Encinitas Municipal Code Ch. ECRSP El Camino Real Specific Plan

The El Camino Real Specific Plan (ECRSP) is the result of a comprehensive planning effort lead by the City of Encinitas (the City) that involved the local community, an El Camino Real Specific Plan Task Force, Encinitas Planning Commission, and technical consultants. The ECRSP was made possible through a Local Early Action Planning (LEAP) grant from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).

The ECRSP is intended to bring about intentional reimagining of the El Camino Real Corridor through streetscape improvements and high-quality commercial development, while retaining community character and functionality. The ECRSP also establishes objective design standards for residential and mixed-use developments permitted under State housing legislation.

The City of Encinitas has prepared the ECRSP in close collaboration with residents, local businesses, developers, and landowners, to provide a forward-focused and inclusive vision for the future of the Specific Plan Area (SPA). The ECRSP vision was developed with input from the community which acted as the beacon for the thoughtful, robust, and comprehensive policy and regulatory framework of the ECRSP. Property owners, developers, designers, City staff, and elected officials are the intended users of the ECRSP.

Development has occurred in the SPA steadily over time. Many buildings and existing land uses were developed before the City of Encinitas was incorporated in 1986 when there was no comprehensive plan to guide development. Real estate market conditions and the needs in the community have also changed. A Specific Plan is needed to help revitalize and preserve the long-term health of this important area of the Encinitas community. If the SPA does not adapt or evolve to meet these needs, the area is at risk of underutilization. This would result in a financial impact to the City, as the SPA provides important tax revenue for the City's general fund, which is used to fund public safety and other critical programs and services to the community.

(Ord. 2024-08, 9/25/2024)

The ECRSP encompasses approximately 228 acres covering the geographic area along El Camino Real from roughly Encinitas Boulevard to the south, through to Olivenhain Road to the north. The SPA currently includes a series of commercial shopping centers with varying depths and uses. Well-established residential neighborhoods surround the SPA with a mixture of housing types. The primary reason people visit the SPA is for grocery shopping, followed by retail and other shopping, and medical office. The SPA plays an important function within Encinitas, as a primary destination for running errands and functional stopping place for dining.

This segment of El Camino Real is a wide six-to eight-lane major arterial roadway with buffered bike lanes and sidewalks along each side. El Camino Real is an important transportation corridor, providing connections to destinations within Encinitas, as well as the cities of Carlsbad and Oceanside to the north. It is primarily fronted by commercial, and office uses, and two mobile home parks (Park Encinitas and Green Valley Mobile Estates) which are located along the west side of El Camino Real.

Common barriers to visiting the SPA are traffic congestion, unpleasant bicycle or pedestrian experience, and lack of community character (JPW 2021).

(Ord. 2024-08, 9/25/2024)

The purpose of the ECRSP is to establish the vision, goals, and expectations for the SPA and to serve as the tailored regulatory tool for development within the SPA. It will guide the land use, intensity, and design standards for future development.

The ECRSP sets the foundation for how the SPA will operate, based upon identified goals and regulations relating to a range of topics, including land use, urban design, parks and open space, streetscape, transportation, and sustainable infrastructure.

The intent of the ECRSP is to facilitate revitalization in the SPA through the creation of a vibrant, diverse, and pedestrian-friendly area that becomes a destination for residents and visitors to live, work and shop. This will be achieved through encouraging new development that is sensitive and compatible to the context of the surrounding residential community.

(Ord. 2024-08, 9/25/2024)

State Law requires that a Specific Plan be in conformance with a city's General Plan. This Specific Plan has been prepared in conformance with the City of Encinitas' General Plan, as described in the following Chapters.

The primary effect of a Specific Plan is the establishment of a clear and detailed plan for a specific area. Existing zoning is replaced with the development standards of the Specific Plan which best meet the needs of the specific area. After adoption by the City of Encinitas, all public and private development projects and improvements must be consistent with the adopted ECRSP.

This Specific Plan seeks to build upon the vision of the General Plan to accommodate commercial and retail revitalization, public open space, streetscape improvements, and multi-modal transport options, as well as more detailed guidance.

The ECRSP is established through the authority granted to the City by California Government Code, Sections 65450 through 65457, as a means of systematically implementing the General Plan. A Specific Plan, through text and diagram(s), must identify the following:

1. The distribution, location, and extent of the uses of land, including open space, within the area covered by the plan.

