From the Coast News:
Council to consider Coastal Highway plan
OCEANSIDE — In less than a month, City Council is expected to decide on a project meant to completely re-vision its stretch of Coast Highway.
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The plan would also include reducing traffic lanes from two to one lane in each direction, installing more pedestrian crossings and angling parking spaces. According to City Principal Planner Russ Cunningham, the plan would add about 20 additional parking spaces.
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The project would also create an incentive district that would allow developers to build past current city height and dwelling unit limits in exchange for more public parking, open space and additional ground floor commercial area. Those additional height limits would stop at 65 feet and allow for up to 63 dwelling units per acre.
Not everyone is enthusiastic about the proposed changes, particularly residents and business owners in South Oceanside.
Save South Oceanside is a group that formed in 2016 in response to the plan. Member Joel West explained that the group is opposed to the “road diet” and incentive district project in that portion of the city.
“South Oceanside is very different from downtown,” West said. “What might be a good idea there isn’t going to work here.”
The preferred project would extend the incentive district from Seagaze Drive to the lagoon, but Save South Oceanside members wanted the district and the road diet to end at Oceanside Boulevard. Instead, the Planning Commission voted to recommend “Alternative 3” at its June 11 meeting, which would stop the district and diet at Morse Street. The commission did approve to have a high density “Node” from Oceanside Boulevard to La Salina Creek.
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[City Planner Russ] Cunningham said city staff members still believe the preferred project best aligns with the vision plan, but they are staying flexible.
“We respect the opinions of these stakeholders of South Oceanside, so we don’t have an issue with the council choosing Alternative 3 if they see that to be the most appropriate option at this point,” he said.
If the project is approved, the city will then take a phased approach to implement the project. The city will also need the California Coastal Commission to review and certify the project.
Council will consider the project and its environmental impact report on Aug. 14.