ENCINITAS — The Encinitas City Council unanimously adopted the El Camino Real Specific Plan on Wednesday night, finalizing a framework for the future development of one of the city’s most significant commercial corridors.
The plan, which has been under development since 2021, includes new design standards, streetscape improvements, and mobility enhancements for the El Camino Real area. It seeks to promote sustainable development while enhancing pedestrian and bicycle access and preserving the corridor’s commercial identity.
“The specific plan provides a framework for the development and future redevelopment and revitalization of the corridor,” said Brooke Peterson, principal in charge of the consultant team working with the city’s Development Services Department. “The corridor has unique conditions that really need those tailored design standards to help facilitate redevelopment and revitalization.”
The plan area encompasses 228 acres along El Camino Real from roughly Encinitas Boulevard to the south to Olivenhain Road in the north.
The specific plan also includes a community benefits program, which encourages developers to add public amenities, such as plazas and parks, in exchange for certain incentives. However, the council voted to strengthen language around these amenities, changing the wording from “encourage” to “require” for the development of public spaces.
“I hate the word encourage, but I love the word require,” Councilmember Bruce Ehlers, who proposed the amendment, said during the meeting. “I’m a black-and-white planning commissioner. [The word encourage] is wishy-washy. Why can’t we make it ‘require’?”
The council also agreed to incorporate stricter tree-planting requirements to reduce urban heat and increase tree coverage along the corridor. Larger trees, reaching 20 feet or more at maturity, will now be required in developments along El Camino Real. All new buildings, additions, exterior alterations, landscaping, signage and construction projects will be subject to design review, with some exceptions.
Other objectives contained within the plan include:
- Streetscape Transformation: The standards aim to make El Camino Real a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly commercial corridor with improved safety, comfort, and visual appeal.
- Public Realm Enhancements: Development should create attractive, high-quality public spaces, landscaping, and amenities for pedestrians and cyclists.
- Parkway Design: Additional right-of-way space should include parkways between sidewalks and curbs, enhancing pedestrian safety and experience.
- Conflict Reduction: Streetscape designs should minimize conflicts between pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles.
- Streetscape Features: Parkways should feature street trees, low landscaping, and non-vegetated ground covers. Utility elements like streetlights and signage are also included.
- Cycleways and Crosswalks: Cycleways must be physically separated from roads, and crosswalks should have high-visibility markings and pedestrian safety features like flashing lights and adequate crossing times.
- Lighting and Pavement: Enhanced architectural paving and appropriately scaled lighting should be installed to improve safety and aesthetics.
- Consistent Signage and Furniture: Future wayfinding signage and streetscape furniture should be consistent in style, durable, and enhance the pedestrian environment.
While the plan primarily focuses on commercial development, council members discussed the potential for state laws like Assembly Bill 2011 and Senate Bill 6, which could permit residential projects in commercial zones. The plan includes some provisions to address this, though no residential development is currently permitted under the plan.
Despite some community members’ concerns about reduced parking requirements, the council emphasized that the plan’s focus on improving pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure would offset those impacts over time.
The El Camino Real Specific Plan will now guide the corridor’s future development, providing a detailed framework for sustainable growth and public space improvements.
