A developer has applied to build 120 apartments on 11 acres of undeveloped coastal land in Carlsbad, and residents who want the space preserved say they're fighting to the end.
The property sits just east of Carlsbad Boulevard, next to the South Carlsbad State Beach Campground. Some locals call it the Ponto Open Space, but according to the City of Carlsbad, there is no such designation.
Here is the full statement from the City of Carlsbad:
"Since 2016, the Ponto property has been zoned for residential and commercial use by both the city and California Coastal Commission. There is no open space zoning designation currently on the property, nor is one under consideration by the Coastal Commission, city or the developer.
Separate from this week’s item on the Coastal Commission agenda, the city is reviewing an application from private developer H.G. Fenton for 120 rental townhomes on the property. The proposed project cannot move forward without the Coastal Commission’s approval of the Local Coastal Program amendments being requested this week, which would align the master plan for the property with the previously approved residential land use designation.
H.G. Fenton's proposed project must also receive the required approvals from the City Council and Coastal Commission before any development can move forward.
The city does not build housing. Property owners decide whether to pursue development, while the city establishes land use policies and reviews proposed projects for compliance with applicable laws."
If the project moves forward, the open land could give way to parking lots and housing, with Ponto Drive running through the development.
Before construction can begin, the project must be reviewed by the California Coastal Commission and approved by the city council.
Michael Sebahar, with People for Ponto, is among those fighting to keep the land undeveloped.
"It's surprising how few people are unaware of the fact that we have 11 acres here where it's not been developed yet," Sebahar said.
"There is a developer that has an application to develop 120 apartments here, mostly on the 6 or 7 acres on this side, and a little bit of retail here and it needs to be reviewed by the California Coastal Commission and they will have a very big decision to make," Sebahar said.
"I've never lost the vision of what it could be just this beautiful open space where we can host concerts where people can watch sunsets where we can have marathons start and finish, where people can come and just hang out with their kids," Sebahar said.
Sebahar said the community needs to be heard before the commission acts.
"We can't wait any longer because we are at the edge where we will go over the waterfall here, and so we're trying to make sure that the community is heard by the California Coastal Commission," Sebahar said.
The California Coastal Commission will address the land at its meeting Thursday, Oct. 8, at Oceanside's Civic Center. Any development would also need approval from city council before construction begins.
