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Why Ponto Park Is Important for Carlsbad

During the Art Walk Carlsbad in 2024 in Carlsbad, CA, a lady noticed a print of my “People of Ponto”

and asked me if I knew the group “People for Ponto”. I was not aware. She then continued to explain that it is a group of people that would like to see a new park in South Carlsbad, and that her neighbor is involved in it.

A couple of days after the show I received a message on my website from Lance Schulte, and mentioned that his neighbor gave him my information. We got in contact and that’s when I learned about “Ponto Park”. Lance is one of the People for Ponto and board member of the Batiquitos Lagoon Foundation.

People for Ponto has been around since 2017 and is an active player and proponent for the development of a 6-7 acre park in South Carlsbad, on yet undeveloped land that is roughly located between the Pacific Coast Highway and the Coaster around the cross-section of Avenida Encinas and Ponto Drive.

Sea level rise is a significant threat to our coastline, including Carlsbad’s. In particular it will impact the South Carlsbad State Campground. The proposed park would be a strategic solution to mitigate the impact of sea level rise as the park would serve as a “managed retreat” area, preserving coastal recreational space.

A park in South Carlsbad is overdue: Whereas there is a high concentration of parks in the north, Carlsbad has a significant park deficit in the southwest quadrant. Furthermore, the California Coastal Commission has consistently emphasized the need for coastal recreation and low-cost visitor accommodations in the Ponto area. Currently, the only low-cost visitor accommodation is South Carlsbad State Beach Campground.

There are several benefits - economic and environmental - for such a park. For the city to acquire the land (a large part of the land is up for sale now) is estimated to be more cost-effective than other proposed solutions, such as realigning the Pacific Coast Highway. The park would protect important coastal habitat and contribute to the overall health of the region.

Over 5,500 petitions from Carlsbad citizens and local hospitality businesses are asking the Carlsbad City Council to:

• Provide a 6-7 acre Ponto Park for the minimal neighborhood needs of Ponto’s population.
• Provide more Ponto Park acres for State/Regional Coastal Recreation (i.e. Public Park) needs.
• Ponto Park must be wide, flat and fully useable. A multi-use grassed area to allow kids/families space to informally play/picnic at the coast is what is needed. No thin/leftover strips along the Pacific Coast Highway.
• Replace the 32+ acres of State Coastal Open Space (State beach/campground) to be lost from sea level rise in the next 70-years by allowing the Campground (Carlsbad’s only Low-cost Visitor Accommodations) to move inland. Allow bluff erosion for beach sand to preserve the beach.
• Use the People for Ponto Citizens plan to help replace Ponto’s missing 30 acres of Useable Open Space, and fund Ponto Park while at the same time saving tax-payers tens of millions of dollars

Are you in favor for Ponto Park? Write to , , , and cc , and