CARLSBAD — The Carlsbad City Council unanimously approved a resolution on Dec. 3 to move forward with a two-story medical office building located at the corner of Grand Avenue and Hope Avenue in Carlsbad Village.
The Grand Hope Medical Office development, which aligns with the city’s Climate Action Plan and Village and Barrio Master Plan, is expected to provide a mix of transportation and environmental benefits while addressing public concerns over parking.
While the council praised the project’s design and alignment with city goals, parking dominated the discussion.
“We didn’t have public comment in person here in council chambers tonight, but we did receive a lot of public comment, and of course, the planning commission did too,” Councilmember Teresa Acosta said in the meeting. “It seemed to me that the number one concern about the project was parking.”
In a written comment, resident Stan Katz said that eight covered parking spaces aren’t sufficient for a 10,000-square-foot medical building.
“The current building is one-fifth that size and has more parking,” Katz wrote. “This will cause parking issues in the neighborhood.”
Resident Keith Valentine agreed, questioning why a new office building seven times larger than the existing structure would have a 20% reduction in on-site parking.
“This poor parking situation will impact the Carlysle at 800 Grand as well as the surrounding homes and neighbors on Hope Avenue,” Valentine said.
The approved project at 2879 Hope Avenue will replace an existing one-story structure with a 10,671-square-foot medical office building featuring three tenant spaces, a common egress balcony, and a one-story parking garage. The applicant requested and received approval for a modification to the building massing standard, which typically requires a five-foot step back in the facade every 40 feet.
A 2,803-square-foot enclosed parking garage will be included in the project, featuring four traditional parking spaces and two lift systems, each accommodating two vehicles, for a total of eight parking spaces.
Under state law, local governments cannot enforce minimum parking requirements for developments within a half-mile of public transit, such as the nearby Carlsbad Village Train Station. As a result, the applicant proposed eight electric vehicle spaces, exceeding state requirements.
Following public concerns, the Planning Commission revised the parking plan to include four EV spaces, three standard spaces, and one Americans with Disabilities Act space.
Councilmember Melanie Burkholder, who represents the district where the project will be built, said parking was her primary concern for the project.
“There have been some numbers thrown at us that there would be, like, 300-plus people coming in and out of these spaces,” Burkholder said. “So I was just wondering if we could look at those numbers.”
Acosta acknowledged the constraints imposed by AB 2097 and emphasized the need for creative solutions to address the broader parking challenges in the village.
“We’re going to have to think of other creative ways to create public transit or find other parking systems in the village,” she said.
Despite these challenges, council members commended the applicant for a project they believe will enhance the area.
“Thank you for a beautiful building, and thank you for trusting Carlsbad with this project,” Councilmember Priya Bhat-Patel said.
