CARLSBAD, CA—On Tuesday evening, the Agua Hedionda 85/15 Specific Plan received unanimous approval by the Carlsbad City Council after six hours of presentations, public comment and deliberation.

This means that the plan, which GlobeSt reported on in June, is one step closer to full approval, and its related retail development, an open-air retail, dining and entertainment promenade at the intersection of I-5 and Cannon Road, is one step away from being implemented.

“I am honored by the trust that mayor Hall, the city council, and the community have placed in the Agua Hedionda 85/15 Plan, and by the overwhelmingly positive response it has received,” said Rick Caruso, founder and CEO of Caruso Affiliated, the firm that seeks to preserve a bit of Carlsbad wetland and character while allowing for the development of a Nordstrom-anchored retail project. “We have spent more than three years getting to know the character of Carlsbad, and the people who love and cherish their community. In hundreds of community meetings with thousands of residents, we have developed a plan that seamlessly fits with the fabric of Carlsbad.”