Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-08-17; Planning Commission; ; UPDATE ON SOUTH CARLSBAD BOULEVARD COASTLINE PROJECT AND SOUTH CARLSBAD BOULEVARD CLIMATE ADAPTATION PROJECT Item No. P.C. AGENDA OF: August 17, 2022 SUBJECT: UPDATE ON SOUTH CARLSBAD BOULEVARD COASTLINE PROJECT AND SOUTH CARLSBAD BOULEVARD CLIMATE ADAPTATION PROJECT –Informational report on the South Carlsbad Boulevard Coastline Project. This project is located within the appeal area and the decision may be appealed to the California Coastal Commission. CONTACT: Tom Frank, Transportation Director/City Engineer Tom.Frank@carlsbadca.gov Katie Hentrich, Senior Program Manager Katie.Hentrich@carlsbadca.gov I. RECOMMENDATION Receive an update on the South Carlsbad Coastline Project and grant-funded South Carlsbad Boulevard Climate Adaptation Project. II. PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND BACKGROUND The coast plays an important role in the City of Carlsbad’s identity, quality of life and economy. The city has completed several projects in recent years to make it easier to get to the coast and have a better overall experience when you get there. These include: • Expanding bike lines and walking paths • Increasing parking • Rebuilding stairways • Creating new seating areas • Protecting bluffs from erosion • Slowing down traffic • Adding more crosswalks and making crosswalks safer Most of these projects have been in the north, from around Palomar Airport Road to the Oceanside border. Carlsbad’s southern coastline is largely unchanged from the car-centric 1950s, when Highway 101 (Carlsbad Boulevard) served as the main north-south corridor in the state. Today, Interstate Highway 5 serves this purpose, creating an opportunity to reclaim the coastal corridor as a place for the community to enjoy. In addition to reconfiguring the road to create more public spaces, the road eventually needs to be moved away from the coast to protect it from hazards caused by sea level rise. 1 UPDATE ON SOUTH CARLSBAD COASTLINE PROJECT AND SOUTH CARLSBAD BOULEVARD CLIMATE ADAPTATION PROJECT August 17, 2022 Page 2 Earlier this year, the City of Carlsbad asked the public to share their priorities for a 3-mile stretch of south Carlsbad Boulevard from Manzano Drive to La Costa Avenue, including the road itself and the public land that could be freed up if the road were reconfigured. Along south Carlsbad Boulevard, the city is working on the South Carlsbad Boulevard Climate Adaptation Project, a grant-funded project focused on how to maximize the roadway’s resiliency to coastal flooding and cliff erosion in a 1-mile stretch from Manzano Drive to 400 feet south of Island Way (Figure 1). Figure 1. South Carlsbad Boulevard Project Area Near Palomar Airport Road and Las Encinas Creek, southbound Carlsbad Boulevard is currently exposed to bluff erosion hazards. Periodic flooding of the southbound lanes is already occurring, resulting in beach cobble on the roadway surface and lane closures. One end product of the study will be a conceptual design of how southbound Carlsbad Boulevard from Manzano Drive to Island Way could be moved to the east. Due to the requirements of the grant at this stage, the project team focused on changes to the roadway, not the land that could be repurposed because of moving the road to the east. Using community input, the city’s General Plan which includes several guiding principles for south Carlsbad Boulevard, and findings of the grant’s studies, three preliminary roadway designs have been developed that protect public infrastructure from future sea level rise while prioritizing walking and biking paths. The preliminary roadway designs are meant to explore viability of relocating South Carlsbad Boulevard through a climate adaptation lens; these are not intended to be final designs. UPDATE ON SOUTH CARLSBAD COASTLINE PROJECT AND SOUTH CARLSBAD BOULEVARD CLIMATE ADAPTATION PROJECT August 17, 2022 Page 3 III. ANALYSIS South Carlsbad Boulevard has a history of erosion and instability near Las Encinas Creek. The city has closed this section of the roadway, including at Las Encinas Bridge during coastal storms, resulting in a loss of access for emergency services, residents, businesses and recreational visitors. In response to flooding, rock barricades were extended twice under an emergency permit approved by the California Coastal Commission. Most recently in 2016, rock shoreline protection was placed during wave events that led to partial closure of the roadway and emergency repair work. Since Carlsbad Boulevard is used for coastal access, north-south travel for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians, and due to the history of closures related to climate impacts, the city applied for a State Coastal Conservancy grant to explore options related to moving the roadway. The grant-funded project’s scope of work includes: • A cliff erosion assessment (Attachment 1) to inform the other deliverables for this project. • A restoration analysis of Las Encinas Creek, which will explore phased adaptation options for the existing bridge, roadway, and revetment at the Creek, including habitat restoration options for the area. A draft of this analysis is included as Attachment 2, and a final version is expected soon. • Development of conceptual designs and options that incorporate resiliency to coastal flooding, cliff erosion, and other sea level rise impacts (discussed later in this staff report). Funding for the grant expires in Feb. 2023. Community priorities In early 2022, the City of Carlsbad gathered input from the community about their priorities, needs, and values related to the future use of the entirety of south Carlsbad Boulevard (extending beyond the segment being analyzed in the grant-funded project), within the parameters of the city’s General Plan. The public input report, shown in Attachment 3, summarizes the key themes and feedback received from this outreach. When it comes to the roadway, if it were changed, some of the priorities shared by the community included: • Safer bike lanes, including some separated from the flow of car traffic • Safe, wide walking paths • Less noise and air pollution from traffic when enjoying the coast • Slowing down traffic along the coast • Making it safer to cross the road to get to the coast • Maintaining ocean views for drivers and residents who live along Carlsbad Boulevard The Coastal Conservancy grant project was able to use the community’s input in designing three road options for the 1-mile stretch from Manzano Drive to Island Way. UPDATE ON SOUTH CARLSBAD COASTLINE PROJECT AND SOUTH CARLSBAD BOULEVARD CLIMATE ADAPTATION PROJECT August 17, 2022 Page 4 Decisions already made The city’s General Plan includes guiding principles for south Carlsbad Boulevard, and the mobility element further defines Carlsbad Boulevard as a “coastal street.” With these existing policy statements, community members were asked to share their values, needs and priorities. The City of Carlsbad's General Plan includes several guiding principles for south Carlsbad Boulevard: • Carlsbad Boulevard shall become more than a road. This transportation corridor shall provide for recreational, aesthetic and community gathering opportunities that equal the remarkable character of the land. • Community safety shall be a high priority. Create destination that provides a safe public environment to recreate. • Strategic public access and parking is a key to success. Development shall capitalize on opportunities to add/enhance multiple public access points and public parking for the beach and related recreational amenities. • Open views are desirable and important to maintaining the character of the area. Preservation and enhancement of views of ocean, lagoons, and other water bodies and beaches shall be a high priority in road, landscaping, and amenity design and development. • Enhance the area’s vitality through diversity of recreational land uses. Carlsbad Boulevard development shall provide for amenities, services and goods that attract a diversity of residents and visitors. • Create vibrant and sustainable public spaces. Development shall provide for unique and vibrant coastal gathering spaces where people of all age groups and interests can gather to enjoy recreational and environmental amenities and supporting commercial uses. • Connect community, place and spirit. Design shall complement and enhance connectivity between existing community and regional land uses. • Environmentally sensitive design is a key objective. Environmentally sensitive development that respects existing coastal resources is of utmost importance. • A signature scenic corridor shall be created through design that honors the coastline’s natural beauty. The resulting improvements will capture the ‘essence’ of Carlsbad; making it a special place for people from throughout the region with its natural beauty and vibrant public spaces. Properly carried out, the realigned boulevard will maximize public views and encourage everyone to slow down and enjoy the scenery. • Reimagining of Carlsbad Boulevard shall be visionary. The reimagined Carlsbad Boulevard corridor will incorporate core community values articulated in the Carlsbad Community Vision by providing: o Physical connectivity through multi-modal mobility improvements including bikeways, pedestrian trails, and a traffic-calmed street; o Social connectivity through creation of memorable public spaces; and UPDATE ON SOUTH CARLSBAD COASTLINE PROJECT AND SOUTH CARLSBAD BOULEVARD CLIMATE ADAPTATION PROJECT August 17, 2022 Page 5 o Economic vitality through a combination of visitor and local-serving commercial, civic, and recreational uses and services. The city's General Plan includes policies for how different types of streets are designed. Carlsbad Boulevard falls under the