Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutPRE 2026-0047; CARLSBAD FARMERS' MARKET; Admin Decision LetterAugust 10, 2026 Christ ine Davis 300 Carlsbad Village Drive, Ste. 108 Carlsbad, CA 92008-2990 SUBJECT: PRE 2026-0047 (DEV130005) -CARLSBAD FARMERS' MARKET APN: N/A-STATE STREET/PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY {city of Carlsbad Thank you for submitting a preliminary review to expand the limits and scope of the Carlsbad Farmers' Market, currently located on State Street, in between Grand Avenue to the north and Carlsbad Village Drive to the south. The concept project proposes expanding the footprint of the farmers' market, north on State Street up to and including Christiansen Way but excluding Grand Avenue, which would remain open for vehicular and pedestrian access. The farmers' market would terminate at Wally's Barber and New Village Arts, on the east and west sides of State Street, respectively. The expanded footprint would increase the number of vendors from 62 to 111 and the proposed hours of the market would be Wednesdays, from 2:30 to 7:00 PM. The roads would remain closed from 1:00 to 8:00 PM to allow time for vendor set-up and break down. Vehicle barriers are proposed on the north and south ends of the expanded State Street footprint, as well as the west end of Christiansen Way. Retractable bollards currently provide barriers on the north and south side of State Street for the existing farmers' market. ~ □,~~ -.J ;/ D ..,,,.. RreE.rtlngui1hei ' 1 ,-; LMIM111lc J: 9' Porta~ RR+ Handwz.sh Ill □ ~ ~ ~ Ill GRAND AVE. GRAND AVE. I I ~ c=g " ~ I? D ~ " :j " ~ lU '< "' :z: 0 "' 0 ~ 0: ~ CARLSBAD VILLAGE DR. Community Development Department Planning Division I 1635 Faraday Avenue I Carlsbad, CA 92008-7314 I 442-339-2600 PRE 2026-0047 (DEV130005) -CARLSBAD FARMERS MARKET August 10, 2026 Pa e 2 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: N/A; although State Street and Christiansen Way are within the boundaries of the Village and Barrio Master Plan, there is no land use designation for the public right-of­ way; b. Zoning: N/A; although State Street and Christiansen Way are within the boundaries of the Village and Barrio Master Plan, there is no zoning designation for the public right-of-way; c. Master Plan: State Street and Christiansen Way are located within the boundaries of the Village & Barrio Master Plan, specifically the Village Center (VC) district. d. A portion of State Street, specifically within the existing farmers' market footprint, is located within the Coastal Zone, outside of the appealable jurisdiction of the California Coastal Commission. There is not a General Plan land use or zoning designation for the public right­ of way. 2. The proposed project requires the following permits: a. Amendment to Conditional Use Permit CUP 2020-0005 to amend the scope of the Carlsbad Farmers' Market. The previous CUP was approved by the Planning Commission but note that any CUP in the Village and Barrio Master Plan will be approved by City Council via a recommendation from the Planning Commission. It is estimated that a permit process will take 12-18 months depending upon how many project iterations there are. 3. Public Safety Concerns. If a formal application to expand the footprint and scope of the farmers' market is submitted, Planning staff's recommendation to the Planning Commission and City Council will heavily rely on feedback from other departments to determine whether it can be supported. Based on the preliminary feedback received from the Police and Fire Departments, there are public safety concerns with the proposal. Please see comments below and attached for additional information. If the Police and Fire Department do not support the request, please consider alternatives to expand the scope of the market. The Fire Department is also willing to consider different configurations of the vendor booths for the existing market, including the removal of the fire access path in the middle of State Street and between the vendor booths. 4. Circulation/Vehicle Turn-Around Area. Planning staff defers to the Fire Department and Land Development Engineering Division regarding the lack of a vehicle turnaround area for southbound traffic on State St. without the ability to turn around at the northern terminus of the proposed expansion to the market and options on how to potentially design around this aspect. Community Development Department Planning Division I 1635 Faraday Avenue I Carlsbad, CA 92008-7314 I 442-339-2600 PRE 2026-0047 (DEV130005) -CARLSBAD FARMERS MARKET August 10, 2026 Pa e 3 5. City Council Policy No. 84, Development Project Public Involvement Policy. If an application is filed, the project would be subject to City Council Policy Statement No. 84, Development Project Public Involvement. A notice sign is required to be posted onsite by the applicant, and an early public notice is required to be prepared by the applicant and mailed to all owners located within a 600- foot radius of the property. In addition, enhanced stakeholder outreach and a follow-up summary report are required. Please see the link below for details. Implementation Guide, IB-184: https://www.carlsbadca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/19417 /638741675682230000 Land Development Engineering: 1. Limit of Farmers' Market expansion, if approved by others, shall be limited from northside of intersection of State St. to the southside of intersection with Christiansen Way. Christiansen Way. and the intersection shall remain open. 2. Removable bollards shall be installed at the northside of the intersection of State St and southside intersection with Christiansen Wy. All costs shall be incurred by the applicant. Public Works-Traffic Division 1. The existing Traffic Control Plan shall be revised to reflect the expansion. Utilities: No comments. Please see attached memorandum from the Fire Department, dated August 3, 2026. The comments below reflect a high-level summary of what is included in the memorandum. 