Oceanside Boulevard task force
The Oceanside Boulevard Task Force, created by the Oceanside City Council, will have its first meeting on April 18, 2007 in the community rooms of the Oceanside Civic Center. The 15-member task force will engage in a six-month visioning/planning process for the 2-3 miles of Oceanside Blvd from I-5 to El Camino Real.
Currently, the area has been described as an “eyesore” with a mixture of strip malls, gas stations, auto repair shops, storage units, cement plant, recycling operation, and industrial storage lots. As an entry way into the heart of the city, Oceanside Blvd needs to be improved and updated.
There are at least three good reasons why Oceanside should focus on upgrading the Oceanside Blvd corridor. It is the route to El Corazon, publicly owned land, soon to be developed with hotel/retail and parkland facilities and other amenities. Certainly, the possibility of the San Diego Chargers relocating to Oceanside means that Oceanside Blvd could become the access route to the stadium. Another significant reason is that the Sprinter will begin operations in late 2007 with tracks running parallel to Oceanside Blvd.
The Sprinter is an important part of the task force consideration as it is one of the major elements of this transportation corridor. The Sprinter connects to the Oceanside Transportation Center, which ranks 11th busiest Amtrak station in the state of California. As my expertise relates to transportation planning and operations, I plan to address the transportation overlay in the Oceanside Blvd area. What minimum components should Sprinter stations have?
In order for the task force to make recommendations for the beautification of Oceanside Blvd, it will need to identify and prioritize uses, how these uses will be organized, and what standards will drive implementation. For example, what kinds of commercial, residential, recreational, industrial, transportation, educational, etc., functions are desirable? Are mixed-use strategies appropriate? What landscape patterns are economical? How can safety needs by addressed? What quality-of-life considerations are important? The vision/plan for the Oceanside Blvd area will be the culmination of all these questions and more.
As an advocate of open government with the strong voice of the citizens of Oceanside, the recommendations of the Oceanside Blvd Task Force to the Oceanside City Council this fall must include adequate input from you. Accordingly, I want to hear your suggestions about how Oceanside Blvd can represent our city in the best possible way. Send them to me at llchad@cox.net. All your ideas will be addressed.
Lawson Chadwick, Former Chair, Oceanside Police and Fire Commission and Retired Railroad Corporate Officer
5059 Nighthawk Way
Oceanside, CA 92056
760-945-5365
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April 8th, 2007 at 7:25 pm
Good!
April 9th, 2007 at 2:31 pm
Just what effect will this task force really have? How will the businesses in this stretch be affected by your recommendations and will they have a say in the final decisions? I guess I’m not really clear on the scope of your group. Is it purely a fact-finding committee or will it actually wield some clout and have a budget or…