HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-07-09; Draft Council Policy No. 64 Revisions and Public Review (Districts - All); Murphy, JeffTo the members of the:
CITY COUNCIL
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July 9, 2026
Council Memorandum
To:
From:
Honorable Mayor Blackburn and Members of the City Council
Jeff Murphy, Deputy City Manager, Community Services
Mike Strong, Community Development Director
Via: Sheila Cobian, Assistant City Manager ~
{city of
Carlsbad
Memo ID# 2026029
Re: Draft Council Policy No. 64 Revisions and Public Review (Districts -All)
This memorandum provides a status update on revisions to Council Policy No. 64 on wireless
communication facilities, as directed by City Council on April 16, 2024.
Background
The City Council on April 16, 2024, considered the appeal of a Planning Commission decision to
approve a wireless communication facility in Poinsettia Community Park, a city-owned park.
Pursuant to Council Policy No. 64, city-owned parks are a "preferred" location for cell facilities.
Community members at the meeting, however, cited concerns about the facility's alternatives
analysis, its proximity to homes and Pacific Rim Elementary School, and its potential to degrade
the park's physical appearance. Speakers recommended changes to the proposed facility,
including its location and scale (i.e. constructing a small cell wireless facility instead).
The City Council denied the appeal, upholding the Planning Commission's decision. However, in
its role as landowner, the City Council did not enter into a license agreement with the facility
provider -a requirement to build the facility at the park. Acknowledging the community's
interest in wireless communication facilities, the City Council also directed staff, via a minute
motion, to return at a future meeting with revisions to Council Policy No. 64. As part of the
discussion related to the motion, the City Council further directed staff to research how other
cities are regulating wireless communication facilities, consider any changes in technology since
the last policy update in 2021 and review the policy's list of preferred and discouraged locations.
Discussion
Community Development Department staff have been working with the City Attorney's Office to
develop a policy update to keep the document up to date with applicable codes and laws, while
addressing City Council direction. As a part of the process, staff have surveyed other cities'
regulations to consider best practices and have proposed several Council Policy No. 64 revisions,
including the following:
• Updating the policy's technical and legal references and content;
• Refining the overall policy format to make it easier to read and use;
• Revisiting the policy's list of preferred and discouraged locations; and
Community Services Branch
Community Development Department
1635 Faraday Avenue ·i Carlsbad, CA 92008 ·i 442-339-2600 t
Council Memo -Draft Council Policy 64 Revisions and Public Review (Districts -All)
July 9, 2026
Page 2
• Incorporating requirements for insurance, public notice of wireless facilities in the right of
way and hiring technical experts at the city's discretion.
All revisions proposed will be shown in a strikeout/underline format, with many of those changes
resulting from the policy modifications directed by City Council in 2021. Furthermore, new maps
will be provided which visually depict the location criteria of the policy.
Next Steps
Recognizing the community's interest in this topic, a minimum 30-day public review period is
scheduled to begin this fall to provide the community with an opportunity to review and
comment on the proposed Council Policy No. 64 updates and related maps. During this
period, comments may be submitted via email or through an online form. Following the
public review period, the item will be presented to the Planning Commission (anticipated in
early 2027) and subsequently to the City Council (anticipated in late spring 2027) for
consideration.
cc: Geoff Patnoe, City Manager
Cindie McMahon, City Attorney
Dalton Sorich, Assistant City Attorney
Kyle Lancaster, Parks & Recreation Director
Sarah Lemons, Senior Program Manager
Curtis Jackson, Real Estate Manager
Eric Lardy, Assistant Director of Community Development
Robert Efird, Principal Planner
Scott Donnell, Senior Planner
Jason Geldert, Engineering Manager