We Are Carlsbad

By Jon Wantz

A four part series on issues and challenges facing Carlsbad, CA.

The Village of Carlsbad is one of the true treasures of North County. Reminiscent of an Old Worlde Village in many ways, it is budding with Art Galleries, Boutique Shops, Restaurants, and Entertainment Venues.

Our Village has been in a "Redevelopment" stage for over 20 years. Recently the City Council approved a store-front improvement matching grant program to help village businesses improve their front facades. Although this was a great first step, there is much more that needs to be done.

We can begin by doing the following:

Improve the pedestrian and vehicular environments within Downtown(enhanced levels of landscaping and identification signage);

Create opportunities for an active street life e.g. sidewalk cafes, special events,
etc.;

Improve aesthetics of Village;

Create a sense of identity for the Village and;

Create a marketing campaign centered directly on Carlsbad Village through our "Visit Carlsbad" tourism organization.

In our downtown neighborhoods we need to:

Support non-profit organizations that can assist residents of the Barrio with home improvements, home loans, and rental assistance

Create a neighborhood outreach program that can teach property owners housing maintenance skills.

Improve our side streets, sidewalks, and pedestrian paths to city parks and recreation facilities.

Create Art, Education, and Sports related facilities within the Village area.
Install crosswalk signals along Carlsbad Blvd for our the safety of beachgoers/joggers/walkers

Create a fun/entertainment atmosphere during the Fall and Winter holidays within the Village

Our Village, if redeveloped properly, can become a benchmark for other cities in North County and a charm for it's residents. If elected I will monitor the progress of my initiatives very closely and ensure that our Village is redeveloped in a way that is beneficial for many generations to come.

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WE ARE CARLSBAD PART II - "POWER AND WATER"

Two of the most important pieces of a community and a region are hot topics in Carlsbad. Without a sustainable water resource, a community cannot survive. Without power it cannot produce. In common terms, we refer to them both as "utilities", but they are much bigger than that.

POWER

NRG has proposed a new power plant for the existing property it owns near Cannon Road and Carlsbad Blvd. The current power plant eyesore has been around for over 50 years. The proposed power plant would be built with no timetable for deconstruction of the existing power plant. One of the biggest issues that I have, and many others share, is there is no need for the new plant to be built along the coast as it does not need ocean water to cool like the existing plant.

During the hearings held earlier this year, the people of Carlsbad showed up in full force to show their distain for the proposed project. Emotions were high and during the several day event, I was never presented with any information that would change my opinion that this is a project that must be defeated.

The property that the power plant sits on, is a perfect site for major redevelopment. I would like to see the property used for 95% open space/park projects. An outdoor amphitheatre, dog park, walking trails and playgrounds seem to me to be the appropriate use for land like this. The property is large enough that we could even include "intelligent growth"(click for info) type projects on the backside of it. If elected, I will push for the proper redevelopment of this property and not bow down to developers that would love to build massive apartments and condos here.

WATER

Water is the key to life. In southern California we suffer from a lack of water due to many years of misuse and drought. A current desalination facility is on the verge of being fully funded and approved. This facility will provide Carlsbad and the region with a water source right from our backyard, the ocean.

Water rates continue to increase at a rapid rate. Each time I hear Mayor Lewis give a report from the Water Authority, I can see the pain in his eyes because it's another increase. We may, in the end, spend slightly more than we do now for our water, but we will also have a controlled cost, sustainable, and efficient source of water right here in Carlsbad. I support continued restrictions on water use. It is imperative that we save and protect the most important resource we have.

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WE ARE CARLSBAD PART III - "NO MORE ROOM, BUT STILL GROWING!"

"Build-out" can be either a very scary word or one that people look forward to. The unprepared fear it, the well prepared cheer it.

When a city reaches its' max capacity according to its' General Plan, we refer to that as reaching "build-out". Carlsbad is extremely close to that level. We are currently at about 85% of our max capacity. So, what does that mean? That means, no more houses, no more people, no more developing. And you can figure out what that leads to...no more money!

In order to effectively plan for the future and for final build-out, we must develop a vision that shows how we plan to use the remaining space. Master planned communities survive because someone designed them with a "10,000 foot view" perspective. Our city needs to be thought of in the same manner. We need to look down from that level to observe what the best uses of our remaining land should be. Should we have parks and recreational facilities, or business parks, or housing developments and retail shops? Those are all needed segments of a society that will sustain itself. I believe in "intelligent growth" and you can read more about how we can manage to develop our community intelligently HERE.

I believe we must balance the need for Open Space with the need for additional tax revenue. When the developers leave, as many already have, we are left with a hole in our city revenue that must be filled in order to maintain the city services that we currently have. One way to do that is by recruiting high-revenue generating companies to call Carlsbad home. Companies that provide jobs, tax revenue and are willing to be a "part" of the community are ideal. We should use current empty commercial structures to house these new companies, instead of building new structures that will decrease our overall available space.

Open space is a term used to loosely describe areas of the city that are set aside as undeveloped and preserved land. Currently, Carlsbad has a minimum requirement of at least 40% Open Space when we are 100% built-out. Parks, trails, recreational facilities, and nature/wildlife habitats are all part of how we can effectively use our Open Space. I support the purchase and upkeep of as much open space as we can get our hands on.

If we pull together and properly plan our community, we will all be much better off in 15-20 years instead of trying to fix problems generated by poor planning. Carlsbad is where I call home because it is a great place to live, let's keep it that way!

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WE ARE CARLSBAD PART IV - "Leaders of Character"

John Galbraith said, "All of the great leaders have had one characteristic in common: it was the willingness to confront unequivocally the major anxiety of their people in their time. This, and not much else, is the essence of leadership."

A true leader must have the character to allow others to follow him/her. They should constantly as the questions, "Would I Follow Me?, Would I Inspire Me?, Would I Look to Me for Answers?" If you answer no, then you most likely do not have the right characteristics at that time. If you answer yes, you must also as yourself, "Why?"

If your answer to "Why?" includes the following; then you have what it takes to be a great leader:

The true basis of my leadership is ethics. I can successfully communicate with the people I lead.

I am able to generate a plan, and willing to abandon that plan if changing circumstances demand it. My most powerful lesson is failure, because I have learned a great deal from it. The six most important words I use are, "I admit I made a mistake."

Our civic leaders should ask themselves these questions constantly. They should be willing to self-evaluate as their leadership grows.

Leaders of character must have a concern for their people and a concern for results, but not an imbalance to either one. Civic leaders are charged with guiding their community in a direction that is befitting of the wants of the populous while maintaining what is in the best fiscal interest of the community.

Leadership is a choice, not a position. Leaders choose to inspire vision. They choose to challenge the status quo.

When you go to the voting booth this fall, think about the qualities you want in a leader. Do you think they are asking themselves the questions listed above? Would you follow them? Do they inspire you? Would you look to them for answers? Vote for a true leader, vote for a vision, and vote for your future.