gaviota coast plan (GCP)

Gaviota Coast. Photo by Erin Feinblatt Photography.

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Gaviota Coast Plan
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Santa Barbara County is actively underway with a public planning process to prepare a Gaviota Coast Plan (GCP) for the Gaviota Coast, located between the City of Goleta and Vandenberg Air Force Base, from the ocean to the ridgeline of the Santa Ynez Mountains. The GCP process represents a pivotal step in accomplishing the long-term preservation goals for the Gaviota Coast since it will create the first Gaviota-focused Local Coastal Plan and General Plan policy framework for this part of our County.  EDC’s OPEN program seeks to facilitate a collaborative public process for the GCP by reaching out to various constituents to educate and encourage them to participate in this very important planning process. 

OPEN’s objective is to prepare site-specific analyses and provide planning expertise to the Gaviota Planning Advisory Committee (GavPAC) and the public. Our OPEN Program Director, Christina McGinnis, has been providing policy and planning support for this process. Prior efforts to protect the Gaviota Coast (e.g., Common Ground, the Study Group, and the National Parks Service Feasibility Study for the Gaviota National Seashore) recommended local, long-term policy changes to address threats to the Gaviota Coast. These efforts provided a framework for the types of policies that could be included in a General Plan update, but did not include specific zoning or policy recommendations to be included in a General Plan update. EDC’s goal is to support a successful GCP process by garnering community interest and understanding regarding the delicate balance of land use challenges facing the Gaviota Coast area. OPEN continues to facilitate that need through outreach, education and information.

EDC’s Ms. McGinnis is one of 11 appointed GavPAC members who serve in an advisory capacity for the Plan.  This committee has been meeting since November 2009 to develop a policy framework that the County is now using to prepare the draft GCP, which will be unveiled to the public in early 2012.  Public input will be a critical component of the Plan’s success.  For more information and to join the County mailing list for the Plan, please see the County’s website or contact Christina McGinnis.