ENCINITAS — The Encinitas Planning Commission has advanced plans to build a decomposed granite pedestrian walkway between Vulcan Avenue and the railroad tracks in the northern part of the city.
The pathway would be 6 to 8 feet wide and approximately 1.23 miles long, according to city documents. The project would also include constructing a wooden pedestrian bridge over a drainage culvert and relocating existing roadway signs.
The stretch currently features unmarked parallel street parking. Some portions roughly resemble what the completed pathway would look like, while others consist of dirt interspersed with patches of native grasses and other vegetation.
The project would not remove any trees in the public right-of-way or eliminate parking, according to the city.
The commissioners unanimously approved the project’s design review and coastal development permits at their Sept. 17 meeting.
The pathway would run along the west side of Vulcan Avenue, extending from Leucadia Boulevard in the south to just short of La Costa Avenue. There, it would connect with a walking path built as part of the Triton apartment project.
That pathway runs around the new apartment complex and connects with ongoing pedestrian improvements along La Costa Avenue.
According to city documents, the pathway’s gradual slope and width would make it compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The city estimates that comprehensive maintenance of a decomposed granite pathway of that length would cost approximately $1,000 per month, including reapplying hardening agents, removing weeds and replenishing material.
Commissioner William Whitaker said the city has done a good job maintaining similar surfaces used elsewhere.
“So I’m confident that was a good choice,” Whitaker said.
The Encinitas City Council has not yet funded the project. Funding could next be considered at the beginning of the budget cycle starting July 1, 2027.
Commissioner Bridget Kimball said she wished more could be done along that stretch but appreciated that the project represented a step in the right direction.
“I understand this is a good compromise and is an improvement over what we have now,” Kimball said.
