Planning Commission finds draft five‑year CIP consistent with general plan

The Santa Barbara Planning Commission on Feb. 13 voted to find the projects added to the draft five‑year Capital Improvement Program (CIP) for fiscal years 2026–2030 consistent with the city’s general plan.

The finding allows staff to carry the CIP forward in its two‑year budget cycle toward Finance Committee review and City Council consideration in March. Brian D’Amour, the city engineer who is serving as acting public works director, told commissioners the draft emphasizes projects that can reasonably begin activity within the five‑year horizon.

“I made a conscious effort with this iteration of the CIP to not add more projects than we thought could reasonably begin to have some activity on them within this 5‑year horizon,” D’Amour said during the presentation.

Why it matters: the CIP organizes capital investments across city assets—streets, water, waterfront, airport, parks, libraries, police and fire—and is used to prioritize projects, pursue grants and shape the two‑year budget. Staff described the current draft as smaller and more realistic than prior iterations and said they will continue to refine funding once the budget process narrows available resources.

Key facts and figures - Staff reported 32 newly added projects in the draft and said the total number of projects in the document is 296. The…