CARLSBAD — Residents of Rancho Carlsbad turned out in force once again to ask the city to make sure an update to its storm-water drainage plan included protection for their community.
Some residents said they were relieved a storm-water basin was still on the list of projects when staff presented for approval a list of citywide drainage projects, cost estimates and financing.
After months of reviewing, City Council unanimously adopted Nov. 4 revisions to the citywide Drainage Master Plan, originally approved in 1994.
The citywide Drainage Master Plan gives guidelines to developers on how to handle storm-water runoff for new housing projects built by developers in the area.
The homeowners had asked the city to pay for the basin and not to wait for the builder.
Although the storm-water basin requested by the homeowners remains in the plan, residents said without concrete financing to guarantee it will be built, and without plans for the relocation of their community storage area, they can feel only some relief.
Russ Kohl, vice president of the homeowners association, said the residents are serious about the need for the additional flood control measures in their mobile home community.
Showing up to the past three City Council meetings wearing black, residents spoke their mind on behalf of the 500 plus homeowners of the Rancho Carlsbad mobile home community that sits along a golf course off El Camino Real.
The senior community is located at the intersection of two creeks, and a flood in 2005 prompted the community into action.
“The Rancho Carlsbad community has potential to be flooded,” Steve Jantz, associate engineer for the city, said. “Four detention basins are planned — three have been built, but one has not.
The installation of the storm-water collection basin, east of the community, had been on hold because the nearby housing project is on hold due to hard economic times, city officials said.
City officials had said previously that they were not sure the fourth basin was needed, since other improvements in the city’s master plan included upgrades that protected the area. However, the project remained in the master plan.
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