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Carlsbad staff advance Veterans Memorial Park design, seek veteran input on flags, memorial elements
Summary
City staff presented final design elements and public‑art choices for Veterans Memorial Park, outlined options for flags, branch panels and donor recognitions, and invited veterans and residents to give input at follow‑up subcommittee meetings. Public commenters urged inclusion of the Merchant Marine and a dog‑tag symbol.
City of Carlsbad staff on Monday reviewed final design elements for the forthcoming Veterans Memorial Park, described the Veterans Memorial Plaza and public art chosen through community outreach, and asked veterans and veterans’ organizations for input on recognition features ahead of construction.
The subcommittee heard that the park’s final map dates to 2013 and that construction is roughly two years away. Staff said the developed portion of the site covers about 39 acres, while roughly 59 acres will remain as preserved open space. The city awarded the construction contract to Brightview Landscape Development in February 2026, and staff said the project remains a priority in the city’s strategic plan and parks master plan.
“The purpose of this subcommittee is to gather input from veterans, nonprofit veteran organizations, and community members on ways to honor veterans and recognize veterans at the future Veterans Memorial Park,” said Kyle Lancaster, Carlsbad’s parks and recreation director.
Staff described a two‑phase public‑art outreach process (2023–2025) that included a national call for artists, concept development and two rounds of community review. The artist’s middle concept — described to the subcommittee as “the ring” — received the strongest support in the second round. Staff reported 572 survey responses related to the art process and said more than 100 participants engaged through meetings and focus groups; broader park outreach earlier in the planning process generated more than 2,200 responses.
The public art piece that will sit on the park’s upper plateau was described by staff as roughly 20 feet wide and 16 feet tall and was credited in the presentation to artist Gordon Keeser. Staff said the art will sit within an elliptical plaza that offers views toward the Agua Hedionda Lagoon and that design features in the Memorial Plaza will include military branch history panels, bronze monograms in the plaza paving, perimeter seating, a small platform for ceremonies, and accessible pathways and ADA parking adjacent to the plaza.
“We heard repeatedly that people wanted a memorial that was both meaningful and welcoming,” said Sarah Lemmens, senior program manager. She said community priorities included opportunities for quiet reflection, educational features about military service, and representation of veterans from diverse eras, roles and genders.
Staff also described practical recognition options. Carlsbad’s memorial donation program (first adopted in 2004 and expanded in 2021) accommodates donated trees, benches, bike racks, art pedestals and similar items; City Council Policy No. 48 (adopted 2012) governs naming rights for parks and facilities. Lancaster told the subcommittee that recognition elements recommended by this group could be incorporated into that program or be created specifically for the Veterans Memorial Park.
During public comment, George Sarhan, a member of the VFW and first vice commander of American Legion Post 416, urged the city to explicitly include the United States Merchant Marine among the services honored in the memorial, noting that Congress recognizes Merchant Mariners as veterans. Gary Gerritsen, president of the Veterans Writing Group and a Vietnam combat veteran, recommended incorporating a dog‑tag symbol “because it represents every veteran that ever served.”
Councilmember Shin and other subcommittee members asked staff whether public input would be heard in real time or absorbed for later consideration, proposed prominent flag options (including a roughly 45‑foot flagpole and separate flags for each service branch), suggested an interpretive timeline walk through conflicts from the Revolutionary War to the present, and discussed honoring POW/MIA, military working dogs and gold‑star families at the park. Lancaster and staff said the branch flags and additional recognition elements could be considered, and that inclusion of the Merchant Marine could be added at council direction.
Staff recommended the subcommittee receive the presentation, gather the input from this meeting and return with follow‑up information at the next subcommittee meeting on July 29 at 5 p.m. in the chambers. A final subcommittee meeting is scheduled for Sept. 30 at 5 p.m. The subcommittee adjourned at 10:42 a.m.
