A pivotal decision over the future of a prime beachfront plot of land could be made by the California Coastal Commission in Oceanside on Thursday.
The commission will decide whether Carlsbad can update a plot of land that currently sits empty for residential uses. That would clear the way for San Diego-based developer H.G. Fenton Co., which bought the land in 2022, to build 120 townhomes.
Some Carlsbad residents have been fighting for nearly a decade to make that land a beachfront park. They say that was the original intent for the land, which is in zoning limbo.
The Carlsbad City Council approved a change to residential in 2021, but it needs Coastal Commission approval. Such backing Thursday won’t mean automatic approval for the townhome project, which would require a vote of the City Council to be finalized.
The meeting starts at 9 a.m. at the Oceanside Civic Center, 300 North Coast Highway, in Oceanside.