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Encinitas accepts interim Santa Fe Drive improvements, directs fixes after safety complaints
Summary
The City Council accepted the interim western phase of the Santa Fe Drive corridor project and approved a set of near‑term fixes after residents and staff raised safety concerns for pedestrians, bicyclists and emergency vehicles. Council also directed staff to return with alternative designs for longer‑term changes.
The City Council of Encinitas voted in May to accept the interim condition of the Santa Fe Drive Corridor Improvements Project (western phase) and to record a notice of completion, beginning the contractor warranty period. Council also approved a $95,000 contract to address bicycle/driveway conflict areas and asked staff to return with design alternatives for a longer‑term fix.
Council and staff framed the action as a way to close out construction so Tri‑Group Construction can be paid and the city can begin warranty oversight, while still acknowledging the project is not the final corridor design. Batter Solomon, the city engineer presenting the project update, summarized what the western phase delivered and why staff recommended finishing the contract now: “The contract work was completed — the sidewalk, bike lane, the bus stops, the reverse single parking, the landscaping and drainage improvements, as well as an RRFB midblock crossing at SDA,” Solomon said.
The council took the action after an extended public discussion in which more than a dozen residents described safety problems they saw during school drop‑off and pickup, operational conflicts for bicyclists and drivers, and difficulties for emergency vehicles. Residents gave multiple examples of vehicles blocking lanes, drivers backing into angled stalls while oncoming traffic approached, and ambulances and fire apparatus having restricted access when traffic stacked near the San Dieguito Academy (SDA) driveway.
Public commenters pressed the council for several changes. Resident Molly Hintlien said the new back‑in parking is unsafe for drivers and pedestrians: “The back end parking is difficult and unsafe,” she told the council. Natalie Satune called the overall design a “failed and flawed design” and urged removal of elements that block emergency access. Dentist Kathy Santone, who operates a medical practice on Santa Fe, said patients stopped coming because construction and the parking changes reduced walk‑up access: “Our practice has lost multiple families and patients due to the year‑long construction and the loss of 50% of the dedicated parking for our professional building,” she said.
Other speakers, including consultant voices and city engineering staff, noted the changes that were completed: separated bike lanes, new sidewalks, green bike conflict striping, relocated bus pads and the mid‑block crossing near SDA. Staff said those improvements addressed long‑standing gaps — for many years pedestrians and bicyclists lacked continuous ADA‑compliant paths along that stretch.
What council approved and why - Notice of Completion and bonds: Council voted to accept the interim condition and to record the notice of completion so the city can close the construction contract and start the one‑year warranty period. The city attorney and contract manager explained that public contract code requires filing a notice of completion when a project reaches beneficial use; failure to file can expose the city to contractor claims. - Immediate fixes: Council approved a staff request to begin specified, near‑term modifications to the interim layout — notably a $95,000 package to address bike‑lane/driveway conflicts (additional green striping, low‑profile speed bumps, and other pavement markings and signage). That item passed unanimously. - Direction for alternatives: Council directed staff to return with multiple design options (staff will develop at least three alternatives) that reflect different tradeoffs among parking, protected bike lanes and travel lane widths. Councilmembers asked staff to show cost, parking counts, and how each option would affect emergency access and pedestrian safety.
Councilmembers said they want to avoid a situation where the city spends significant sums now only to rework the corridor later. Mayor Bruce Ehlers and other councilmembers repeatedly said they want a solution that preserves safety improvements for pedestrians and bicyclists while addressing the operational problems residents have documented.
Next steps and funding Staff identified about $1.4 million of anticipated unrestricted funding tied to the western phase and an additional $1.5 million related to the eastern phase. Staff will return with the requested design alternatives and the price estimates for each. The council also asked staff to assess whether limited, lower‑cost interim changes (pavement lighting at the crosswalk, revised green striping, minor curb modifications) could be implemented quickly while a longer design review proceeds.
Ending Councilmembers and city staff emphasized there is no single quick fix that will make all residents happy, and several councilmembers stressed the need for both faster short‑term improvements and a careful, funded long‑term design. Engineering will return with the design alternatives, cost estimates, and a recommended phasing plan for council consideration.
