Projects

For the past 40 years, Northwest Leucadia has been fighting for a safe pedestrian rail crossing.

While a number of safe rail crossings have been built at Swami’s and multiple locations in Cardiff, Northwest Leucadia—and specifically, the two mile stretch between Leucadia Blvd. and La Costa Ave.—remains without a sanctioned crossing that would provide safe pedestrian access to beaches, businesses, and parks. With North County Transit District’s plan to fence off the rail line in Leucadia’s Northwest corridor, a timely and cost effective solution is needed NOW.

Northwest Leucadia’s population is more than triple that of coastal Encinitas and Cardiff. Yet, Northwest Leucadia has - ZERO- safe rail crossings—while coastal Encinitas and Cardiff are home to THREE.

NOWLeucadia is asking for the immediate prioritization of a rail crossing in Northwest Leucadia

This process should begin with an investigation into the cost and feasibility of a crossing, which would then be followed by the funding of a safe pedestrian crossing.

Leucadia’s growing … and quickly.

We’re biased, of course, but we don’t blame anyone for wanting to land in Leucadia. In fact, the growth of businesses along the 101 corridor over the past decade has been nothing but a benefit to those who live here. However, there are a number of recent developments that have seemingly been approved without consideration for their impact on the daily life of Leucadians.

We want to encourage our council members to heartily embrace progress and development, but with a bias towards protecting the livability of our community. Here are the six pending projects we have our eyes on:

1. In Construction: Encinitas Beach Hotel (La Costa Avenue & Highway 101)—Approved for 130-135 rooms, with restaurant(s) and bar(s)

2. In Development: Weston Project (La Costa Avenue, near the Chevron Station)—48 single family homes

3. In Planning: Boutique Hotel (La Costa Avenue, near the Chevron Station)—17 rooms

4. In Planning: Affordable Housing (Jackel Site 07)—94 units

5. In Planning: AD8 Affordable Housing (La Costa Avenue & Vulcan)—68 units

6. Paused: Surfer’s Point (South of La Costa Avenue & Highway 101)—Development permits denied in August 2020

Click here for the link to current information of all of the current projects taking place in Encinitas, including those in Leucadia. Here you’ll see status, dates of meetings, information of each project including number of units and affordable units.

Development in Northwest Leucadia is expected to increase daily car trips by over 20,000 trips per week—yet there are nearly no infrastructure changes currently slated to mitigate this traffic.

Per estimates by the San Diego Association of Government (SANDAG), the six projects above will result in a drastic increase in traffic along the La Costa and Northwest Leucadia corridor. Currently, the traffic impacts of development in Encinitas are vetted only on an individual project basis—rather than as a cumulative total—which has resulted in plans that largely ignore the overall effect of these traffic increases expected in Leucadia.

Except for the addition of a middle turn lane on La Costa Avenue for the Weston Project, there are no infrastructure changes planned to manage the traffic that each of the six projects above will bring to our community. At minimum, the projects will contribute an additional 3229 trips per day, or 22,609 trips per week:

1. Encinitas Beach Hotel (130 Rooms * 10 trips / day / room)—1300 trips per day, or 9100 trips per week

2. Weston Project (48 Homes * 10 trips / day / unit)—480 trips per day, or 3360 trips per week

3. Boutique Hotel (17 Rooms * 9 trips / day / room)—153 trips per day, or 1071 trips per week

4. Affordable Housing (94 Units * 8 trips / day / unit)—752 trips per day, or 5264 trips per week

5. AD8 Affordable Housing (68 Units * 8 trips / day / unit)—544 trips per day, or 3808 trips per week

6. Surfer’s Point—TBD pending development plans and approval

We are calling for the immediate review of estimated traffic resulting from development on a cumulative basis, with the expectation that traffic mitigation measures will follow.