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Home My WebLink AboutPRE 2026-0039; 1695 FARADAY ADDED PARKING;Community Development Department Planning Division 1635 Faraday Avenue Carlsbad, CA 92008-7314 442-339-2600 VIA EMAIL AND MAIL August 4, 2026 Ana Moreno Ware Malcomb 3911 Sorrento Valley Road San Diego, CA 92121 amoreno@waremalcomb.com SUBJECT: PRE 2026-0039 (DEV2026-0065) – 1695 FARADAY PARKING APN: 212-130-34-00 Thank you for submitting a preliminary review application for a parking lot expansion project proposed at 1695 Faraday Avenue. The parking lot expansion would facilitate the parking requirement for a proposed 10,068-square-foot office mezzanine. The project site includes an approximately 4.1-acre lot currently developed with an approximately 62,000-square-foot warehouse building. In response to your application, the Planning Division has prepared this comment letter. Please note that the purpose of a preliminary review is to provide you with direction and comments on the overall concept of your project. This preliminary review does not represent an in-depth analysis of your project. It is intended to give you feedback on critical issues based upon the information provided in your submittal. This review is based upon the plans, policies, and standards in effect as of the date of this review. Please be aware that at the time of a formal application submittal, new plans, policies, and standards may be in effect and additional issues of concern may be raised through a more specific and detailed review. Planning: General 1. General Plan and zoning designations for the property are as follows: a. General Plan: PI, Planned Industrial b. Zoning: C-M, Heavy Commercial; and c. Specific Plan: The property is located within Area 1 of the Carlsbad Research Center Specific Plan, SP 180(I). 2. The project requires the following permits: a. Grading & Building Permits 3. The project site is subject to the standards and requirements of the Carlsbad Research Center Specific Plan, which can be found at the following link: {city of Carlsbad PRE 2026-0039 (DEV2026-0065) – 1695 FARADAY PARKING August 4, 2026 Page 2_______________________________________ Community Development Department Planning Division 1635 Faraday Avenue Carlsbad, CA 92008-7314 442-339-2600 https://www.carlsbadca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/15402/638609675534070000 Please be aware of these specific sections that may apply to the proposed project: 4.3.2.2 - Interior Setback. A ten-foot minimum planting strip is to be provided continuously along and adjacent to all interior property lines. All site drainage shall be directed away from the ten-foot zone. A maximum slope of 2:1 is allowed within the ten-foot planting zone. A one-foot minimum flat transition shall be provided at the top and bottom of all slopes within this zone. Where two properties adjoin, there shall be a twenty-foot zone created by the two ten-foot required landscape planting strips on each side of a property line. Walls or fences separating adjoining parcels may be permitted when located at the property line. Chain link or similar metal fencing is prohibited. Areas outside of the ten-foot minimum planting zone are not subject to one-foot minimum flat transition. Submitted preliminary review plans appear to be compliant with this standard. 4.3.2.7 – 2 - No exterior fence or wall, including retaining walls, shall exceed a height of eight (8) feet, unless otherwise approved in writing by the City of Carlsbad and the ARC. Preliminary review plans submitted or shown in meeting with applicant appear to be compliant with this standard. 4.3.3 - A minimum of 15% of each building site shall be fully landscaped and shall comply with the following criteria: 1. All landscaped areas shall be provided with automatic, recycled water approved irrigation systems and shall be maintained in a neat and orderly fashion. 2. Landscaping shall be maintained in a healthy and thriving condition, free from weeds, trash, and debris. 3. Landscape dominated by xeriscape, cactus, succulents or rocks is prohibited. 4. Consistent with City of Carlsbad Landscape Manual and Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance Preliminary review plans submitted or shown in meeting with applicant appear to be compliant with this standard. 4. The project will not require separate approval of a Landscape Plan. Please do, however, review the city’s landscape manual, as the manual provides guidance for the implementation of Carlsbad Municipal Code Chapter 18.50 - Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (WELO). https://www.carlsbadca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/11160/637985942877070000 5. New requirements related to the city’s goals to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions will likely impact development requirements of this project. A formal application submittal will need to include a completed Climate Action Plan Checklist (Form P-30) to determine what requirements will apply to the project. New GHG reduction requirements are related to energy efficiency, photovoltaic, electric vehicle charging, water heating and traffic demand management requirements, as set forth in the California Green Building Standards Code and in Carlsbad Municipal Code Chapters 18.21, 18.30 and 18.51 which is available on the city’s website at the following address: PRE 2026-0039 (DEV2026-0065) – 1695 FARADAY PARKING August 4, 2026 Page 3_______________________________________ Community Development Department Planning Division 1635 Faraday Avenue Carlsbad, CA 92008-7314 442-339-2600 http://www.qcode.us/codes/carlsbad/view.php?topic=18&frames=on To the extent that new GHG reduction requirements are in effect at the time of application for grading or building permits, the project will be required to comply with the effective requirements even if different than what is proposed in the project’s planning approvals. GHG reduction requirements may impact, but are not limited to, site design and local building code requirements. If incorporating new GHG reduction requirements results in substantial modifications to the project after planning approvals are obtained, then prior to issuance of grading or building permits, the applicant may be required to submit and receive approval of a Consistency Determination or an Amendment application for the project through the Planning Division. Land Development Engineering: 1. Complete a Stormwater Standards Questionnaire Form E-34: https://www.carlsbadca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/604/638683035715330000. This questionnaire will guide you and the city in determining what type of reports and storm water mitigation must be completed to satisfy state and City storm water quality requirements. The questionnaire is located on the City of Carlsbad website. 