Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Carlsbad sustainability commissioners hear calls to protect Ponto, strengthen open-space work plan
Summary
Public commenters and several commissioners urged Carlsbad’s new Environmental Sustainability Commission to prioritize acquisition and equitable distribution of open space—highlighting Ponto, a city study that projects 32 acres lost to sea-level rise, and calls to honor the city's long-standing 40% open-space goal.
The Carlsbad Environmental Sustainability Commission spent much of its meeting reviewing a draft 2026 work plan as residents urged stronger action on open space and coastal resilience.
Residents and members of local advocacy groups told commissioners the city must do more to secure parkland and natural preserves, spotlighting Ponto as an area of urgent concern. Lance Schulte said more than 7,600 people had submitted written testimony to the city and the California Coastal Commission about the importance of open space at Ponto and alleged developers were allowed exceptions that reduced usable parkland. Schulte cited a city study he said showed Ponto could lose 32 acres of usable open space from sea-level rise and asked the commission to include protections in its work plan.
"We need to be thinking in terms of…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
