Carlsbad business groups urge support for SB 84; Visit Carlsbad unveils three‑year plan as city expands small‑business services

Representatives of Carlsbad business groups and Visit Carlsbad told city officials that local businesses face legal and operational pressures even as tourism indicators show modest growth, and they outlined new local programs to help small firms.

At the meeting, Christine Davis, executive director of the Carlsbad Village Association, urged support for California Senate Bill 84 — legislation she said would help small businesses “deal with frivolous ADA lawsuits or shake down lawsuits.” She described a typical case in which repeated visits alleging minor accessibility defects can generate large statutory penalties: “As an example, a towel dispenser in a bathroom might be 4 inches too high … So it's a $40,000 lawsuit, but they said they would settle for 8,000. So she did settle with attorney fees. It's in the $10,000 range.” Davis said SB 84 would create a “fix it first approach” allowing businesses to rectify accessibility issues “within a hundred and 20 days” before facing statutory damages and attorney fees and that business groups are preparing letters of support.

Brett Schanzenbach of the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce echoed support for SB 84 and described recent local restaurant reopenings and rebrandings as signs of economic optimism outside the village, including new and reconfigured operations at Faraday and the Forum business corridors.

Kim Sidorjak, president of Visit Carlsbad, presented Visit Carlsbad’s three‑year strategic plan covering fiscal 2025–26 through 2027–28 and said year‑to‑date (through May 2025) lodging performance shows occupancy up 2.7%, average daily rate up 4% and revenue per available room up 6.8%. Sidorjak said the plan — approved by Visit Carlsbad’s board in April 2025 — centers on five pillars: enhance marketing impact, optimize group sales, improve destination experience and culture, develop new leisure and group markets, and sustain clear differentiation. Objectives include positioning Carlsbad for wellness‑ and sustainability‑oriented travelers, boosting group and conference business, and better distinguishing Carlsbad from other Southern California beach destinations.

City economic development staff and Rachel Malts, the city’s small business liaison and senior program manager in the Economic Development Department, described a slate of services aimed at helping companies navigate permitting, finance and workforce challenges. Malts said a pilot Small Business Liaison Office Hours launched July 8, offering 30‑minute appointments on Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Dove Library to connect businesses with city staff and outside resources. Staff also described a digital resource hub with more than 1,600 page views and a relaunch of the CarlsbadLifeInAction talent site, and outlined upcoming workshops on foreign trade zones (virtual, end of month) and an August workshop for brokers and businesses about zoning and allowable uses.

Staff emphasized recurring challenges: workforce scarcity for restaurants and hotels, rising rents in the village, infrastructure and event venue constraints that limit growth of larger conferences, and the complexity of the city’s signage rules. Staff said they are working with planning, building and the city attorney’s office to produce clearer signage guidance and that the economic development team will explore partnering on business education workshops, including ADA‑related training suggested by business groups.

The presentations concluded with councilmembers requesting follow‑up items including a review of event‑venue feasibility, exploration of wellness certifications such as Blue Zones, and updates on education‑industry talent pipelines. Visit Carlsbad confirmed it will pursue initiatives to raise awareness of Carlsbad’s natural and cultural assets and to pursue “certified autism center destination” status as a differentiation strategy.