Now I may be the only person in this entire city to believe this (and after this I may be the city’s most hated person), but the “new” Carlsbad sign is the most unnecessary and overrated thing to be established in this great city.

Let’s start the source of all evil: the money. When guessing about how much the sign would cost, values ranging from $30,000 to $50,000 seemed reasonable. However, thanks to the funding from the Taylormade Golf Company, the handsome bill for this project cost a pretty penny that totaled to $225,000 for supplies, design and installation. In order to keep this big hunk of metal looking presentable, the City of Carlsbad has called upon the citizens to donate in a kindness meter for maintenance and keeping the sign at 25 cents an hour. 25 cents an hour may not seem like a lot but think this bad boy is going all night for 365 days a year. The costs will add up and people will soon lose this feeling to donate to a kindness meter after the hype dies out. Eventually this sign will turn from being a symbol of pride for Carlsbad to a burden to maintain.  .

One of the purposes of the sign was to allow our beloved tourists to know where they are, just in case being in Carlsbad’s most iconic part of town isn’t a big enough hint. As a practical use, the sign is basically useless. Coming from the Encinitas and other southern cities you’ll already have been in Carlsbad for miles passing landmarks such as the flower fields, Legoland and the power plant. On the other hand coming from Oceanside the Buena Vista Lagoon not only serves has a geographical border but there is a street sign that says “Welcome to Carlsbad” obvious for any aware driver to notice. Instead of a feeling of welcome this sign can feel more like a distraction for drivers and a reason for  pedestrians to stop in the middle of the intersection to snap a couple selfies.

Another reason for the sign was to create a sense of pride for the people of Carlsbad.  As a resident of Carlsbad for 13 years, I have seen my fair share of what this city has to offer and I’ll be first to say, we live in a great place.

For starters, we are the envy of the country. When most Americans wake up to freezing temperatures, we are at the beach getting a tan.  Our beaches are pristine, schools are excellent and great burritos flow through the lands like ocean waves.  With or without a sign, we will continue to do what makes people come far and wide for, simply being ourselves.

Whether you wanted the sign or didn’t, it’s here to stay so when you’re waiting in traffic for some of our beloved tourists to finish a photo shoot in the middle of Carlsbad Village Drive and Carlsbad Boulevard remember this is just the beginning. Before we know it Carlsbad could lose its small town feel in exchange for conforming to what other cities are doing. Do we want to be Encinitas or Oceanside? Of course not. But if we begin to copy what are neighbors are doing, Carlsbad will lose its unique touch that we have come to know and love.