The city is beginning a public visioning process as part of the first phase of an update to Carlsbad's General Plan, Local Coastal Program and Zoning Ordinance. This visioning process offers an exciting opportunity for Carlsbad residents to become involved in shaping the future of the community.
It is a chance to identify, or reconfirm, what is most important to the community today and in the future. The process also is an opportunity to address what challenges there are today, or are anticipated in the future, that the city needs to plan for to ensure quality of life in Carlsbad is protected and enhanced.
As Carlsbad approaches build-out of the remaining vacant lands, the issues facing its future are no longer focused on guiding development of large land areas, but are related more to infill development and the protection and enhancement of quality of life. It is time to re-evaluate whether or not the city's goals and policies in the General Plan will continue to meet the community's needs and desires in the future.
The city wants to hear from residents about what they would like to remain the same, change and create to ensure that Carlsbad's future generations are as proud of the city as we are today. The public visioning process will kick-off this summer and will gain input from residents through several complementary efforts, including workshops, educational forums, neighborhood briefings, a mail-in survey, newsletters and interviews with stakeholder groups.
The process will help the community articulate its vision for the future of Carlsbad, identify key opportunities, challenges, needs and prioritize what should be done to achieve that vision. Examples of questions that might be raised during the visioning process are:
? How can Carlsbad become more sustainable?
? How are we meeting the needs of our seniors?
? Are there better ways to protect our valuable resources?
? Does the community desire or need additional public facilities like parks, trails and a community/civic center?
? Is there a need for additional or different services like retail businesses, cultural uses, medical services and etc?
? How can the city plan to take advantage of new technologies?
What is a General Plan?
The General Plan expresses the community's long-term goals for development. Topics addressed in a general plan include land use, housing, circulation, natural resources, open space, public safety and noise, as well as other items the community identifies as important to their physical development and quality of life, like parks and recreation, arts and sustainability.
Carlsbad's General Plan was last updated in 1994, so it is time to re-evaluate whether or not it still expresses the community's long-term goals for the future.
As previously mentioned, this is an opportunity to look to the future and anticipate Carlsbad's needs and put a plan in place that ensures future generations will enjoy the same high quality of life residents now have.
How to get involved
There will be a number of opportunities for participation. A newsletter will be mailed to all Carlsbad households to let them know when and where the community meetings are taking place.
There also will be a number of educational forums, neighborhood briefings and other public meetings members of the public can attend to learn and share information. Additionally, a special Web site is being set up to help residents find information quickly about the General Plan process.
To learn more, or to have your name added to the contact list, visit www.carlsbadca.gov and click on the “General Plan Update” link (if it's not there yet, it will be soon) or call the city's Planning Department at (760) 602-4600.
It is a chance to identify, or reconfirm, what is most important to the community today and in the future. The process also is an opportunity to address what challenges there are today, or are anticipated in the future, that the city needs to plan for to ensure quality of life in Carlsbad is protected and enhanced.
As Carlsbad approaches build-out of the remaining vacant lands, the issues facing its future are no longer focused on guiding development of large land areas, but are related more to infill development and the protection and enhancement of quality of life. It is time to re-evaluate whether or not the city's goals and policies in the General Plan will continue to meet the community's needs and desires in the future.
The city wants to hear from residents about what they would like to remain the same, change and create to ensure that Carlsbad's future generations are as proud of the city as we are today. The public visioning process will kick-off this summer and will gain input from residents through several complementary efforts, including workshops, educational forums, neighborhood briefings, a mail-in survey, newsletters and interviews with stakeholder groups.
The process will help the community articulate its vision for the future of Carlsbad, identify key opportunities, challenges, needs and prioritize what should be done to achieve that vision. Examples of questions that might be raised during the visioning process are:
? How can Carlsbad become more sustainable?
? How are we meeting the needs of our seniors?
? Are there better ways to protect our valuable resources?
? Does the community desire or need additional public facilities like parks, trails and a community/civic center?
? Is there a need for additional or different services like retail businesses, cultural uses, medical services and etc?
? How can the city plan to take advantage of new technologies?
What is a General Plan?
The General Plan expresses the community's long-term goals for development. Topics addressed in a general plan include land use, housing, circulation, natural resources, open space, public safety and noise, as well as other items the community identifies as important to their physical development and quality of life, like parks and recreation, arts and sustainability.
Carlsbad's General Plan was last updated in 1994, so it is time to re-evaluate whether or not it still expresses the community's long-term goals for the future.
As previously mentioned, this is an opportunity to look to the future and anticipate Carlsbad's needs and put a plan in place that ensures future generations will enjoy the same high quality of life residents now have.
How to get involved
There will be a number of opportunities for participation. A newsletter will be mailed to all Carlsbad households to let them know when and where the community meetings are taking place.
There also will be a number of educational forums, neighborhood briefings and other public meetings members of the public can attend to learn and share information. Additionally, a special Web site is being set up to help residents find information quickly about the General Plan process.
To learn more, or to have your name added to the contact list, visit www.carlsbadca.gov and click on the “General Plan Update” link (if it's not there yet, it will be soon) or call the city's Planning Department at (760) 602-4600.