Carlsbad

Angered by their treatment at the hands of the Carlsbad City Council, a group of residents in the tony La Costa neighborhood announced plans Monday to launch a drive to secede from the city.

The group of 10 residents said they are incorporating as the La Costa Town Council and plan to begin a membership drive in the coming weeks.

After that, the group will start collecting the 2,500 signatures of registered voters in the La Costa area needed to put the matter on the ballot. In addition, they plan to fund a study to determine the economic feasibility of the area’s incorporating as a city.

“We haven’t had a very cordial relationship with the City of Carlsbad,” said O.B. Adams, a vice chairman of the group. “We feel we have to do something now. Home rule would be better.”

Adams said the secession drive has been started in part because of concerns by La Costa residents about the burgeoning rate of development in the area. More than 21,000 new homes are planned for the area during the coming years, he said.

Moreover, Adams said many homeowners have been angered by what they consider an indifferent attitude on the part of the council regarding local issues such as the decision to allow trash trucks to pass through the neighborhood on the way to the county dump.