Commission approves forwarding $5 daily / $85 annual parking-fee proposal for Los Flores Ranch Park

The Santa Maria Parks & Recreation Commission voted to forward a proposed parking-fee program for Los Flores Ranch Park to the City Council after staff recommended expanding the park's hours and installing a mechanized gate.

During the April meeting, staff said the proposal would open the ranch from sunrise to sunset seven days a week and rely on an automated gate that allows visitors to exit after closing. To offset operations and manage increased access, staff proposed either a $5 daily parking fee or an $85 annual permit available through the recreation and parks office or online. Staff said the program could launch in July, at the start of the new fiscal year, with details about the payment and permit systems to be finalized.

Commissioners opened a public hearing for the proposal and received no public testimony. With no speakers, the commission closed the hearing and conducted a roll-call recommendation to forward the item to council. The clerk recorded the votes as yes from Commissioner Jose Ramirez, Commissioner Lopez, Commissioner Cynthia Godino and Chair Kerry. The commission's recommendation will appear on the City Council agenda as a consent item for final approval in early June.

Staff emphasized that the visitor center will not be staffed for the entire expanded schedule; programming staff will be redeployed to expand outreach and bring activities to residents who cannot travel to the ranch. Staff also noted plans for occasional free parking days, potentially supported by Play Inc., to reduce access barriers for low-income users.

Next steps: the commission will hold a second hearing on the proposal before forwarding a final recommendation to council; staff expects the council consideration to be scheduled as a consent item on June 2 (with final approval on June 5).