Carlsbad enjoys a wonderfully diverse base of commerce and clean industry that provides jobs, vital city revenue and services to improve the quality of life for residents and visitors.
As the city approaches build-out and works through the economic downturn, creative approaches are needed to attract and retain quality businesses so the city can maintain and enhance its strong economic foundation and employment base.
That's why the City Council has directed staff to increase its focus on working with the business community to forge an even stronger partnership.
One great example is the city's development-review-process working group. The group was formed in 2009 and includes members of city staff and the local development community. Its goal is to cut red tape during the review and processing of applications for new development of all types.
We're reducing redundancy and ambiguity, eliminating unnecessary steps, trimming costs for both the city and applicants, and decreasing processing times. And it's all being done without compromising the city's rigorous development standards or high quality of life.
Much progress has been made already. Through a series of initial meetings, the group came up with nine key initiatives, including a total of 49 separate recommendations. A recent progress report shows that 20 of the recommendations have already been implemented, and work continues on the full slate of action items.
Among the recommendations is making sure that projects already approved by the city remain valid during the economic downturn. The goal is to ensure that once the economy improves and financing becomes available, applicants can move forward without having to go through the approval process again.
Another recommendation is to make sure that project approvals take place at the appropriate decision-making level, whether by the City Council, the Planning Commission or city staff. This can help streamline and expedite the approval process, especially for more routine and non-controversial projects.
The sooner projects can be approved and permits issued, the sooner construction can go forward and the new developments begin generating tax revenue for the city, which in turn helps pay for vital services, such as police and fire protection, parks and libraries.
Along similar lines, city staff is working with representatives of auto dealerships in Car Country Carlsbad to find ways to improve the business climate for this important sector of the local economic base.
A working group of dealership representatives and city staff is meeting regularly and has come up with draft recommendations in such areas as traffic safety, signage, general appearance and minor updates to the specific plan for Car Country Carlsbad.
These recommendations will soon be presented to the City Council for consideration.
The city's heightened focus on business development is already paying off with a number of planned and recently completed projects.
The city's vision for a walkable village center in the Bressi Ranch community helped bring in new businesses, such as a Trader Joe's market and Tommy V's Urban Kitchen, a restaurant with patio dining overlooking the one-acre village square.
The city has also worked closely with companies such as Isis Pharmaceuticals and Life Technologies to build new and expanded facilities in Carlsbad, creating jobs and keeping existing businesses in Carlsbad.
Creating a strong local economy requires an ongoing commitment from the city and our partners in the business community. We are proud of our recent accomplishments and look forward to continuing to support a diverse, healthy business community in Carlsbad.
As the city approaches build-out and works through the economic downturn, creative approaches are needed to attract and retain quality businesses so the city can maintain and enhance its strong economic foundation and employment base.
That's why the City Council has directed staff to increase its focus on working with the business community to forge an even stronger partnership.
One great example is the city's development-review-process working group. The group was formed in 2009 and includes members of city staff and the local development community. Its goal is to cut red tape during the review and processing of applications for new development of all types.
We're reducing redundancy and ambiguity, eliminating unnecessary steps, trimming costs for both the city and applicants, and decreasing processing times. And it's all being done without compromising the city's rigorous development standards or high quality of life.
Much progress has been made already. Through a series of initial meetings, the group came up with nine key initiatives, including a total of 49 separate recommendations. A recent progress report shows that 20 of the recommendations have already been implemented, and work continues on the full slate of action items.
Among the recommendations is making sure that projects already approved by the city remain valid during the economic downturn. The goal is to ensure that once the economy improves and financing becomes available, applicants can move forward without having to go through the approval process again.
Another recommendation is to make sure that project approvals take place at the appropriate decision-making level, whether by the City Council, the Planning Commission or city staff. This can help streamline and expedite the approval process, especially for more routine and non-controversial projects.
The sooner projects can be approved and permits issued, the sooner construction can go forward and the new developments begin generating tax revenue for the city, which in turn helps pay for vital services, such as police and fire protection, parks and libraries.
Along similar lines, city staff is working with representatives of auto dealerships in Car Country Carlsbad to find ways to improve the business climate for this important sector of the local economic base.
A working group of dealership representatives and city staff is meeting regularly and has come up with draft recommendations in such areas as traffic safety, signage, general appearance and minor updates to the specific plan for Car Country Carlsbad.
These recommendations will soon be presented to the City Council for consideration.
The city's heightened focus on business development is already paying off with a number of planned and recently completed projects.
The city's vision for a walkable village center in the Bressi Ranch community helped bring in new businesses, such as a Trader Joe's market and Tommy V's Urban Kitchen, a restaurant with patio dining overlooking the one-acre village square.
The city has also worked closely with companies such as Isis Pharmaceuticals and Life Technologies to build new and expanded facilities in Carlsbad, creating jobs and keeping existing businesses in Carlsbad.
Creating a strong local economy requires an ongoing commitment from the city and our partners in the business community. We are proud of our recent accomplishments and look forward to continuing to support a diverse, healthy business community in Carlsbad.