The Planning Commission agreed to allow an access road built through wetlands to connect a proposed real estate development to La Costa Avenue. This is the first stage of a development project on the southern edge of the Batiquitos Lagoon in Carlsbad.
Residents of the La Costa Glen retirement community are resisting the project on the grounds of greed by the developers and because of environmental concerns.
The Batiquitos Bluffs project in Carlsbad has 19 homes on a 10-acre site on the southwest corner of La Costa Avenue and El Camino Real. No plans for home construction have yet been submitted for review for the Planning Department. A Carlsbad Senior City Planner says that the project will only impact a very small area of the entire wetland, only approximately .04 acres. The Senior Planner says that the proposed plan is acceptable based on the allowable zoning in the area.
As part of a state law, the developer is required to set aside open space in return for using the wetlands parcel in order to lessen any effects on the habitat. The location of the set-aside land will be determined later.
This is good news for Carlsbad residents because it is a sign that builders are back developing new areas again. Carlsbad continues to be a vibrant, energetic area in which to live.