category of coastal streets, which calls for the following design elements: • Primary purpose is to move people along the city’s ocean waterfront and connect people to the beach, recreation, businesses and residences in close proximity to the waterfront. The street serves as a destination for people who seek to drive, walk and bicycle along the ocean waterfront. • Designed to safely move all modes of travel while enhancing mobility for pedestrians and bicyclists. • Vehicle speeds shall be managed to support uses along the coast. • Enhanced bicycle and pedestrian crossings should be provided, including: o High visibility crosswalks o Enhanced pedestrian notifications (e.g. responsive push-button devices) o Enhanced bicycle detection o Bicycle lanes shall be provided and can be further enhanced or complemented by other facilities (such as bicycle lane buffers or off-street pathways). • Pedestrian facilities should be a minimum of five feet and shall strive for six to eight feet in width and shall conform to ADA requirements. • Pedestrian crossing distances should be minimized. • Trail facilities should be encouraged. • Opportunities for mid-block pedestrian crossings should be investigated. • On-street parking should be provided. • Transit facility and operation improvements should be encouraged. Existing conditions In its current configuration, Carlsbad Boulevard within the project area operates as a four-vehicle lane section, with two vehicle lanes in each direction and is split by a large, landscaped median. Both northbound and southbound directions have buffered bike lanes. Sidewalks are provided sparsely throughout the project area near Island Way and Solamar Drive. Carlsbad Boulevard is classified as a Coastal Street, meaning its primary purpose is to move people along the city’s ocean waterfront and connect people to the beach, recreation, businesses, and residences in close proximity to the waterfront. Counts were collected as a part of the Carlsbad Active Transportation Monitoring program in September 2021 along Carlsbad Boulevard between Avenida Encinas and Ponto Road. This included 24-hour UPDATE ON SOUTH CARLSBAD COASTLINE PROJECT AND SOUTH CARLSBAD BOULEVARD CLIMATE ADAPTATION PROJECT August 17, 2022 Page 6 vehicular counts, 13-hour pedestrian counts and 13-hour bicycle counts. The counts are summarized below: • Weekday Vehicular Count: 10,833 vehicles • Weekend Vehicular Count: 14,069 vehicles • Weekday Bicycle Count: 797 bikes • Weekend Bicycle Count: 2,509 bikes • Weekday Pedestrian Count: 147 pedestrians • Weekend Pedestrian Count: 408 pedestrians As shown by these counts, this section of Carlsbad Boulevard not only moves vehicular traffic, but also high volumes of pedestrians and bikes. As noted within the Carlsbad Active Transportation Monitoring report, this section saw the largest weekend bike count and the second largest weekday bike count out of all 26 study segments throughout Carlsbad. Roadway options Due to the requirements of the grant at this stage, the project team focused on changes to the roadway, not the land that could be repurposed as a result of moving the road to the east. The three options are: 1. 4-lane road with traffic signals; 2. 2-lane road with roundabouts; and 3. 2-lane road with roundabouts and one enhanced pedestrian crossing. The preliminary conceptual design options are provided in Attachment 4, along with a table comparing each option in Attachment 5. All three options show most of the Class-I (i.e. separated and/or exclusive right of way) and pedestrian pathway within the depicted coastal hazard zone and along the existing southbound lanes of Carlsbad Boulevard. The Class-I facility is shared pathway for exclusive use by pedestrians, bicyclists and other non-motorized modes of travel including strollers, and skateboards. The Class-I path will be intended for use by slower moving users with a maximum speed of 20 mph. This is a cost-effective approach to achieve the planned separated bike and pedestrian pathways, although, this alignment is only viable if the area is available for use. There may be several iterations of Class-I and pedestrian pathway alignments as the coastline erodes and changes in the future. The final deliverables for this project will include information on how to “phase” the adaptation of all infrastructure in the coastal hazard zone, including this Class I pathway, likely based on the frequency and intensity of climate impacts experienced in the Project area. This “phased” adaptation would be connected to the adaptation options presented in the Las Encinas Creek restoration analysis (Attachment 2), as they impact the Class-1 and pedestrian pathway alignments at the existing bridge over Las Encinas Creek. The plans also depict a right of way line with adjacent Class-I and sidewalk or pedestrian pathway. This area will be planned and reserved for the most easterly alignment of a Class-I and