Public Comment Needed on Village and Barrio Master Plan

Draft Plan for Village & Barrio To Be Released

The City of Carlsbad Planning Commission got a preview of the revised Village and Barrio Master Plan draft at its April 13 meeting. The draft plan establishes a vision for future development and land uses in these two historic neighborhoods. 

The purpose of the April 13 presentation was to present the latest version of the Village and Barrio Master Plan, go over changes made based on community input to date and review the project’s public input process. At the meeting, people were also welcome to comment on the plan. The Planning Commission did not take any action on the plan during the meeting; it was informational only. A formal public hearing will be scheduled for a later date.

The public can review the plan at www.carlsbadca.gov/villagebarrio. Copies of the plan will also be available for review at the city’s libraries, Senior Center and City Clerk’s Office.

The master plan focuses on enhancing neighborhood character, community gathering spaces and economic vitality, based on ideas that came out of an intensive public outreach effort over the past two years. Hundreds of community members participated in hands-on design sessions, an online forum, technical sessions and public meetings.  Along with establishing a vision, the proposed plan refines, rather than significantly changes, the current development standards under which development in the Village and Barrio is presently occurring.

The master plan includes conceptual ideas, meaning further consideration and development will be needed before they could be implemented. Among the concepts included in the plan are new access opportunities that could result from putting the coastal railroad tracks through the Village and Barrio underground in a trench. The San Diego Association of Governments is adding a second parallel track along the coast and has agreed to study the option of trenching the tracks below ground level, at the City of Carlsbad’s request.

Other ideas for the Village include:

Make Grand Avenue more pedestrian-friendly by creating a promenade.

Create public plazas at Grand Avenue and State Street and other places.

Improve streets and sidewalks west of Carlsbad Boulevard, benefitting drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians.

Tunnel beneath Interstate 5 to connect Grand Avenue to the east side of the freeway.

Ideas for the Barrio include:

Along the streets, add crosswalks, trees and pedestrian-scaled lighting.

Construct a roundabout at Tamarack Avenue and Jefferson Street to create a gateway to the Barrio and beach.

Ensure new development is in keeping with the current character of the area.

According to Scott Donnell, a city planner who is managing the project, the city decided to combine the Village and Barrio under one master plan to enhance connectivity between the two areas.

The plan also focuses on alternatives to traveling by car, such as walking and biking. The city already has emphasized making the Village and Barrio more pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly by placing more than 100 bike racks and corrals in both neighborhoods and by making it easier and safer for pedestrians to cross Carlsbad Boulevard and Grand Avenue. The plan also includes ways to increase parking in the Village and Barrio and ideas for emerging transportation choices, such as a shuttle system and ride sharing.

The Village and Barrio Master Plan will update and replace the Carlsbad Village Master Plan and Design Manual, which was adopted in 1996 and has been revised periodically since, most recently in 2013.

Please send public comment directly to Scott Donnell, senior planner, at scott.donnell@carlsbadca.gov.  Public comment is welcome.

City media contact
Jessica Padilla Bowen, 760-434-2845, jessica.padillabowen@carlsbadca.gov