3 Comments

1. 

   Jim the Realtor on December 21, 2019 at 8:35 am

   A proposal to save Carlsbad’s 400-foot-tall coastal smokestack found little support Monday when presented to the city’s Historical Preservation Commission.
   “It’s interesting that people want to save something that we have been fighting for years to remove,” said Commissioner Laurie Boone. “We are going to work with (the power company) NRG to build something beautiful and new there.”

   San Diego Gas & Electric Co. built the smokestack in 1976 to replace four smaller chimneys as part of an expansion of the Encina power plant, build in the 1950s. The tall tower can be seen from more than 20 miles away and has become a Carlsbad landmark.

   “The smokestack, the chimney, is an historic item here in Carlsbad,” said Jim Strickland, a leading proponent of the idea. “Really, what I’d like to see is a temporary stay of execution for the chimney.”

   More time would give people a chance to brainstorm ideas for the preservation. He was disappointed that the commission decided not to pursue the idea, he said after the meeting, and was unsure what his next move might be.

   A handful of other residents at the commission meeting supported Strickland’s idea. Some have suggested the concrete column could be part of a park, a memorial or an outdoor amphitheater.

   “Paris has the Eiffel Tower, London has Big Ben, Seattle has the Space Needle, and Carlsbad has the Encina power plant,” said Lela Panagides, a Carlsbad resident running for the City Council. “All are visible symbols of their cities.”

   But not everyone feels that way. Longtime resident Glenn Bernard, a retired Marine, called the suggestion “looneyville, nuts.”

   “I can’t figure out how a smokestack makes you feel connected to the beach,” Bernard said.

   NRG built a more efficient plant at the rear of the Carlsbad Boulevard property, just north of Cannon Road, that replaced the old plant last year. Under an agreement with the city and SDG&E, the utility company has until mid-December to begin demolition of the old plant and up to two years to complete it.

   Some residents have argued that the smokestack should be saved, perhaps as part of a park, because of its unique appearance on the Southern California coast and as a representation of the power plant’s significant contributions to Carlsbad.

   The plant helped provide a solid economic base and tax revenue for the city’s formation in 1954. Also, the utility company dredged the adjacent Agua Hedionda Lagoon every year or two to keep it wide and deep enough to supply water for the plant’s cooling system. As a result, the lagoon is the only one in the county used for aquaculture, boating and other commercial and recreational purposes.

   Some commission members were sympathetic to the preservation idea, noting that the power plant is historically significant. Pilots and sailors use it as a navigational aid, and for many residents it’s a sign of home.

   “I look for it, and I would miss it if it were gone,” said Commissioner Anne Estes.

   But the property is owned by NRG and the utility opposes any historical designation. NRG has stated that the company has a contractual obligation to demolish the stack.

   As a result, the five-member commission voted unanimously to take no action on the proposal.

2. 

   Rob_Dawg on December 26, 2019 at 2:32 pm

   Whack the Stack!

3. 

   Jim the Realtor on December 26, 2019 at 2:45 pm

   Yes please. Those with stack-envy can focus your energy on the four 90-ft stacks they built to replace the big boy.