SOLANA BEACH — The City Council discussed a long list of planned and ongoing capital projects and program goals for its 2026-27 work plan last week, including updates about progress from the prior year.
Council members’ feedback from April 22 will be used to shape the final city work plan for the upcoming year and to inform city budget discussions in May and June.
Work plan items fall under one of five categories: Affordable Housing and Livable Communities, Transportation and Mobility, Environmental Sustainability and Energy, Youth, Senior, and Community Well-Being, and General Governance and Fiscal Responsibility.
Major work items completed this year included: construction of the Fletcher Cove ramp rehabilitation and shower tower project; implementation of a shuttle service for local seniors; expansion of cybersecurity; collaboration with the business district; and the addition of online application and payment tools for business certificates and permits.
Governing Affairs Manager Dion Akers said one goal in this year’s work plan is to develop strategies to attract more people to Solana Beach during upcoming international events, such as the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Los Angeles. These efforts could also highlight the city’s 40th anniversary, staff said.
“Next year, we’d like to make a concerted effort to develop and implement strategies related to increased tourism and hospitality in advance of international sporting opportunities coming to Southern California in the coming years,” Akers said.
The City Council also received status updates on major projects, including the Marine Safety Center rebuild and the Lomas Santa Fe Corridor project.
The Marine Safety Center at Fletcher Cove Park acts as the city’s lifeguard headquarters and is in major need of upgrades. After approving permits in late 2024, the city is working with the California Coastal Commission on the next steps, and plans to apply for a Coastal Development Permit by the end of the year, staff said.
Staff said they are continuing to develop more detailed designs and are considering various options to make it a central site for emergency operations, in addition to marine safety.
“Over the past year, they’ve created an in-depth technical study because of the location,” said Engineering and Public Works Director Orelia DeBraal.
Work is also continuing on the $15 million Lomas Santa Fe Corridor Project, adding pedestrian, bike, and circulation improvements along the major east-west arterial from Highway 101 to the city’s eastern boundary at Highland Drive.
The city is currently working on the $7 million eastern portion of the project, from Santa Helena, east of Interstate 5, to Highland Drive. The western portion of the project is expected to cost around $8 million, with $3.5 million allocated by SANDAG earlier this year. Additional funding is still being sought.
Housing
One housing goal from previous work plan years is for the city to adopt a permit-ready accessory dwelling unit (ADU) program in order to facilitate ADU production.
Originally, the city planned to offer a series of pre-approved plans for those building ADUs, making the approval process simpler than if they brought their own plans.
City staff said they expect to finalize the program by June, and marked it as “complete” under this year’s work plan. However, they clarified that instead of the city creating and offering a series of its own plans designed by an architect, state legislation requires cities to process pre-approved plans from other jurisdictions as well.
“The state changed some of the legislation, that any other jurisdiction that has pre-approved plans, those other jurisdictions have to accept them … For the most part, anyone can bring something from a jurisdiction or the state that has preapproved plans in place,” said Community Development Director Joseph Lim.
Councilmember Dave Zito expressed some frustration with this, noting that the item should have been marked as “adjusted” rather than “complete.”
“To me, that should have been ‘adjusted,’ because that’s a totally different outcome than what we put in the work plan,” Zito said.
Work is almost complete on the rebuild of the Solana Highlands Apartments, now called Riva Solana Beach, along Nardo Drive. According to the work plan, the last required item before certifying final occupancy is the installation of traffic calming measures, which will include landscaping.
Traffic and e-bikes
Another in-progress work plan item the council discussed is the analysis of possible locations for flashing yellow left-turn lights, also known as permissive yellow lights. Council members said these lights would help reduce wait times and prevent traffic backups at certain intersections.
City staff said they are analyzing locations along Stevens Avenue and Lomas Santa Fe Drive.
“At Stevens and Nardo, you can sit for minutes and minutes and minutes there, and there’s no traffic at all. If there was a flashing yellow, you could make that turn and not have to sit there,” said Councilmember Jewel Edson.
Solana Beach’s work plan contains several items related to e-bikes, such as workshops and collaboration with local schools, the San Diego County Bike Coalition, and BikeWalkSolana. The city has completed several of these items and continues to collaborate with the Sheriff’s Department on the enforcement of local laws.
Council members supported continuing to work with local e-bike stores and rental companies so they can also share basic information about local laws with customers.
“We will likely look to continue education, signage, and enforcement activities specific to this issue next year, perhaps with greater collaboration with the Sheriff’s and local bike shops,” Akers said.
Councilmember Jill MacDonald asked whether the city was planning to discuss a minimum age requirement for riding e-bikes, similar to those adopted in other North County cities such as Carlsbad and San Marcos.
Mayor Lesa Heebner said she would be open to it. Zito said he would only support it if the age restrictions applied to all motorized forms of transportation.
Other ongoing work plan items include:
- Continued discussions with the North County Transit District about potential development on their property,
- Upgrading the city’s participation in Clean Energy Alliance to a 100% renewable energy option,
- La Colonia Park Master Plan updates,
- Discussions with the Santa Fe Irrigation District about Glenmont Pocket Park,
- Reviewing local regulations regarding backyard chickens, beekeeping, and fruit trees,
- Planning of the city’s Coastal Rail Trail extension and collaboration with the City of Encinitas on a Highway 101 pedestrian crossing near Cardiff State Beach,
- Continue refining the scope of another request for proposals for the Pearl Affordable Housing Project.
City Manager Alyssa Muto said the city’s finance office is collaborating with various city departments to make any other adjustments for next year’s work plan and budget. This helps the city better understand the work and funding needed to make these items a reality.
“A lot of the actions that we have on our work plan do require additional funding,” Muto said.
