CARLSBAD — A deteriorating sign welcoming visitors to Carlsbad State Beach illustrates the push and pull of coastal stewardship and highlights the city’s limited authority over most of its 7-mile coastline.
The city owns and manages only about 1 mile of beach, stretching from just north of Oak Avenue to the Oceanside border. The remaining 6 miles are owned and managed by the state of California through California State Parks.
Carlsbad City Manager Geoff Patnoe outlined those jurisdictional divisions in a Sept. 3 update addressing coastal erosion at Tamarack State Beach, the appearance of clusters of stones along the city-managed coastline and the deteriorating sign at Robert C. Frazee State Beach.
Patnoe said recent natural ocean activity has severely eroded portions of Tamarack State Beach and the adjacent parking lot, but since both are state property, Carlsbad cannot lead the response or make repairs.
The city is monitoring conditions, staying in contact with State Parks, and offering assistance if requested, Patnoe said.
Farther north, residents have noticed clusters of small stones gathering along the city-managed shoreline north of Oak Avenue. Known as “cobble cusps,” the formations are created naturally as waves and changing ocean conditions move rocks and stones into scalloped patterns.
Patnoe said some residents had questioned whether the rocks were dumped or deliberately placed along the beach.
“These cobble cusps are completely natural and are simply the result of waves and coastal conditions moving material along the shoreline,” he added.
The division of responsibility has also become an issue at the entrance to Robert C. Frazee State Beach near the grassy triangle along Carlsbad Boulevard, where a State Parks sign has fallen into disrepair.
The city has contacted State Parks about the sign since November and asked the agency to repair, remove or replace it, according to Patnoe. He said its condition is below the standard residents and visitors expect, but confusion remains over which government agency is responsible.
“It is a State Parks sign, not a City of Carlsbad sign,” Patnoe wrote. “If it were our sign, it would have been replaced a long time ago.”
State Parks is considering replacement signs designed to better withstand the coastal environment and require less maintenance, according to the update. The agency’s goal is to replace similar signs at state beaches, including the one in Carlsbad, during the 2026-27 fiscal year.
Carlsbad has asked State Parks to expedite the project or remove the deteriorating sign while a replacement is pending. The city’s representatives in the state Legislature are also aware of the request and plan to follow its progress, Patnoe said.
“We have a good relationship with our State partners, but I also think it’s important to be transparent with Carlsbad residents about issues like this, especially when people are asking why the city isn’t fixing the sign,” Patnoe wrote.
“The simple answer is… we would if we could.”
