ENCINITAS — From new housing and infrastructure upgrades to environmental initiatives, the city made strides in 2024, progress the City Council formally recognized Wednesday by approving its latest annual progress report.
The annual report, a state-mandated snapshot of a municipality’s development efforts, tracks the city’s progress in implementing its general plan and housing element compliance.
Once approved, the report is submitted to the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation, the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), and the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) before an April 1 deadline.
In 2024, city staff processed 123 applications, with 45 projects reviewed by the Planning Commission, including 10 that added new housing. The El Camino Real Specific Plan, adopted in September, is now under Coastal Commission review.
The city also introduced an outdoor dining right-of-way fee, generating $200,000 to support public space management and city services.
According to the report, Encinitas permitted 695 new housing units in 2024. Of those, 7% were designated for very low-income households, 7% for low-income, 3% for moderate-income and 83% for above-moderate-income. The city also approved 128 accessory dwelling units, accounting for 18% of total housing permits.
The city issued 111 housing choice vouchers to assist low-income households with rent, an increase from 100 in the previous year.
During the meeting, Mayor Bruce Ehlers noted that the city’s housing production is disproportionately skewed toward above-moderate-income housing.
“That just supports that six-to-one ratio that we’re building six times as many moderate and above moderate as we are affordable units, because the moderate are not affordable,” Ehlers said.
Among the infrastructure improvements in 2024, the city added 2,455 linear feet of new sidewalks, repaved 5.1 miles of roadway, constructed 78 new ADA-compliant ramps and built five new crosswalks.
The Encinitas Fire Department, Marine Safety Division and San Diego County Sheriff’s Office continued public safety efforts while city staff worked to coordinate Coastal Commission certification of updates to the city’s safety element.
The city highlighted ongoing work in environmental sustainability, including developing a native plant ordinance and large-scale sand replenishment projects to preserve local beaches. The report also noted an update to the resource management element to comply with new state requirements on climate resilience, habitat connectivity and equitable access to green spaces.
The city planted more than 150 trees to expand its urban tree canopy, exceeding its 2024 target. The Pacific View Art Center, a dedicated space for arts programming, opened in August.
The Homeless Outreach Program for Empowerment (HOPE) team housed 83 individuals in 2024, while the Buena Creek Navigation Center, which opened in March, served 56 individuals by the end of the year.
Deputy Mayor Joy Lyndes, who is set to take family medical leave on March 17 to care for her husband battling advanced cancer, questioned why the Habitat Stewardship Plan was not included in the resource management section of the report. Staff responded that the report has been expanding each year and could consist of additional elements in the future.
Lyndes also inquired about how the state uses the annual report. Staff explained that the data allows HCD and SANDAG to monitor the city’s progress toward its housing goals and is included in state databases tracking compliance across jurisdictions.
With the council’s unanimous approval, the report will be submitted to state and regional agencies, marking another year of measured progress in Encinitas’ ongoing development efforts.
