Carlsbad plans to invest $665,000 in a number of beach improvements, including shoring up an eroded coastal bluff on Carlsbad Boulevard between Tamarack and Pine avenues.
The beach includes walkways, landscaping, benches, picnic tables and a restroom, areas which fell into disrepair, according to the city, because the state Department of Parks and Recreation lacks the funds to maintain it. The state agency is responsible for most Carlsbad beaches.
As a remedy, the city will partner with the state on the work. After the initial repairs, the city estimates it will cost $115,000 annually for upkeep.
The city also needed to take action to allow city workers to enter the state-controlled areas to improve the picnic facilities along with restoring the bluffs. The City Council issued its approvals this week.
“We want our beachfront to be the best it can be for our residents and visitors, and by partnering with the state we’ll achieve that goal,” said parks and recreation director Chris Hazeltine said in a statement. “The beach contributes greatly to our quality of life and our tourism economy.”
The city has earned praise from Heal the Bay for the quality of its water, despite the needed beach repairs.
The work at the picnic area and bluffs is to include:
- upgrading and maintaining the landscaping and irrigation systems
- refurbishing picnic tables, benches and planters, and improving and maintaining the restroom and pump house.
- removing non-native plants and installing native plants appropriate to the region’s natural bluffs, irrigating the seedlings to help them mature, and
- installing signs to educate the public about the bluffs.
The city also is planning future beach improvements, including widening the sidewalk on the west side of Carlsbad Boulevard south of Tamarack Avenue, and improving vehicle access at the entrance to the Tamarack Beach parking lot.
The city will seek community input on improving beach access from Carlsbad Village Drive and Grand Avenue.
