Opposing the Coast Highway Plan

Since 2016, Save South O has been fighting against the Coast Highway plan being implemented in South O. Monday (at 6pm) is the first hearing before the Planning Commission. Below is what we recommend.

What is the Plan?

The proposed Coast Highway plan has two parts:

• The road diet would cut Coast Highway from 4 lanes to 2 lanes, although South O traffic exceeds Federal standards for such a road diet. It would replace traffic lights with roundabouts at Oceanside Blvd,, Morse St. and Cassidy Kelly Streets. SSO and South O residents are adamantly opposed to any road diet here.
• Development incentives providing density and height increases along Coast Highway. While all development would enjoy accelerated approval, the area marked as a “Node” (in purple) would allow heights and residential density not previously seen on Coast Highway.

In addition to the “preferred alternative”, the PC will consider 4 alternatives:

1. Road diet north of Oceanside Blvd., and incentives from Seagaze to Carlsbad
2. Road diet north of Morse St., and incentives from Seagaze to Carlsbad
3. Road diet and incentives north of Morse St.
4. Road diet citywide, but no incentives

None of these are what South O has been fighting for since 2016:  stopping both at Oceanside Blvd. In December 2017 the staff solicited an option to stop both at Morse St., and (without fanfare) the city voted to consider only stopping at Morse (#3) — leaving the road diet and incentives in the Dip.

The Future of the “Dip”

Various businesses, city staffers and council members have been complaining about some older and less attractive businesses in the “Dip” (between Morse and Oceanside Blvd.). Upgrading of commercial properties here has not progressed as quickly as downtown or in South O.

In the past two years, real estate investors have been buying up commercial property in the Dip, on the assumption that the city’s planned upzoning will make redevelopment more profitable. Under new owners, with new access to capital, the upzoning of the Sprinter station area as “Node” projects could bring rapid changes to the area, with the proposed Incentive District allowing 45-65′ (55′ average height) residential towers stretching from the north side of Oceanside Blvd. down to La Salina Creek.

The city justifies this high-density Node because of the Sprinter station south of Godfrey. It is unlike the proposed Node at the former North County Times building (which has no high-speed, high-frequency mass transit) and that would displace both Privateer and Anita’s.

However, the city’s studies show that this increased density in the Dip will force traffic into South O side streets, particularly along Morse and California east of Coast. There are also questions about parking, access to parking (since their are no side streets or alleys), and how the tall Node buildings will blend with the lower (25′-35′) buildings on Coast elsewhere in South O.

Our Recommendation

SSO has been working with the South Oceanside Business District, which represents businesses from Oceanside Blvd. to the Carlsbad city limits. Today they adopted this position:

1. No road diet south of Oceanside Blvd., and no roundabouts at Oceanside Blvd. or any point south.
2. No incentive district south of Morse St.
3. Prior to the August council hearing, the city staff should meet with South O business owners and residents to discuss and modify the Sprinter Node incentive district, both to solve potential problems and overall reduce the impact on South O.

Given certain political realities, we believe that — assuming the city negotiates in good faith — this has the best possible outcome for South O. If #3 goes badly, then we would recommend opposing all incentives south of Oceanside Blvd.

Please remember to email your comments to the Planning Commission before June 7, and show up to testify at 6pm on June 10.