CARLSBAD — Nearly three years into its ambitious Five-Year Strategic Plan, city officials took stock of major wins and lingering roadblocks in a mid-term review at Tuesday’s City Council meeting.
The strategic plan, adopted in late 2022, establishes five major goal areas — community character, public safety, sustainability, economic vitality and governance — 24 objectives and 65 priority projects to guide city policy and operations.
Intergovernmental Affairs Director Jason Haber reported that 30 projects remain on track but are not yet completed, 13 have been finished and several others are either delayed or no longer moving forward.
“The Five-Year Strategic Plan was created to accomplish several organizational and community objectives, identifying the City Council’s highest priority goals and providing clear and consistent policy direction, allowing resources to be focused on achieving results and sustained through momentum over time,” Haber said during the meeting.
Under community character, the city established objective design standards for multifamily housing, added 159 affordable units to address housing needs in 2024 and implemented zoning changes to encourage more accessory dwelling units (ADUs).
The council also approved a smoke-free ordinance for multi-unit housing, which takes effect in mid-2025.
In public safety and transportation, the city is moving ahead with plans to lower railroad tracks in the Village area with funding from local, state and federal sources. The fire department expanded its fleet and launched a new fire intelligence system, while the police department continues community outreach through its Community-Police Engagement Commission and events such as National Night Out and Coffee with a Cop.
On the sustainability front, the city is expanding electric vehicle charging, installing solar carports, and working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The city will seek funding for its Sea Level Rise Adaptation Plan pending state approval of updates to the Local Coastal Program.
Economic efforts include new business-friendly initiatives, an updated economic intelligence dashboard (to inform city leaders and residents of current economic conditions and labor market information), and partnerships with local universities to bolster workforce development.
The city also reestablished the Tourism Business Improvement District, helping boost local tourism.
According to the city, fiscal oversight has improved, with a reserve ratio above 55% and an asset replacement reserve of $17.5 million. Carlsbad has also created a Section 115 Pension Trust to manage long-term pension obligations and is modernizing city operations with new digital services and data tools.
Progress and setbacks
The council reviewed completed projects under the five-year plan, including the Monroe Street Pool replacement design, Fire Station 2 construction, temporary Fire Station 7, and various traffic safety improvements. Several other initiatives remain in progress, including Veterans Memorial Park, the Barrio neighborhood traffic circles and sustainable mobility planning goals.
However, multiple projects are behind schedule, including the South Carlsbad Boulevard realignment, Grand Avenue Promenade feasibility study and plans for a permanent Fire Station 7. Some efforts have been discontinued, such as planned improvements along Melrose Drive, Christensen Way, Palomar Airport Road and College Boulevard.
Mayor Pro Tem Priya Bhat-Patel raised concerns about sustainable mobility and pedestrian safety projects in her district and asked whether those issues would still be addressed despite not being explicitly listed in the strategic plan.
Haber assured the council that funding and planning for these projects continue through the city’s Capital Improvement Program.
“The projects listed in the strategic plan are not all-inclusive of projects that will be occurring,” Haber said. “If you have specific projects that you’re concerned with or want to ensure that those are moving forward, as long as those are included in the Capital Improvement Program and resourced adequately, those would anticipate going forward, regardless of whether they’re listed here in the strategic plan.”
No new funding allocations were approved at this stage. Council members were invited to provide feedback on project priorities, which will inform the upcoming FY 2025-26 budget process.
“The city is currently in a very strong fiscal condition,” Haber said, but cautioned that economic uncertainties remain.