1. The Fire Department supports a thoughtful expansion of the Carlsbad Farmers' Market and recognizes the important benefits the event provides to the Village. However, the Department has operational concerns regarding the proposed expansion area north of Grand Avenue due to the lack of emergency access to the businesses on the east side of State St., north of Grand Avenue. Specifically: • Unlike the existing market area, the Tyler St. alley has only one point of ingress and egress. • The proposed blockade of State St north of Christiansen Way creates a dead-end street for southbound traffic on State St. without the ability to turn around. 2. While the Fire Department supports expansion of the Farmers Market, it recommends that alternative configurations be evaluated to provide adequate emergency access. 3. The Fire Department is willing to consider redesigning the existing setup in the current footprint to allow for additional booths, if this can be done in compliance with fire and life safety requirements. Community Development Department Plann ing Division I 1635 Faraday Avenue I Carlsbad, CA 92008-7314 I 442-339-2600 PRE 2026-0047 (DEV130005) -CARLSBAD FARMERS MARKET August 10, 2026 Pa e 4 Police: If the scope of the Carlsbad Farmers' Market were to be expanded, staffing considerations for the Police Department must be included. Due to public safety implications, the Police Department recommends Police staff work at the event, or the Carlsbad Village Association hire private security to staff the event. We encourage coordination directly with the Police Department prior to the submittal of an application. For additional background and information, please refer to the attached memorandum from Chief Calderwood, dated July 17, 2026. If you would like to schedule a meeting to discuss this letter with the commenting departments, please contact Shannon Harker at the number below. You may also contact each department individually as follows: • Planning Division: Shannon Harker, Senior Planner, at 442-339-2621 • Land Development Engineering: Linda Ontiveros, Project Engineer, at 442-339-2773 • Fire Department: Darcy Davidson, Fire Division Chief at 442-339-2662 • Police Department: Conrad Page-DeMorst, Police Sergeant at 442-339-5639 Sincerely, ERIC LARDY, AICP Assistant Director of Community Development EL:SH:CF Enc: Memorandum from the Police Department, dated July 17, 2026 Memorandum from the Fire Department, dated August 3, 2026 c: Darcy Davidsion, Fire Division Chief Conrad Page-DeMorst, Police Sergeant Linda Ontiveros, Project Engineer Laserfiche/Data Entry/File Copy <;:ommunity Development Department Planning Division I 1635 Faraday Avenue I Carlsbad, CA 92008-7314 I 442-339-2600 C c ity of Carlsbad Memorandum July 17, 2026 To: From: Re: Chief Calderwood, via Chain of Command Conrad Page-DeMorst Farmers Market Expansion Considerations After evaluating the Farmers Market this past Wednesday and having conversations with both Traffic CSO's, we identified the following considerations regarding the expansion. • Increased parking enforcement required: Under the current Farmers Market footprint our parking CSO's evaluate approximately 49 parking stalls on State St prior to the TCP enacting no-parking, which is in effect from 1300-2000 hours. The expansion would require them to evaluate approximately 29 additional parking spots. Our SVP's and Traffic CSO's typically arrive at around 1215 hours to begin evaluating the parking along State St, informing people arriving in the area of the closure at 1300 hours. The CSO's will proactively begin running license plates and acquiring phone numbers for registered owners, and at around 1245 hours, they begin calling these owners to ensure vehicles will be moved by 1300 hours. With two CSO's this occurs somewhat quickly and they are able to leave messages with most registered owners within around 15 minutes (they called 24 registered owners this Wednesday). If only one CSO is available or on-duty that day this can take significantly longer. There were no tows this Wednesday but historically there are usually 2-3 tows every Farmers Market. *CSO's call R/O's to have them move vehicles, as it's more effective than waiting until 1300 hours for the no­ parking to go in effect and call tows for (potentially) an excessive number of vehicles still parked in the area. The expansion would extend the time it takes for CSO's to effectively "clear out" illegally parked vehicles from the footprint before allowing vendor access to begin setup.