2. The proposed distribution, location, and extent and intensity of major components of public and private transportation, sewage, water, drainage, solid waste disposal, energy, and other essential facilities proposed to be located within the area covered by the plan and needed to support the land uses described in the plan.

3. Standards and criteria by which development will proceed, and standards for the conservation, development, and utilization of natural resources, where applicable.

4. A program of implementation measures including regulations, programs, public works projects, and financing measures necessary to carry out Subsections 1, 2, and 3.

(Ord. 2024-08, 9/25/2024)

The ECRSP was adopted in compliance with the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and (California Public Resources Code, § 21000 et seq.). Pursuant to the CEQA Guidelines (Title 14, California Code of Regulations, Chapter 3, § 15000 et seq.), the City of Encinitas prepared an Initial Study and a Mitigated Negative Declaration to address any potential environmental impacts identified with the proposed project. Mitigation measures to address those Impacts to the El Camino Real Corridor have been incorporated as conditions of approval of the ECRSP.

(Ord. 2024-08, 9/25/2024)

The City of Encinitas is located along approximately six miles of Pacific Ocean coastline in North County San Diego. The City has an approximate population of 62,000 within a 19.6 square mile area and the community prides itself as a small beach town feel with high quality public service delivery at Community Centers, Libraries, Civic Center/City Hall, hospital, schools, and parks.

The geographic extent of the SPA is shown in Figure 1-1, Regional Map. Moving south, the eastern boundary of the SPA is the east side of the El Camino Real right-of-way, where it turns perpendicularly east at 777 N El Camino Real, before turning south again at the parcel line split between residential land uses to the east and commercial land uses to the west all the way down to 211 N El Camino Real, and turns east again, past the San Diego County Sheriff's Department and wraps around the Solana Center for Environmental Innovation, at 137 N El Camino Real. The southernmost corner of the eastern boundary is the shopping center anchored by LA Fitness, at 201 South El Camino Real. The shopping center anchored by LA Fitness (201 South El Camino Real) establishes the southern boundary east of El Camino Real, while the shopping center anchored by Sprouts, at 1327 Encinitas Boulevard, establishes the southern boundary west of El Camino Real. The southwestern boundary includes the Tesla dealership at 1302 Encinitas Boulevard. Moving north, the western boundary follows the parcel lines separating the commercial shopping centers to the east and the residential to the west, including the Mobile Home Parks at 350 N El Camino Real and 444 N El Camino Real. The western boundary turns west to include the US Post Office, at 1415 Garden View Road. The western boundary follows the west side of the El Camino Real right-of-way all the way up from the corner of Garden View Road to the northern Specific Plan boundary. Surrounding uses to the east include the Home Depot Specific Plan Area located at 1001 N. EL Camino Real and one- to two-story single-family homes. To the immediate west is the Encinitas Ranch Specific Plan area comprising open space and low-density residential inclusive of the Encinitas Ranch Golf Course. To the south, low density one- to two-story single-family homes are the dominant land use. To the north is The Forum Shopping Centre at 1923 Calle Barcelona, Glenbrook Health Centre aged and assisted living at 1950 Calle Barcelona, and green space that follows El Camino Real northwards to the Batiquitos Lagoon State Marine Conservation Area.

(Ord. 2024-08, 9/25/2024)

The ECRSP shall be consistent with all approved and certified plans that apply to the ECRSP. This includes local, regional, state, and federal planning requirements.

1.7.1 City of Encinitas General Plan

Together, the City's General Plan and the ECRSP provide a framework that will guide future land use and development decisions in the 228-acre SPA.

The ECRSP is consistent with, and serves as an extension of, the Encinitas General Plan, which will provide both policy and regulatory direction. When future development proposals within the SPA are brought before the City, staff and decision-makers will use the ECRSP for project review. Projects will be evaluated for consistency with the intent of the Specific Plan policies and for conformance with development standards and design guidelines. For projects within the SPA, the ECRSP's policies and standards will take precedence over more general policies and standards that are applicable to the rest of the City.

1.7.2 City of Encinitas Circulation Element

The current City of Encinitas Circulation Element dates back to 1989 and was the first, and only, Circulation Element since New Encinitas, Old Encinitas, Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Olivenhain and Leucadia incorporated from the County of San Diego into the City of Encinitas in 1986.

