Resident urges stronger, proactive code enforcement for signage and high-intensity lighting on commercial corridors

Resident and long-term Encinitas resident Cindy Beck told the council the city’s code-enforcement program remains largely complaint-driven and cannot keep up with persistent signage, digital monument signs and unshielded LED lighting she described along El Camino Real and nearby corridors.

Beck said she has filed hundreds of complaints and was told she is the only resident reporting violations. She urged the council to provide additional personnel and nighttime light-measurement equipment for code enforcement, to clarify municipal code language about allowable commercial lighting (lumens, Kelvin and related measures) and to add guidance for digital monument signs.

Why it matters: The request touches on enforcement capacity, clarity of municipal code language for lighting and signage, and the need for proactive inspections rather than reliance on individual resident complaints.

Next steps: Beck was encouraged to leave contact information with staff. Councilmembers discussed enforcement staffing and code updates; any changes to enforcement levels, equipment or code language would require staff analysis and potential budget or ordinance amendments.