pedestrian pathway on the west side of the roadway when needed due to the changing coastline. This easterly alignment of the Class-I and pedestrian pathway is mostly outside of the identified coastal hazard zone. UPDATE ON SOUTH CARLSBAD COASTLINE PROJECT AND SOUTH CARLSBAD BOULEVARD CLIMATE ADAPTATION PROJECT August 17, 2022 Page 7 Staff presented a project update to the Traffic & Mobility Commission on July 5, 2022; a summary of the comments and questions received at the meeting are included as Attachment 6. Staff also presented a project update to the Parks & Recreation Commission on July 18, 2022. While the project’s scope includes preliminary options for roadway realignment that include a multi-use pathway as seen in Options 1-3, additional funding would be needed to further refine and design any public access and recreational amenities. A memo capturing the public input received and other analysis prepared, as well as a list of concepts for these amenities for further consideration, will be prepared as a deliverable for the project. IV. NEXT STEPS Public input will be shared with the City Council on Sept. 13, 2022 to receive input on the preliminary design options as they relate to climate adaptation. Although the South Carlsbad Coastline Project encompasses a 3-mile road segment, a primary final deliverable for this project will be a conceptual design of how a 1-mile section of southbound Carlsbad Boulevard from Manzano Drive to Island Way could be moved to the east to adapt to climate change impacts. The grant does not include funding to conduct environmental analysis, a detailed traffic or roadway analysis, or to build the new road. Grant funds are just enough to complete a 30% design centered around climate adaptation for the portion that covers Manzano Drive to Island Way. Other final deliverables include the final Las Encinas Creek restoration analysis, a final design report, and a long- term master plan that discusses phased adaptation for the project area over time. Beyond completing the grant-funded project, the City Council will provide direction on next steps for the 1-mile section of roadway, Las Encinas Creek habitat restoration and phased adaptation, and the full length of south Carlsbad Boulevard. At this time, no additional work has been included in the city’s FY 2022-23 budget for either project. V. PUBLIC NOTIFICATION This document was noticed in accordance with the Ralph M. Brown Act (California Government Code Section 54950 et. Seq.), published and distributed at least 72 hours prior to the meeting date and time. IV. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW The California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”), and its implementing regulations (“CEQA Guidelines”) adopted by the Secretary of the California Natural Resources Agency, list classes of projects that have been determined not to have a significant effect on the environment and as a result are exempt from further environmental review under CEQA. The action before the Planning Commission is statutorily exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines sections 15262, Feasibility and Planning Studies; and 15378(b)(5), which exempts organizational or administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment. This organizational and administrative activity relates to the ongoing study of preparing an adaptation plan for a portion of a roadway segment in the city (South Carlsbad Coastline Project). The Planning Commission will provide direction as appropriate to facilitate the public’s review of the adaptation planning effort. This general direction does not have a legally binding effect on any possible future discretionary action. Public input received and technical information prepared during the planning UPDATE ON SOUTH CARLSBAD COASTLINE PROJECT AND SOUTH CARLSBAD BOULEVARD CLIMATE ADAPTATION PROJECT August 17, 2022 Page 8 process will be utilized in preparing a future environmental review document to support the South Carlsbad Boulevard Coastline Project work program. EXHIBITS: 1. South Carlsbad Boulevard cliff erosion assessment - https://www.carlsbadca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/10856/637952858415430000 2. Draft Las Encinas Creek habitat restoration report – https://www.carlsbadca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/10858/637956387025243663 3. Public input report - https://www.carlsbadca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/10860/637952859884870000 4. Conceptual design options - https://www.carlsbadca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/10862/637952861126530000 5. Options comparison - https://www.carlsbadca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/10864/637952861429930000 6. Traffic & Mobility Commission Summary Memo for July 5, 2022 meeting https://www.carlsbadca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/10866/637952861727900000