As of authoring this Specific Plan, the City of Encinitas is updating its Circulation Element and as part of this effort, the City adopted Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Guidelines on November 8, 2023. The updated element will be called the Mobility Element. This Specific Plan has been developed in coordination with these efforts to ensure consistency across regulatory documents and will not require an amendment to the Specific Plan once the Mobility Element is adopted. The roadway network within the ECRSP was analyzed and specifically designed to improve the mobility network and improve multimodal options. Therefore, all future development shall comply with the roadway requirements contained in Chapter 5, Mobility.

1.7.3 Municipal Code and Zoning Ordinance

The Encinitas Municipal Code (EMC) is a codification of the general and permanent ordinances of Encinitas, including the Zoning Ordinance (Title 30).

In situations where policies or standards relating to a particular subject have not been provided in the ECRSP, the existing policies and standards of the City's General Plan and Zoning Ordinance will continue to apply.

1.7.4 City of Encinitas Design Regulations

Projects are subject to the objective design standards and guidelines specified in ECRSP Chapter 4. Design Review applications shall be processed according to the procedures indicated in Chapter 23.08 of the Encinitas Municipal Code.

1.7.5 City of Encinitas Climate Action Plan

The City of Encinitas Climate Action Plan 2018 (CAP) seeks to address the challenges of climate change through the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improving community health and local air quality, using a baseline of 2012. The CAP sets a GHG emissions reduction target of 13 percent below 2012 levels by 2020 and 41 percent below 2012 levels by 2030. As of the 2022 Annual Report, the City's GHG emissions in 2020 stood at 14.6 percent lower than the inventoried emissions in 2012. This demonstrates that the City exceeded it's 2020 emissions reduction target by 1.6 percent.

As of authoring this Specific Plan, the City of Encinitas is updating its CAP. This Specific Plan has been developed in coordination with these efforts to ensure consistency and to help implement the CAPs goals and required measures. One CAP measure is to implement a local shuttle system. The CAP update is studying the possibility of a micro-transit system that would serve the ECRSP area to improve multi-modal choices and reduce vehicle miles traveled. All future micro-transit facilities are permitted and encouraged throughout the SPA and would not require an amendment to the ECRSP. This form of development will also be encouraged to provide greater access to public spaces, green space, and to see a reduction in dependance on personal motor vehicles to navigate the ECRSP.

1.7.6 City of Encinitas Infrastructure Plans

A. 2015 Water System Master Plan

The ERCSP is served by the Olivenhain Municipal Water District (OMWD). OMWD Potable Water and Recycled Water Master Plan analyzed categories of facilities and system planning issues of significance to the development of capacity fee calculations as OMWD sought to update capacity fees in 2016.

B. 2020 Urban Water Management Plan Water agencies throughout the State are required by the California Department of Water Resources to prepare Urban Water Management Plans every five years to show that adequate water supplies are available to meet existing and future water demands.

According to OMWD's 2020 Urban Water Management Plan, in all normal and dry-year cases analyzed, no shortages are anticipated within San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) or OMWD's service area through 2045, even in the most conservative scenario, five consecutive dry years. The ECRSP has a horizon year of 2050; therefore, it is not fully covered by the 2020 UWMP. Upon adoption of the ECRSP, the 2025 Urban Water Management Plan will need to account for the density allowed under the ECRSP.

1.7.7 San Diego Forward: The Regional Plan

The 2021 San Diego Associate of Governments (SANDAG) Regional Plan provides a long-term blueprint for the San Diego region that meets regulatory requirements and seeks to address traffic congestion, and create equal access to jobs, education, healthcare, and other community resources. The plan reimagines the San Diego region with a transformative transportation system, a sustainable pattern of growth and development, and innovative demand and management strategies. As of authoring this Specific Plan, SANDAG is in the process of developing the 2025 Regional Plan, the next four-year Regional Plan cycle. Should the ECRSP be adopted, the ECRSP land uses, and transportation systems shall be incorporated into the growth model of the 2025 Regional Plan.

The segment of El Camino Real that is within the SPA is considered a part of the SANDAG Transit Leap Network. As such, Bus Route 309 which runs along El Camino Real has been identified for Local Bus Route Enhanced Frequencies which will improve the frequency to 10-minute increments. The SPA is also considered a part of the SANDAG Flexible Fleet Connections to Transit Leap. The ECRSP considers flexible fleet locations that would be optimal for first- and last-mile transit connections. The ECRSP also promotes improved bicycle and pedestrian safety through the promotion and requirement of bicycle and pedestrian friendly amenities. As such, the ECRSP takes guidance from, and is consistent with, the Regional Plan.

