RV camping at Lake Cachuma may be more expensive, but visitors soon may be able to take a dip.
On Tuesday, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted to approve rate increases for upgraded RV hookup sites at the Cachuma Lake Recreational Area.
The board also decided to form an ad hoc committee to look into allowing swimmers in the lake.
Supervisor Steve Lavagnino raised the question of why visitors are not allowed to swim in Lake Cachuma and said he has never received a good answer. He acknowledged that the county does not own the lake but asked if there was a way to change the rules on swimming.
“We’ve got this great RV setup, and then your kids want to go do something. There’s a great lake sitting there; you see boats going by, and we can’t get in the water. It kind of baffles me,” Lavagnino said.
Supervisor Joan Hartmann also expressed support for the plan and proposed forming an ad hoc committee that could explore how to move the process forward.
RV Camping Fee Increase
The cost for one of the upgraded RV hookup sites in the off-season will increase from $50 to $85. The cost to use a spot during the peak season will increase from $55 a night to $95.
The new RV sites will have new concrete pads, updated water and sewage lines, and improved electrical hookups for modern vehicles. The old electrical hookups were designed for 30 amps, but modern RVs use 50 amps.
Other changes include renovations to the bathrooms, landscaping around the area and Wi-Fi for visitors.
During a presentation by the Community Services Department, Supervisor Bob Nelson asked whether the department had looked into establishing lower rates for Santa Barbara County residents.
“Something that doesn’t sit right well with all of us (…) residents is that we’re paying for this infrastructure. We’re paying for this debt. You know, it’s a county park, and then people from LA pay the same amount for the same space as we do,” Nelson said.
Sherman Hanen, the Community Services business manager, said the department has discussed the issue in the past but did not move forward with the idea. One of the issues he raised was the difficulty of confirming the identities of county residents.
He said the main concern was that locals could sign up for an RV slot for family and friends who are visiting from other counties.
Nelson pushed back against that by saying the county already has a system in place to confirm identities and addresses for parking permits.
“There’s abuse everywhere. This doesn’t mean it’s not the right thing to do,” Nelson said.
Supervisors asked staff to look into lower prices for county residents.
The new RV hookup site prices are expected to bring in an additional $570,000 in revenue for the park per year, staff said. The additional revenue will be used to pay for employee salaries and maintenance for the new equipment.
According to Hanen, the proposed prices were developed by comparing the RV improvements to other campsites in the area. He added that the new prices will bring the Lake Cachuma sites in line with the current market.
Construction on the campsites was supposed to be finished last year, but rainy weather delayed the project.
Hanen said the county hopes to be finished by the end of May or the first part of June. However, there is some uncertainty since the Pacific Gas & Electric Co. has not confirmed when it can turn power on to the renovated sites.
