The Village and Barrio need you! Even if you were unable to attend the Village and Barrio Master Plan Draft meetings and workshops held mid-December, your opinions and comments still matter. We encourage you to review the draft plan at www.carlsbadca.gov/villagebarrio and provide comments directly to city staff. The community has until January 15, 2016, to review the draft plan and provide comments.
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. Other ideas for the Village include:
Make Grand Avenue more pedestrian-friendly by creating a promenade.
Create public plazas at the Grand Avenue and State Street intersection 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 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.
One purpose of the master plan is to rejuvenate the Barrio, so it includes development standards and design guidelines to help meet that goal. 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 comments received during the review period will be considered as part of the preparation of the final master plan in early 2016. After the final plan is prepared, the Planning Commission and City Council will hold formal hearings to consider adopting it. These hearings are planned for spring of 2016.
The draft master plan is available on the city website, www.carlsbadca.gov/villagebarrio. Copies are available for review at the city’s libraries and City Clerk’s office.
For more information, visit www.carlsbadca.gov/villagebarrio or contact Scott Donnell, senior planner, 760-602-4618,scott.donnell@carlsbadca.gov