1.7.8 California Coastal Act

The California Coastal Act of 1976 directs each local government lying wholly or partly within the Coastal Zone to prepare a Local Coastal Program (LCP) for those areas located in the State's designated Coastal Zone. A Local Coastal Program guides future development in the City's Coastal Zone based on policies and requirements in the State Coastal Act. The City of Encinitas is partially located within this Zone and has adopted a LCP which the City has incorporated within its General Plan. This General Plan seeks to ensure coastal resources, ranging from public views and access to hillside and sensitive habitats, are enhanced and protected.

The Coastal Zone is located westwards of the El Camino Real right-of-way and south of Encinitas Boulevard, partially overlapping the SPA. As the ECRSP has been prepared to be consistent with the General Plan which incorporates the LCP, this Specific Plan is consistent with the California Coastal Act of 1976.

1.7.9 Local Early Action Planning Grant Program (LEAP)

The LEAP grant program provides funding for cities and counties to update their planning documents and implement process improvements that will facilitate the acceleration of housing production and help local governments prepare and implement plans to ensure compliance with their sixth cycle RHNA.

The ECRSP has been facilitated through the receipt of a LEAP grant and seeks to accomplish the goals of the program.

(Ord. 2024-08, 9/25/2024)

The ECRSP contains eight chapters as follows:

Chapter 1.0 Introduction: Provides a broad overview of the Specific Plan, physical setting, and legislative context.

Chapter 2.0 Community Participation, Goals and Objectives: Provides information on the public participation process and outlines community identified issues, a community vision and goals and objectives which establish the framework for the land use plan, development standards, design guidelines, and implementation mechanisms.

Chapter 3.0 Land Use and Development Regulations: Translates framework goals into allowed uses and associated development standards.

Chapter 4.0 Design Guidelines and Standards: Outlines the requirements of design reviews, appeals, and sets forth objective design standards and discretionary guidelines for the design of appropriate development including architectural characteristics, site planning, parking, lighting, signs, and streetscape.

Chapter 5.0 Mobility: Provides an outline of the proposed mobility network including vehicle, pedestrian, transit, and bicycle facilities, and identifies improvements to these networks.

Chapter 6.0 Community Benefits: Sets out the vision for community revitalization through a Community Benefits Program that provides opportunities and incentives to enhance the SPA with community benefits.

Chapter 7.0 Public Facilities and Infrastructure: Provides a summary of public services including fire protection and police, and the various utilities within the ECRSP.

Chapter 8.0 Implementation: Provides a summary of recommended public improvements and programs with possible implementation tools and financing strategies.

(Ord. 2024-08, 9/25/2024)

The overarching goal of the El Camino Specific Plan (ECRSP) is to expedite permit approvals and create new objective development and design standards for this section of the El Camino Real corridor that is now the El Camino Real Specific Plan Area (SPA).

(Ord. 2024-08, 9/25/2024)

The planning process for the El Camino Real Specific Plan (ECRSP) included a comprehensive public engagement program that was designed to be inclusive, transparent and engage the community in the planning process by offering multiple opportunities for public input and participation. This included a City-sponsored early outreach survey with the community that was made available from May 12, 2021, to June 2, 2021. As described in the following sections, the public engagement program generally consisted of an advisory El Camino Real Specific Plan Task Force, a series of public workshops, and a developer roundtable.

2.2.1 El Camino Real Specific Plan Task Force The El Camino Real Specific Plan Task Force (Task Force) was established by the Encinitas City Council on May 11, 2022 through Resolution No. 2022-45 to be an advisory body to the City Council that shall review and guide the development of the Specific Plan by: 1) review of existing conditions and work completed to date; 2) review and comment on the goals, objectives and policies for the plan; and 3) review and comment on the land use, circulation, and development and design standards. The Task Force was composed of nine members including:

• A City Council member with an alternate;

• The New Encinitas representative of the Planning Commission;

• The New Encinitas representative of the Mobility and Traffic Safety Commission;

• Two owners of property on the El Camino Real Corridor;

• Two residents of New Encinitas;

• A member of the Chamber of Commerce; and

• A non-profit affordable housing developer.