2. Although the project proposes less than 5,000 SF of new impervious, the site has an existing SWQMP, so it is still a PDP, and an amendment to the existing SWQMP will be required to see whether the existing on site BMP’s have capacity for the additional impervious area, or if new post construction stormwater treatment is required. All impervious surfaces being created or replaced (onsite and offsite) shall be included for treatment. Submit an amendment to the existing Storm Water Quality Management Plan. Review the Hydromodification Exemption Map and Potential Critical Coarse Sediment Yield Area Map on the City website to see if this criterion applies to your project. The existing and proposed post construction stormwater treatment BMPs shall be shown on a grading permit application. 3. Based on this project’s general land use, PI, this project is subject to the City of Carlsbad trash capture requirements. Incorporate trash capture measures on the project plans. Incorporate into Stormwater Quality Management Plan, Form E-35. 4. Provide a Preliminary Title Report (current within the last six (6) months. 5. Annotate and delineate all existing easements and encumbrances listed in the Preliminary Title Report on the site plan. If any vacations or quitclaims are planned with this development annotate on the site plan (refer to DWG 355-6. 6. A preliminary geotechnical report is required to evaluate the feasibility of the project. Guidelines for preliminary geotechnical studies are available on the City of Carlsbad Engineering website through the following link: https://www.carlsbadca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/326/638054006747270000 PRE 2026-0039 (DEV2026-0065) – 1695 FARADAY PARKING August 4, 2026 Page 4_______________________________________ Community Development Department Planning Division 1635 Faraday Avenue Carlsbad, CA 92008-7314 442-339-2600 7. Per CMC15.16.060 this project will require a grading permit and grading plan. 8. This project shall utilize City of Carlsbad Survey Control Network established on Record of Survey Map 17271, NAD83, Zone VI, 1991.35 Epoch for horizontal control and NGVD 29 datum for vertical control per City of Carlsbad Engineering Standards. 9. Delineate and annotate the limits of grading. 10. Delineate and annotate approximate topographic contours for existing and proposed condition. Provide 1-foot contours for slopes less than 5%; 2’ intervals for slopes between 5% and 10%, and 5’ intervals for slopes over 10%. Extend contours a minimum 25 feet beyond the project boundary. 11. On the site plan, show and identify all existing surface improvements screened back (curb, gutter, sidewalk, paving, manholes, inlets, street lights, adjacent driveways, vaults, transformers, etc.) at the project site, project frontage and within 25 feet of the boundary. 12. Indicate the earthwork quantities (cut, fill, import, export, remedial) proposed for the project in cubic yards. 13. Provide the method of draining each lot. Unless otherwise specified by a geotechnical engineer, method of drainage shall comply with California Building Code (latest version) section 1804.4. 14. Delineate all retaining walls that will be utilized on the project site and show top of wall and bottom of wall elevations, including at the highest and lowest points. Indicate maximum height of retaining wall measured from bottom of footing to top of wall and maximum height measured from finish surface to top of wall. 15. Provide a cross section to show the existing and proposed ground, the proposed wall, the footing and remedial excavation. Provide a temporary construction easement or permission to grade letter from adjacent owner to construct walls on their property or delineate and annotate proposed temporary shoring walls if needed. 16. Show existing lot line bearing and distance. 17. Show truck turning radii. Plot turning radii per Caltrans figure 404.5B and/or 404.5F. 18. Show all existing and proposed utilities and callout size for: water, sewer, storm drain, underground dry utilities, overhead lines, traffic signals, street lights in Faraday Ave, on-site, and laterals affecting the property (Refer to DWG 294-1, 355-6, 405-7, and 426-5A. 19. Provide cross-section of the site to demonstrate differences in grade from adjacent properties, existing and proposed grades on-site, fences and location of structures on-site and on adjacent properties. PRE 2026-0039 (DEV2026-0065) – 1695 FARADAY PARKING August 4, 2026 Page 5_______________________________________ Community Development Department Planning Division 1635 Faraday Avenue Carlsbad, CA 92008-7314 442-339-2600 20. Meet with the Fire Department to identify the necessary fire protection measures required for this project (access, fire hydrants, sprinkler system, on-site circulation, emergency access, etc.). 21. If this project requires offsite grading, submit a copy of a recorded easement or an agreement for the offsite work from the owners of the affected properties with your application for a grading permit. 22. Please also see comments on the attached redlined plan 23. Please be advised that a more in-depth review of the proposed development will occur with permit application when a more complete design of the project is provided. Fire & Life Safety: 1. A 24-foot fire access road shall be maintained around the perimeter of the building. If you would like to discuss this letter with the commenting departments, please see department contacts below: Planning Division: Kyle Van Leeuwen, Senior Planner, at (442) 339-2611 Land Development Engineering: Josh Tompson, Project Engineer, at (442) 339-2105 Fire & Life Safety: Darcy Davidson, Fire Marshal at (442) 339-2662 Sincerely, ERIC LARDY, AICP Assistant Director of Community Development EL:KVL:CF c: Jennifer Shaw, PO Box 130214, Carlsbad, CA 92013 Josh Tompson, Project Engineer Fire & Life Safety Laserfiche/File Copy Data Entry Attachments: A – Land Development Engineering (LDE) Redline Plans • • •