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Commission schedules more public review as Recreation Master Plan and incentive program draw broad input
Summary
After a long workshop presenting the Recreation Master Plan and a proposed Recreation Benefit Program to leverage private development for public recreation, commissioners asked staff to gather more input from advisory groups and the public and continued the item to Jan. 14, 2026.
Santa Barbara County planning staff and Parks briefed the Planning Commission on Dec. 3 on the draft Recreation Master Plan (RMP) and proposed implementing zoning changes, including a new Recreation Benefit Project (RBP) program intended to encourage private partners to build public recreation in exchange for limited incentives.
Parks and planning staff outlined levels-of-service metrics, an interactive county trails map, public outreach (more than 8,000 survey responses and dozens of events) and a set of four goals and 32 proposed policies to guide implementation. The RBP concept would allow eligible private projects to offer a substantial in-kind public recreation contribution—such as a trail dedication, park, or sports field—and receive incentives including simplified permitting (a single land-use permit), access to additional allowable uses (for example, a trailside cafe or country inn under limits), modifications of development standards, or credits against parks development-impact fees.
Presenters emphasized eligibility criteria: the public recreation component must meet a need identified in the RMP, be a substantial in-kind contribution with permanent public access and an operations/maintenance plan, and be located either on-site with the private project or within the same recreation planning area. Staff noted the RBP would not automatically apply countywide; projects would need screening and joint review by Parks and Planning.
Advisory bodies and stakeholders filled the public record. Members of the County Riding and Hiking Trail Advisory Committee (CRAYTAC), Trails Council, agriculture and grower-shippers, equestrian organizations and neighborhood representatives raised a mix of support and concerns: the county's trail inventory and goals were broadly welcomed, but commenters urged stronger protections for equestrians, clearer limits on rural/agricultural impacts, more time to review the draft RBP ordinance language and specifics (for example, how "substantial" in-kind contributions will be measured), and clarified appeals and oversight procedures.
Otis Califf, chair of CRAYTAC, and others asked for focused workshops with advisory bodies and more time to refine draft ordinance language. Grower-shipper and farm representatives asked for clear protections for working agricultural lands and cautioned against permissive overlays that might expand uses in small agricultural parcels. Equestrian speakers requested distinct trails for horses (not multi-use combinations with bikes where safety concerns exist).
After public testimony, commissioners said the draft plan and ordinance raised important questions that require further collaboration with advisory committees and the public. Commissioner Park moved to continue the workshop to Jan. 14, 2026 so staff could collect comments and technical input and present a refined draft; the motion passed 4-0. Staff will compile comments from CRAYTAC, the Parks Commission, Trails Council and other groups; refine the RBP eligibility criteria and ordinance text; and return to the commission in January ahead of programmatic environmental review in 2026.
The county indicated it expects to release a public draft environmental review document in 2026 as the RMP and ordinances are refined.