* • Grand Ave will now intersect the Farmers Market: With the proposed expansion extending north from Grand Ave, there will undoubtedly be an increase in dense pedestrian traffic crossing Grand Ave throughout the Farmers Market run time. This has the potential to cause traffic congestion along Grand Ave and surrounding streets in the downtown area, however the extent of the potential impact is unknown. A secondary concern related to increased pedestrian traffic crossing Grand Ave is the potential for vehicle/ped collisions, however the intersection is controlled by traffic signals (including pedestrian walk/don't walk) in all directions. Police Department Carlsbad Police Department 2560 Orion Way 'i Carlsbad, CA 92010 'i 760-931-2100 www.carlsbadca.gov • Roadway congestion during vendor setup/breakdown: Traditionally, at around 1300 hours vendors begin lining up along Grand Ave to enter the footprint for loading and unloading. This leads to numerous instances of parking in red zones and double parking, however the time frame in which this occurs in relatively short and is typically not enforced by the Traffic CSO's. An expansion to the north will potentially lead to increased congestion and parking violations in the State St corridor between Christiansen Wyand Beech St. • Anti-vehicle barricades: According to the proposal site plan, vehicles would be used as barriers to block off the expanded footprint. It is industry standard to have hard anti­ vehicle barriers in place at any event in which pedestrians will be occupying a roadway in a static manner. No TCP was attached in the proposal so I am unsure who would be responsible for emplacing the vehicle barriers, with my only concern being the reliance on Farmers Market event staff in emplacing what I would consider critical infrastructure (barriers) to ensure adequate protection of attendees. I would also like to echo FD's concern related to the road closure for State St at Christiansen Wy and the inability for southbound-traveling vehicles to turn around upon reaching the closure area. As of now I have not been able to locate a TCP related to the current Farmers Market. I'm assuming there is one somewhere, as permanent signs are affixed along State St indicating the no parking hours for Farmers Market. Conrad Page-DeMorst Aug.3,2026 Subject: PRE2026-0047 Farmer's Market Expansion -Fire Department Comments ( City of Carlsbad Fire De partment The Fire Department supports the continued success and thoughtful expansion of the Carlsbad Farmers Market and recognizes the significant economic and community benefits the event provides to the Village. However, the Department has operational concerns regarding the proposed expansion area north of Grand Avenue. The existing market configuration allows emergency responders to access the affected block from two directions utilizing the alleys behind the adjacent businesses. Although State Street is closed during market operations, these multiple access points provide flexibility for fire apparatus and ambulance response. Under the proposed expansion, emergency access to the businesses located on the east side of State Street north of Grand Avenue, including the Carlsbad Village Theatre, Pet & Feed, Skylar's, Mystic Dragon, and Vickie Kay's, would rely primarily on a single alley (Tyler St.). Unlike the existing market area, this alley has only one point of ingress and egress. Additionally, the entrance is narrow and constrained by overhead utility lines, limiting access for fire apparatus and reducing operational flexibility during emergency incidents. The reliance on a single, constrained access route creates concerns regarding emergency response times, apparatus access, firefighter safety, and the Department's ability to effectively serve the businesses and occupants within the proposed expansion area. In addition, with State Street being blocked off north of Christiansen Way, southbound traffic on State does not have the ability to turn around. This will create a traffic issue and delay emergency response vehicles utilizing State Street. While the Fire Department supports expansion of the Farmers Market, it recommends that alternative configurations or infrastructure improvements be evaluated to maintain or enhance emergency access. Potential Alternatives Alternative 1-Utilize Existing Public Spaces Rather than extending the market north along State Street, the market could expand into the Grand Avenue public parking lot and the segment of Christiansen Way between Pure Project and New Village Arts. This alternative would provide additional vendor space while allowing State Street north of Grand Avenue to remain open for emergency access and normal circulation. Carlsbad Fire Department 2560 Orion Way I Carlsbad, CA 92010 I T 442-339-2660 I F 760-929-0256 I www.carlsbadfire.org Alternative 2 -Activate the Rear Alley Corridor A longer-term alternative would be to invest in a comprehensive alley beautification and revitalization project between Grand Avenue and Carlsbad Village Drive, specifically within the corridor between the railroad tracks and the rear of the businesses from Via Vai to Crackheads Eatery. The Farmers Market could be relocated into this enhanced alley corridor in conjunction with use of the Grand Avenue public parking lot. This concept would allow State Street to remain fully open during market operations while transforming an underutilized service alley into an attractive pedestrian-orient ed public space that could accommodate outdoor dining, gathering areas, and market vendors. The Fire Department remains supportive of expanding the Farmers Market and welcomes the opportunity to work collaboratively with the applicant and City staff to identify a solution that achieves the community's economic development goals while maintaining safe and effective emergency access. Additional EMS Considerations Based on data presented, the event is reaching the traffic threshold where the city would request that the promoters provide a dedicated first aid/CPR/AED standby if it were a permitted special event. For comparison, the TGIF concerts are approximately 2,500 people at most events, and the Fire Department has a dedicated ambulance assigned to each event. If the Carlsbad Farmers Market expands, standby EMS support may be considered.