The courtyard at the Carlsbad City Library on Dove Lane will be named in honor of former Carlsbad City Council Member Ann Kulchin, the Carlsbad City Council decided Tuesday.
Kulchin, who served on the City Council for 32 years – from 1980 to 2012 – was a driving force behind the creation of the library, which opened in1999. A former teacher, she was passionate about expanding library services and promoting the library as a hub for community gatherings, education and entertainment in south Carlsbad.
In her years on the council, Kulchin was also a leader in developing the city’s first growth management plan and the Carlsbad seawall, just a few of her many accomplishments. Still, she counts the library as her favorite project.
“Ann’s involvement in the planning and building of the library was truly a labor of love,” Mayor Matt Hall said at Tuesday’s council meeting. “Thanks to her vision and hard work, Dove Library is truly a cultural center for our city.”
Kulchin, who will celebrate her 90th birthday this month, attended Tuesday’s meeting and spoke briefly about the joy she found in serving the Carlsbad community. “You were my family for 32-and-a-half years, and I loved every minute of it,” she said. “Thank you for this honor.”
Kulchin’s family approached the city earlier this year with the naming proposal. A city policy allows naming city facilities after individuals who have made a significant contribution to the City of Carlsbad by enhancing the quality of life and well-being of the city and the people who live here.
The Library Board of Trustees voted to recommend the courtyard naming at its May meeting.
A sign will be installed in the courtyard in the coming months designating it as the Ann Kulchin Courtyard. The cost for the sign will be nominal and will be covered by the existing Library and Cultural Arts Department budget.
Kulchin moved to Carlsbad in 1978 with her husband, Dave, and their children. A longtime community volunteer and former Carlsbad Citizen of the Year, Dave Kulchin passed away in 2020 at the age of 91.
Staff contact
Suzanne Smithson, Library & Cultural Arts Director
suzanne.smithson@carlsbadca.gov,
442-339-2010
