Politics & Government

Councilwoman Lorraine Wood Reflects on First Few Months in Office

After serving as Carlsbad's city clerk for 12 years, Wood joined the City Council in December.

It’s been only three months since Councilwoman Lorraine Wood was sworn into office, but she has already voiced her opinion on a number of city issues. 

Carlsbad’s former city clerk officially joined the City Council during the Dec. 11 meeting. Since then, her votes have helped approve additional housing to be built in the Barrio neighborhood. She also backed a three-year pilot program allowing Carlsbad Village restaurants to turn the parking spaces in front of their businesses into patios called "curb cafes."

“I think I’ve kind of gotten in and gotten both feet wet!” Wood said.

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There are still many more issues to come. Wood said additional enhancements of the Village area and the Quarry Creek development project are two of the major issues facing Carlsbad this year.

Wood, a Carlsbad resident since 1989, said she is excited to help promote and “generate positive energy” for the Village, and the addition of curb cafes should help.

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“We just have the perfect climate for sitting outside and enjoying a nice meal with our friends,” Wood said. “I think it will be fun this summer. I can’t wait to go do it!”

In addition to promoting the Village, Wood said staff has briefed her on the Quarry Creek project, she has studied the project’s environmental impact report and she has walked along the site to prepare for when the matter comes before the City Council.  

The Carlsbad Planning Commission recently recommended the City Council approve the Quarry Creek residential project – a proposed 656-home development project that would be developed on the 156-acre former rock quarry site – but with several changes to the Quarry Creek Master Plan. 

Wood said that the project has sparked concerns from community members about the development’s affect on the site’s historical significance and open space as well as the anticipated traffic increase.

 “Carlsbad has very little space to build on any more,” she said. “This is like one of the last projects that can go in there.”

The City Council is expected to consider the project on March 26.

“I’m getting very well prepped,” Wood said. “I feel very confident that I’m going to go into this with the best of knowledge.”

As the former city clerk for 12 years, Wood said she was familiar with city issues before taking her seat on the council, but now she knows every detail of every project.

“As clerk I kind of knew, OK, there’s a project that we’re working on, say down by the beach. Now I know all about that project, I know who’s working on it, what materials they’re using and what the concerns are in the community,” Wood said. “That’s been very interesting and staff has been great about helping me get up to speed.

“There’s still a lot of surprises and a lot of things I have to learn, but [being city clerk] certainly gave me a lot of the vocabulary and a little bit of background and history on the issues, so that did help,” she said.

Wood said she decided to run for City Council after former Mayor Ann Kulchin announced she was stepping down after 32 years behind the council dias.

“I thought it would be a great idea to run because I had a lot of experience with the city,” Wood said. “I listened to a lot of decisions the council has made over the years, and so I thought, ‘Why not?’”

What surprises Wood most about her new role is how much she enjoys it.

“I get up and I’m so excited about getting to meet people and talk about issues in the community,” she said. “Everyday is new and holds so much potential, and that, I think, is surprising.”

In addition to meeting new people and sharing her opinions on city matters, Wood said she is excited to promote her own projects.

Because the city is home to many college students, biotech companies and professionals, and a start-up incubator and science education center, Wood hopes to help grow the biotech industry in Carlsbad.

“I’m thinking about ways to get more jobs in the industry right here in Carlsbad. That’s something I just started working on,” Wood said. “I’m thinking about pulling together all of our good stakeholders and trying to get some of these leaders to sit down and talk about how we can make that happen.”

Whether promoting her own projects or sharing her thoughts on other city issues, Wood said she is thrilled to serve Carlsbad along with her fellow council members and city staff.

“We’re really ramping up and we’ve got great ideas,” Wood said. “I’m really looking forward to that!"

 

 


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