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City outlines 30‑year waterfront adaptation plan, previews $5M+ in coastal grants
Summary
Sustainability staff presented a 30‑year Waterfront Adaptation Plan for the Santa Barbara waterfront (Ledbetter to Clark Estate), funded in part by over $5 million in grants from the Coastal Conservancy and California Coastal Commission, and scheduled for public outreach early next year.
Santa Barbara — City sustainability staff on Wednesday laid out a multi‑year plan to adapt the downtown waterfront to rising seas, storm surge and erosion and previewed more than $5 million in grant funding to move technical work and early-stage projects forward.
Timmy Bolton, senior climate adaptation analyst, told the Parks and Recreation Commission the 30‑year Waterfront Adaptation Plan covers the shoreline from Ledbetter to the Clark Estate and aims to preserve recreation, commerce and beach access while preparing for increased coastal hazards. "Our vision is to develop a practical plan that prepares the Santa Barbara Waterfront for increased storm surges, erosion, and flooding by providing solutions that preserve and enhance recreation, commerce, beach access, habitat and critical infrastructure," Bolton said.
Melissa Hetrick, adaptation and resilience manager, described the program’s funding and work program. Since the city’s 2021 sea level rise plan, she said, staff secured "over $5,000,000 in grant funding from the Coastal Conservancy and the California Coastal Commission" to support five major projects, technical modeling, and outreach. The project scope will include technical modeling of stormwater, sediment and assets, conceptual construction drawings for targeted measures (including harbor-area improvements and separated bike/pedestrian paths), and bilingual public engagement.
Staff said they are working with a consultant team led by Stantec and supported by Bionic, ESA, CRC and Summit Environmental. Timeline highlights: the team expects a second round of community engagement in February–March next year, a public review draft in fall 2026, and council consideration in 2027 if the project follows the current schedule.
Bolton and Hetrick stressed the need to weigh trade-offs between 'green' (dune restoration, habitat) and 'gray' (seawalls) solutions. "Seawalls do provide forms of resilience, but they can accelerate beach loss in front of them," Bolton said, explaining that large hard structures have significant trade-offs for sandy-beach retention.
Commissioners asked about scenario ranges, technical assumptions and implementation pace. Hetrick explained the city is focusing on near- and mid-term sea-level scenarios (staff said the planning horizon covers up to 2.5 feet of sea-level rise over the plan timeframe) and will recommend threshold‑based actions tied to monitored sea‑level and beach-width metrics.
Commissioner Price asked where residents can follow the process; Bolton said staff will improve the project website and maintain an email list for updates. Staff requested the commission assist by promoting outreach through commissioners’ networks.
Next steps: staff will refine internal options, produce community exhibits for a February outreach campaign, and return to the commission with design concepts and opportunities for public feedback. The public review draft is expected next fall with council consideration anticipated in 2027.
