Health & Fitness
The Dwindling Days of Peace At Ponto Beach
A slice of pristine Carlsbad sea-side pie is dissolving before our eyes.
The area of Carlsbad, an east-west stretch of land along Carlsbad Boulevard north from La Costa Boulevard to Poinsettia Lane, has long resembled it’s funky Leucadian cousin just to the south. Open space, combined with various quirky small businesses and residential dwellings has for decades given locals a sense of timeless calm amidst rapidly-expanding urban creep. The eastern edge of Carlsbad Boulevard has provided dog-owners the opportunity to allow their canines to run free in pursuit of ground squirrels and other olfactory and visual challenges. The beach, jetty and bridge over the entry into is a haven for surf fisherman seeking halibut, surf perch, calico bass and other inshore species. Beach-goers find ample parking opportunities year round to enjoy the multitude of outdoor activities the Pacific Ocean offers. In short, Ponto is certainly a snap shot of “California Living.” Or should I have written, “was”?
Alas, all things must pass, and the tranquil state of Ponto Beach is not immune to change. The $75 million , a 215-room luxury hotel currently well under construction near Ponto Drive, is expected to open in June of next year; just in time for the busy summer season. Though the modern, imposing vacation village will no doubt add to the eclectic mix of structures here, it will also forever cloud the peaceful charm that once was so taken for granted. For example, if you feel the beaches have been crowded in recent years and parking also at times a lesson in tolerance, imagine the impact the resort will have in terms of tourists, auto, and foot traffic! Campers vacationing at Carlsbad State Beach across from the resort will no doubt lose some of the quiet, after-hours aura as a result of the lighting and ambient noise. Joggers and bike riders also must heed the expected increased traffic volume.
Granted, the tax benefits to the and tourist dollars spent with local businesses are a boom to our economy, not to mention the jobs that will be produced within the resort. The overall equation would seem to strike a fair balance of progress vs. sameness to Carlsbad residents…for now. One can’t help but notice the remaining acres of open fields and bluffs still untouched by development within this small, tight stretch of valuable real estate. When the economy recovers, it will only be a matter of time before additional construction occurs, and will forever blemish a once near-flawless speck of Carlsbad (insert sigh here).