into their future. Their decisions made our city what it is today.
They placed a measure on the ballot that Carlsbad voters passed in 1986, the Growth Management Plan, which laid out the blueprint for the city's development. That plan set standards for the high quality of life that we enjoy today by limiting the number of houses that would be built, setting standards for public services like libraries, parks and emergency response times, and stating that development should pay its own way to ensure growth couldn't take place unless the city had the infrastructure in place to support it.
Carlsbad is a better place today because of our approach to growth management. We have high standards and a high quality of life.
We have wonderful schools and libraries, great parks, and highly efficient services, such as police officers and firefighters who respond quickly when you call and the most well maintained streets around.
We also have a thriving and diverse local economy. Software developers, manufacturers, apparel makers, biotech firms and golf companies all make their homes in Carlsbad.
We also have a strong retail sector, including Car Country Carlsbad and regional retail centers.
And over the years the city has taken advantage of our nearly seven miles of beaches to develop tourism. In the 1990s voters gave the green light for LEGOLAND to build its first North American theme park in Carlsbad, and the result is LEGOLAND California Resort, a hugely successful attraction.
Today we have more than 3,600 hotel rooms, and more coming on line, making our city the second leading tourism destination in San Diego County, behind only the city of San Diego.
And our future remains bright. The City of Carlsbad is approaching a time when most of the major new development is complete, so we won't see much more of the large developments that we saw in the past.
Our new challenge will be sustaining our excellent quality of life and positive business climate as the city enters a new phase of its life. The community's needs are changing, and that means we have to adapt our resources and planning accordingly. I can say with great confidence we are equal to these new challenges and, working in partnership with the community, ready to deliver on a bright future for the City of Carlsbad.
Today we enjoy the dividends of that bold decision.
In 1952, we were a small town with many more vegetables and flowers than people. The old Coastal Highway 101 was our major road. The population was less than 7,000.
Growth was a huge issue for the residents and businesses soon after we became a city. Some people didn't want any growth. Others were in favor of controlling growth, although how and how much remained a topic of great debate.
But growth was inevitable, and our city leaders at the time took a daring step into their future. Their decisions made our city what it is today.
They placed a measure on the ballot that Carlsbad voters passed in 1986, the Growth Management Plan, which laid out the blueprint for the city's development. That plan set standards for the high quality of life that we enjoy today by limiting the number of houses that would be built, setting standards for public services like libraries, parks and emergency response times, and stating that development should pay its own way to ensure growth couldn't take place unless the city had the infrastructure in place to support it.
Carlsbad is a better place today because of our approach to growth management. We have high standards and a high quality of life.
We have wonderful schools and libraries, great parks, and highly efficient services, such as police officers and firefighters who respond quickly when you call and the most well maintained streets around.
We also have a thriving and diverse local economy. Software developers, manufacturers, apparel makers, biotech firms and golf companies all make their homes in Carlsbad.
We also have a strong retail sector, including Car Country Carlsbad and regional retail centers.
And over the years the city has taken advantage of our nearly seven miles of beaches to develop tourism. In the 1990s voters gave the green light for LEGOLAND to build its first North American theme park in Carlsbad, and the result is LEGOLAND California Resort, a hugely successful attraction.
Today we have more than 3,600 hotel rooms, and more coming on line, making our city the second leading tourism destination in San Diego County, behind only the city of San Diego.
And our future remains bright. The City of Carlsbad is approaching a time when most of the major new development is complete, so we won't see much more of the large developments that we saw in the past.
Our new challenge will be sustaining our excellent quality of life and positive business climate as the city enters a new phase of its life. The community's needs are changing, and that means we have to adapt our resources and planning accordingly. I can say with great confidence we are equal to these new challenges and, working in partnership with the community, ready to deliver on a bright future for the City of Carlsbad.