2.2.2 Public Workshop Series The following three community workshops conducted were critical to informing the preparation of the ECRSP:

1. Opportunities, Constraints, and Visioning;

2. Design Alternatives; and

3. Public Review Draft Specific Plan.

Throughout these workshops, community members and stakeholders were offered ample opportunities to learn and provide input on the development of the Specific Plan.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the first two community workshops were designed to allow participation both in-person and virtually to make them more accessible for those who wished to stay home. To facilitate this virtual engagement, the City utilized an interactive project webpage. This virtual tool allowed the Project Team to replicate the in-person activities provided at the community workshops. Activities that utilized this online tool included surveys, questionnaires, and digital mapping exercises.

To further the dissemination of information, a dedicated webpage was established on the City's website. These avenues assisted in keeping stakeholders up to date with the Specific Plan process, provided notification of future workshops, and hosted relevant documentation.

The first phase of public workshops was held in November 2021 and involved a thorough evaluation of the opportunities and constraints. The purpose of this task was to provide context and insight into the community characteristics that influence and define opportunities for change and growth in the SPA. This served as the starting point for identifying possible implementation tools for future programs and projects within the SPA that will be most effective in achieving the vision of the ECRSP. The information from this exercise then served to facilitate discussion between community stakeholders and City staff.

Through analysis of Workshop #1 feedback, and collaboration between City staff and the community, the Project Team developed several Design Alternatives. These alternatives were presented to the community in June 2022 at Workshop #2. Workshop #2 sought to use these alternatives to refine the community's vision for the Specific Plan and to develop a Preferred Design Alternative for the ECRSP. To aid these efforts and seek broader community input into the design alternatives, City staff also conducted four pop-up style events where City staff set up an information table outside locations along El Camino Real and had one-on-one conversations. These events were held at the Leucadia Farmer's Market, Encinitas Village Shopping Center, The Brewer's Tap Room, and Encinitas Ranch Town Center.

In June 2024, Workshop #3 presented the revised SPA boundary, the change in scope given the City Council direction on June 21, 2023, the Draft ECRSP and specific aspects of the streetscape improvements and objective design standards. Community members were given the opportunity to review the document and provide written comments to be considered in the Final Draft Specific Plan and Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND).

2.2.3 Developer Roundtable An in-person developer roundtable was held on December 7, 2021, to solicit feedback from members of the development community to better understand the market and regulatory constraints that exist in Encinitas. A broad cross-section was invited, and participated, from affordable, mixed-use, commercial and infill developers to real estate brokers and landowners. This Roundtable sought to identify existing development constraints and what land use, design and financial mechanisms that could be utilized by the ECRSP to encourage development and revitalization within the SPA. Following the developer discussion, the meeting opened up for public comment. Input from this event was considered in the creation of the design alternatives presented to the community at the second workshop.

(Ord. 2024-08, 9/25/2024)

This section of the ECRSP summarizes the concerns that the community of Encinitas and the Task Force identified throughout the series of community workshops, pop up events, and virtual engagement efforts. Five overarching topics were identified with each topic supplemented with a number of issues to provide greater depth and clarity of the challenges facing the SPA.

2.3.1 Land Use

• Current land use zoning precludes the establishment of residential and mixed-use land uses.

• Parking lots dominate the SPA due to overly conservative and historic parking ratios that do not reflect current transportation trends.

• There is an over-supply of commercial land uses and minimal complementary land use designations.

• Almost exclusively commercial land use within the SPA has resulted in an under-utilized environment and missed social, cultural, and economic opportunities.

• There is a lack of well-connected and high-quality public spaces and publicly accessible outdoor open space.

2.3.2 Affordable Housing

• There is a lack of housing options for all incomes throughout the SPA and citywide.

• Low-income and affordable housing is missing from the SPA resulting in long commutes for workers.

• There is an absence of "missing-middle" housing and workers' accommodation.

2.3.3 Mobility

• The El Camino Real right-of-way within the SPA is a busy and congested roadway that does not function adequately.

• El Camino Real is used by surrounding residential communities to access Interstate 5 south and thus results in relatively high vehicle speeds regardless of the posted speed limits.

• The El Camino Real Corridor is automobile-centric and encourages private vehicles as a primary mode for getting from place to place.

