CARLSBAD — Mayor Matt Hall announced he will be running for a second term this November.
Hall has been in City Council since 1994. He replaced Claude “Bud” Lewis, who served for 24 years as mayor and was Carlsbad’s longest serving mayor.
Hall announced his run on the site of what he hopes will become his legacy to Carlsbad. He aims to create a Carlsbad Linear Park beginning across the street from the Hilton Garden Inn Carlsbad Beach near Palomar Airport Road.
His vision is a seven-mile park for pedestrians and cyclists that runs all the way to Encinitas. The city already has a Memorandum of Understanding with the state of California Parks Department, which is the first step in formal proceedings for the city to purchase the land.
He also hopes to develop the land where the Encina Power Station sits into a public space to be enjoyed by all.
NRG Energy owns the power plant, which it plans to retire and tear down after a new plant is built on the same location. Negotiations between the city and NRG made this agreement possible.
The power plant sits on 100 acres overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
“Can you imagine what 100 acres is worth on the Pacific Coast?” Hall asked.
He told the crowd that a lot of work is needed to make his vision for the linear park and the power plant come true.
“When you start thinking about dreaming the impossible dreams, these two projects themselves are probably about a billion dollars,” said Hall.
He said the city would need to work with the business community and gain the support from voters and citizens to make the projects happen.
Former Councilwoman Ann Kulchin endorsed the mayor and his vision.
“We are so fortunate to have a mayor we all know and all respect,” said Kulchin.
Along with the two park projects, Hall hopes to make Carlsbad more efficient.
“My focus is to design and run the most high efficient public sector or governmental agency in the state, if not the country,” said Hall.
As of July 25, nobody else has filed paperwork to run in the mayoral race.
