CARLSBAD — Residents along the Agua Hedionda lagoon value the tranquility and serenity of life on the still water. They’ve made that much well-known, through online petitions and email campaigns. So when it came time to vote on the proposal, the City Council was familiar with the dissenting opinion.
The project, a proposal for a 20-unit timeshare, was voted 3-2 against. This is the third time this project has been up for a decision.
One lagoon resident who wished to remain anonymous cited several reasons for their opposition: “Too intense, too many people, too much more traffic, too massive, too many transient people on the lagoon who don’t care like the residents do.”
“It doesn’t contribute anything beneficial to the neighborhood,” continued the resident. “It is a big business in the middle of a residential neighborhood. I am in utter disbelief that they proposed essentially the same project that was denied in 2008 and thought they could get away with it. “
Previously, the 20-unit timeshare had been voted down twice, starting in 2008. Bill Hofman, of Hofman Planning, represents the property owners. He was disappointed at the outcome.
“The writing is on the wall with this particular 20-unit timeshare development. Although it meets all city requirements and received a positive recommendation from the staff, it is very obvious that the Planning Commission and city council are not of a mind to support the project. That is unfortunate for my clients because they don’t have a lot of options.”
In the wake of the council’s decision, the project is closed. “The vote by the City Council was the final action on this particular project,” Teri DelCamp, principal planner for the city of Carlsbad, explained. “I couldn’t say whether the owner/applicant will re-submit the project, or a different project, in the future — that decision will be up to them.”
DelCamp went on to explain that Carlsbad Zoning Ordinance prohibits the filing of a “substantially similar application” for a period of one year following the denial date. But after the year-long prohibition is up, the lagoon timeshare project could surface again.
“The next steps will be up to the two property owners,” Hofman said. “They have both put their heart, soul and monies into this project for the last 15 years and I am not sure whether they will continue or not. They are currently deciding on what to do next.”