• There are limited multi-modal transportation options and those that exist are not easily accessible or connected to or part of a wider and integrated network.

• Existing pedestrian connections are insufficient for senior citizens and individuals with accessibility needs.

• Excessive amounts of driveways directly onto El Camino Real create additional congestion.

• A perception that residential development is likely to worsen congestion whereas commercial development is shown to generate more vehicle movements.

2.3.4 Community Benefits

• The lack of cultural centers and formal/informal public meeting spaces contribute to the lack of connection between community residents.

• There are no established public markets to bring the community together. Encouraging mixed use along the El Camino Real Corridor will provide opportunities for public markets, and in turn offer more possibilities to bring the community together.

• There is not enough support for established community services such as the Community Center, Solana Center, and the library, which is contributing to the feeling of isolation among the residents and the older population.

• There is a lack of connections to the Encinitas Creek Trail. Design changes and building upgrades will result in better access and make this trail attractive to use.

2.3.5 Resource Management

• Existing infrastructure, utilities, public amenities, and services such as fire and police are designed to service commercial uses and not residential or mixed use.

• There is a lack of established green spaces and open spaces for the natural environment.

• Increasing traffic congestion coupled with local geography and increased development will lead to increased greenhouse gases and poor air quality.

• Development could adversely affect surrounding long established neighborhoods by blocking their views across the El Camino canyon.

• There are limited identified improvements to Encinitas Creek which is a treasured local resource.

(Ord. 2024-08, 9/25/2024)

The following vision has been developed in close collaboration with the Encinitas community to articulate the community's vision for this Specific Plan.

(Ord. 2024-08, 9/25/2024)

The following goals and objectives were formulated based on the problems and issues identified by the various forms of community engagement. Each overarching goal is associated with a number of supporting objectives

2.5.1 Land Use Goals

Land Use (LU)-1: Achieve a revitalized El Camino Real Corridor.

Objective LU-1.1: Facilitate the construction of high-quality horizontal and vertical developments that are attractive and accessible to a range of people.

Objective LU-1.2: Facilitate the establishment of outdoor dining opportunities and common open space through design standards and guidelines.

Objective LU-1.3: Facilitate social gathering uses like entertainment, dining, cultural uses, and weekend activities.

Objective LU-1.4: Allow for accessibility improvements and other enhancements if required.

LU-2: Implement design standards that are objective and consistent with the SPA goals.

Objective LU-2.1: Establish clear objective standards to ensure that future development is consistent with the community's vision.

Objective LU-2.2: Develop and adopt flexible design standards so that developments can respond to site specific constraints.

Objective LU-2.3: Promote the development and creation of a high-quality public realm.

LU-3: Develop a Specific Plan that is consistent with the State and local policy documents.

Objective LU-3.1: Adopt an El Camino Real Specific Plan that is consistent with housing legislation such as Senate Bill (SB) 6 and Assembly Bill (AB) 2011.

Objective LU-3.2: Provide supplemental objective development and design standards for housing and mixed-use projects which the City can apply to projects utilizing SB6 and AB2011 or other relevant legislation.

Objective LU-3.3: Adopt an El Camino Real Specific Plan that is consistent with the overall vision of the General Plan.

2.5.2 Mobility Goals

Mobility (M)-1: Create a safe multi-modal environment.

Objective M-1.1: Minimize the quantity of vehicle crossings directly onto El Camino Real right-of-way.

Objective M-1.2: Consider utilizing AB 43 to investigate lower speed limits along local roads that may be more prone to traffic safety concerns, particularly areas with frequent pedestrian or bicycle traffic.

Objective M-1.3: Establish a wayfinding system for pedestrian crossings and key intersections.

M-2: Reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT).

Objective M-2.1: Encourage a mix of resident serving uses on site to reduce the need for private vehicle trips to other areas in and out of the corridor.

Objective M-2.2: Encourage and promote the use of alternative transportation options to encourage less private vehicle trips. Establish programs such as a micro-transit program, a bus demand responsive transport vehicle for hire allowing public and private agencies to offer rides on-demand that are more flexible than designated fixed routes that utilize an adaptive form of technology connecting riders to the services they need.

Objective M-2.3: Encourage businesses to implement Transportation Demand Management (TDM) strategies and ride share programs. Offer ridesharing services such as van pools and carpooling. Promote bike to work opportunities by offering employees incentives such as flexible work start times.

