Santa Barbara launches update to open-space plan to address equity and climate resilience

Rosie Dicey, a project planner with the City of Santa Barbara Community Development Department, told the Sustainability and Resilience Committee that long‑range planning has begun an update to the city's open space supplement and map.

"I just wanted to come and announce to this committee that long range planning is starting an update to our open space supplement," Dicey said. She said the update responds to a state law passed about two years ago that requires cities and counties to revise open space elements to address equitable access, climate resilience and restoration opportunities.

Dicey said the city's open space element dates to 1979 and is currently combined with parks and recreation in one element. She said the effort will start with an inventory and an updated map of current open spaces, followed by goals and policy proposals. Outreach has begun, she said, including a project webpage and an Earth Day presence where staff will show a map of existing open spaces.

Committee members asked whether downtown areas and the Presidio would be considered within the open space inventory. Dicey said the city's current map already lists lands owned by the state, including the Presidio, as open space and that downtown features could be incorporated where appropriate. Committee members also pressed to link the update to the city's carbon‑reduction and sequestration goals.

Dicey told the committee the open space supplement update is expected to be completed this year and that a separate safety element update will run in parallel after the city's housing element work. She said she expects to return to the committee with a draft for review.

Next steps: long‑range planning will complete the inventory and draft policies, continue outreach (including Earth Day), and return to the committee with a draft for feedback and possible referral to additional hearings.