Letter to the Editor: Quarry Creek Project in Carlsbad is a Nightmare

Editor's Note: The following is a letter sent to the editor. 

Four years ago the city of Carlsbad’s Citizen’s Open Space Committee ranked Quarry Creek (the eastern half of the Buena Vista Creek valley)  as the # 1 priority parcel for preservation in the entire city. 

With the sacred El Salto waterfall, regional wildlife corridor, and 9,000 years of local history still present in this valley it is easy to see why people want to preserve it.

Related: Blog: Quarry Creek - Urging Locals to Save the Panhandle

It was also recently listed by Save Our Heritage Organization as one of the 12 most endangered historic sites in all of San Diego County. There is nowhere else with this unique combination of natural, cultural and historic resources- and it is right here in our own backyard where thousands of people can enjoy it. 

This area is located along highway 78 between El Camino Real and College Blvd. 

Now a developer, McMillin, is proposing to put 656 homes there. That is over twice as many as current zoning would allow. Their own traffic study shows that  College Blvd between Vista Way and Marron Rd will be in failure. Add that to traffic from the new Sage Creek High School at College and Cannon and it will be gridlock for everyone.    

Our vision for that valley is a compromise – one that allows some development, reduces the traffic impacts, saves the Panhandle and preserves the priceless sense of local history. Their vision is a nightmare- see the details here:   

carlsbadca.gov/services/departments/planning/Pages/QuarryCreekMasterPlan.aspx.

Contact us at info@preservecalavera.org or call 760-724-3887 and find out how you can get involved in our effort to preserve this priceless area.

The project is currently out for public comment- but the comment period closes on Dec 7th so it is very timely right now.

Diane Nygaard

President, Preserve Calavera