City of Carlsbad
The City of Carlsbad's proposed Capital Improvement Program for the fiscal year that begins on July 1 includes $43.9 million in new spending to improve neighborhoods and libraries, enhance traffic flow throughout the city, and upgrade the city's sewage, drainage and water delivery systems.
Highlights of the 2013-14 Capital Improvements Program include:
Library modernization
The city will significantly improve the Dove and Cole libraries to meet current and future needs for modern library services as well as needed maintenance, investing more than $5 million. The city will apply $630,000 from a bequest by George and Margaret Brownley. The Brownleys were long time Carlsbad library supporters, and Mrs. Brownley was Carlsbad’s 1992 Citizen of the Year.
Village and Barrio area projects
Seven new projects are slated to improve these neighborhoods, the heart of historic Carlsbad. The projects include bike and pedestrian way-finding signage, traffic circles, decorative lighting, parking signs, safety lighting and streetscape improvements. The city also will continue improvements to drainage systems in northwestern Carlsbad, with an additional $3.6 million in appropriations.
Parks and facilities maintenance
Maintaining and repairing city facilities is necessary to keep them in good condition. Twelve projects have currently been identified, including replacement of the synthetic turf soccer fields at Poinsettia Park and lighting at athletic fields throughout the city, at a total cost of about $8.3 million.
El Camino Real widening
The city will continue widening El Camino Real over the next five years, and $5.9 million in additional funding is included for these projects. The segments slated for widening are between Cassia Road and Camino Vida Roble, between Arenal Road and La Costa Avenue, between Lisa Street and Crestview Drive, and between Tamarack and Chestnut avenues.
Recycled water
The city is continuing its commitment to keeping local ocean waters clean by expanding the Carlsbad Water Recycling Facility, including construction of additional pipelines and a reservoir, at a cost $29.4 million over the next five years.
Fire Station No. 3
The city will relocate the existing Fire Station No. 3 from a house on Chestnut Avenue and Catalina Drive to a new facility in Robertson Ranch East. This relocation will bring the new station up to modern standards and ensure a six-minute response in northeastern Carlsbad. The total estimated project cost is $9.4 million.
About 23 percent of the city’s Capital Improvement Program budget comes from developer fees. Other funding comes from special financing districts, infrastructure replacement funds set aside by the city, the state gas tax, Transnet, grants and other agencies. Even though money is appropriated through the Capital Improvement Program budget process, large projects still must be authorized by the City Council before proceeding. The Capital Improvements Program for the next 15 years outlines approximately 240 projects at a cost of almost $500 million. The city will present the proposed operating budget, which includes expenses for day-to-day city services such as police, fire, libraries and parks, on May 28.
On May 30 at 6 p.m. the city will hold a public budget workshop at 1635 Faraday Ave. Both the Capital Improvement Program budget and operating budget are scheduled to be presented to the City Council on June 11 for adoption.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
