Every city in California is required to have a general plan, which provides the blueprint for how land will be developed to achieve a community's vision for the future. The plan spells out such things as where businesses and homes are built, how people get around the city and how the city preserves and manages its open space.
The City of Carlsbad is in the process of updating its General Plan with the assistance of residents and members of the business community, who are playing an important role in this process.
As the city faces a future of less developable land and a growing and aging infrastructure base to maintain, the updated General Plan will need to provide some of the tools necessary to address these issues. The city's remaining vacant, underutilized and redeveloping areas present new opportunities and new challenges.
At the foundation of the General Plan update is the Carlsbad Community Vision. In 2008, the City of Carlsbad began working with the community to create a vision of the future by gathering ideas through public workshops, interviews, meetings, committees and surveys in a process called Envision Carlsbad. The core values of this vision include:
•
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
The General Plan process also recognizes that the issues Carlsbad faces for its future must focus less on guiding development of large land areas and more on maintaining and enhancing the quality of life that the residents, business owners and city officials have worked so hard to create.
Business and industry trends are an important part of this planning process. Current economic forecasts project that Carlsbad's industrial areas along Palomar Airport Road, Faraday Avenue and El Camino Real are likely to undergo a shift over the next 30 years. Based on such factors as land values, employment demands and technology trends, Carlsbad's manufacturing, distribution, and light industrial sectors are likely to contract as its corporate office and research and development sectors expand.
These are important elements to consider for the General Plan and zoning update, because the plans will spell out policies and standards for future development.
The plans also will capitalize on the City of Carlsbad's progress in streamlining the development review process. The new plans are likely to include greater flexibility in land uses and in development standards, and will include an improved permitting process.
In a similar vein, the Envision Carlsbad process studied retail trends in the city and analyzed how well the city's retail offerings support our residents while attracting out-of-city shoppers, and where we lose customers to other cities. This is important because a strong retail sector produces sales tax revenue, which helps pay for such everyday city services as police and fire protection.
For example, the city is strong in automobile dealerships and full-service restaurants, but is less strong in grocery stores and gas stations. The Envision Carlsbad process will use such data knowledge to shape a General Plan that serves residents and businesses better in the future, while attracting customers to our varied retail outlets.
Good planning will ensure that Carlsbad remains a vibrant business and employment center for many years to come, while maintaining and enhancing the quality of life of our residents and business owners. The city will continue to provide opportunities for you to get involved and offer your input before the new General Plan and zoning updates are considered for adoption in the spring of 2013.
For more information, visit www.carlsbadca.gov/envision.
The City of Carlsbad is in the process of updating its General Plan with the assistance of residents and members of the business community, who are playing an important role in this process.
As the city faces a future of less developable land and a growing and aging infrastructure base to maintain, the updated General Plan will need to provide some of the tools necessary to address these issues. The city's remaining vacant, underutilized and redeveloping areas present new opportunities and new challenges.
At the foundation of the General Plan update is the Carlsbad Community Vision. In 2008, the City of Carlsbad began working with the community to create a vision of the future by gathering ideas through public workshops, interviews, meetings, committees and surveys in a process called Envision Carlsbad. The core values of this vision include:
•
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
The General Plan process also recognizes that the issues Carlsbad faces for its future must focus less on guiding development of large land areas and more on maintaining and enhancing the quality of life that the residents, business owners and city officials have worked so hard to create.
Business and industry trends are an important part of this planning process. Current economic forecasts project that Carlsbad's industrial areas along Palomar Airport Road, Faraday Avenue and El Camino Real are likely to undergo a shift over the next 30 years. Based on such factors as land values, employment demands and technology trends, Carlsbad's manufacturing, distribution, and light industrial sectors are likely to contract as its corporate office and research and development sectors expand.
These are important elements to consider for the General Plan and zoning update, because the plans will spell out policies and standards for future development.
The plans also will capitalize on the City of Carlsbad's progress in streamlining the development review process. The new plans are likely to include greater flexibility in land uses and in development standards, and will include an improved permitting process.
In a similar vein, the Envision Carlsbad process studied retail trends in the city and analyzed how well the city's retail offerings support our residents while attracting out-of-city shoppers, and where we lose customers to other cities. This is important because a strong retail sector produces sales tax revenue, which helps pay for such everyday city services as police and fire protection.
For example, the city is strong in automobile dealerships and full-service restaurants, but is less strong in grocery stores and gas stations. The Envision Carlsbad process will use such data knowledge to shape a General Plan that serves residents and businesses better in the future, while attracting customers to our varied retail outlets.
Good planning will ensure that Carlsbad remains a vibrant business and employment center for many years to come, while maintaining and enhancing the quality of life of our residents and business owners. The city will continue to provide opportunities for you to get involved and offer your input before the new General Plan and zoning updates are considered for adoption in the spring of 2013.
For more information, visit www.carlsbadca.gov/envision.