Objective M-2.4: Encourage and promote the use of public transportation as an alternative to private vehicles.

Objective M-2.5: Include buffered cycleways and sidewalks in streetscape upgrades to reduce reliance on automobiles for transportation around the SPA and create safer multi-modal environments.

M-3: Ensure the El Camino Real Corridor is safe for all users.

Objective M-3.1: Protect and improve pedestrian connections to Encinitas Creek in existing and future developments.

Objective M-3.2: Improve pedestrian connections to surrounding neighborhoods and shopping centers.

Objective M-3.3: Support additional accessibility provisions in new developments.

M-4: Establish efficient parking strategies.

Objective M-4.1: Pursue joint parking strategies for suitable developments in the SPA.

2.5.3 Community Benefit Goals

Community Benefit (CB)-1: Create a connected pedestrian and trail network along El Camino Real.

Objective CB-1.1: Maintain existing pedestrian trails.

Objective CB-1.2: Encourage and facilitate the connection between existing trails and new trails between each other and new developments.

CB-2: Provide plentiful and high-quality public spaces along El Camino Real.

Objective CB-2.1: Require the development of public plazas, parks, and paseos as part of private development.

Objective CB-2.2: Require functional and visually attractive landscaping on new developments.

Objective CB-2.3 Improve the streetscape through new tree plantings that reach a mature height of 20 feet or greater and median plantings.

CB-3: Enhanced and support community facilities.

Objective CB-3.1: Continue support for non-recreational facilities such as the Solana Center and the Sheriff's office.

Objective CB-3.2: Encourage the establishment of additional community facilities, where appropriate.

Objective CB-3.3: Support investment in existing nearby parks such as Leo Mullen Sports Park and new facilities in suitable locations.

CB4: Provide spaces for cultural and youth activities.

Objective CB-4.1: Program and encourage youth activities in public spaces and businesses through development incentives.

Objective CB-4.2: Partner with local organizations such as Encinitas Friends of the Arts and the Boys and Girls Club of San Dieguito to ensure that cultural and youth spaces are viable and have community support. These organizations can provide resources and expertise to help plan and manage these spaces.

2.5.4 Resource Management Goals

Resource Management (RM)-1: Ensure development is environmentally sustainable.

Objective RM-1.1: Incorporate sustainable stormwater management features in new development and public improvements, including but not limited to bio-swales, permeable pavers, rainwater collection systems, and other features to manage stormwater runoff.

Objective RM-1.2: Utilize recycled water for public and private landscaped areas along with other non-potable applications.

Objective RM-1.3: Support the use of renewable energy technologies and sustainable energy sources.

Objective RM-1.4: Encourage the use of green building practices above what is required by City.

RM-2: Promote development that conserves water.

Objective RM-2.1: Encourage new developments to implement low flow devices to conserve potable water.

Objective RM-2.2: Require landscaping plans to incorporate drought resilient plantings, including substantial use of native plants.

RM-3: Improve air quality.

Objective RM-3.1: Improve multi-modal facilities within the SPA that will support modes other than private vehicle passenger trips and decrease greenhouse gas emissions.

Objective RM-3.2: Require development within the El Camino Real Specific Plan area to be consistent with the City of Encinitas Climate Action Plan.

2.5.5 Infrastructure Goals

Infrastructure (IF)-1: Maintain adequate infrastructure capacities.

Objective IF-1.1: Require development proposals to undertake capacity investigations to demonstrate existing water, sanitary sewer, and stormwater network capacity.

Objective IF-1.2: If upgrades to infrastructure are required as a result of a pre-construction study, improvements shall be completed prior to occupation of the development.

IF-2: Ensure new construction provides adequate infrastructure.

Objective IF-2.1: Require new development to coordinate with the appropriate agencies to provide stormwater, wastewater, potable water, telecommunications, electric, and gas services to the proposed site.

Objective IF-2.2: All infrastructure improvements shall occur before roadway, bicycle, and pedestrian improvements to avoid multiple periods of construction, unless agreed otherwise.

Objective IF-2.3: Require projects to provide assessments demonstrating adequate infrastructure.

Objective IF-2.4: Where adequate infrastructure does not exist, require developers to construct adequate infrastructure as part of their development.

(Ord. 2024-08, 9/25/2024)