CARLSBAD — The Planning Commission unanimously approved changes to development plans for the La Costa Resort and Spa on Oct. 1.
The changes were prompted in part by the economic times, Van Lynch, senior planner for the city of Carlsbad, said.
The Master Plan for the La Costa Resort and Spa, approved in 2004, included renovations and the building of new unusual vacation rentals. The rooms would be traditional hotel rooms part of the year and vacation rentals for the remainder of the year.
Because the units or rooms being built are now smaller, the overall number of units for the plans remain the same, but the number of units in the first phase has increased.
The changes didn’t increase density of the project, officials said, but moved the commercial dwelling units from one proposed development area to an existing one, eliminated underground parking, and eliminated plans for one building or more “phasing” of the project.
At the regular meeting of the city planning commission, several speakers addressed the council; some for the proposed changes and some against.
Homeowners who lived on the resort property, along Estrella de Mar, said they were happy to see the resort return to its former days of being a world-class resort.
However, some homeowners who lived north of the resort, along Arenal Road, complained the resort was allowing service vehicles, tour busses and deliveries to use the road through their residential neighborhood.
The complaints prompted the commission to attach a condition to the approval of the project. Resort officials said they will work with the delivery vehicles and tour buses to make sure they know to use the main entrance and the city said they will work with construction traffic.
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