Santa Barbara is considering turning 127 waterfront parking spaces into an overnight recreational vehicle parking area as part of ongoing budget strategies.
In an effort to generate more revenue for the Waterfront Department, the city would transform the eastern portion of the parking lot at 236 E. Cabrillo Blvd., next to Chase Palm Park, into 16 to 26 overnight RV stalls.
The Santa Barbara Harbor Commission voted 6-1 last week to support the project, with Commissioner Spenser Jaimes voting against it.
While Jaimes didn’t provide a specific reason, he did raise concerns earlier in the hearing about investing in waterfront parking lots when significant erosion is expected in years to come.
Commissioner Suzanne Cohen also had concerns, despite voting to support the project. She was concerned about the loss of parking spaces and whether the project would actually bring in revenue the city needs.
“I guess I just feel like the city is really looking for revenue,” Cohen said. “I don’t know if it solves the immediate problem they were trying to solve.”
Niko Lopez with the Waterfront Department said the revenue would stay in the Waterfront Department and alleviate the need for the city to loan money to that division.
The proposal comes as the city searches for new ways to bring in revenue and cut spending.
The Santa Barbara City Council already has approved increasing cannabis tax rates and is considering a property transfer tax increase for the November ballot.
City staff propose restriping the beachfront parking lot to accommodate between 16 and 26 RVs. The lot will offer no amenities besides the space itself. There would be no access to water, electricity or sewer hookups.
The parking lot currently brings in $696,000 in revenue each year. The eastern portion, which would be converted to RV parking, brings in approximately $348,000 a year, according to the city.
The city hopes for the RV lot to bring in as much, if not more, in revenue, but that would depend on how many spots are allocated and how often they are used.
In the current zoning regulations, overnight RV parking isn’t allowed in that lot, so the city would have to explore municipal code changes or other workarounds, according to Lopez.
“This parking lot was chosen for its location,” Lopez said. “It’s far enough from some of the residential areas in the city but also close enough to the wharf and some of the other businesses on Cabrillo (Boulevard).”
During public comment at the Harbor Commission, Harrison Hale expressed concern that the loss of parking would worsen parking conditions by the harbor, adding that he already has a hard time finding parking on weekends and holidays.
“With the loss of that parking, I think it might create a parking mess and some ripple effects in the community, in that neighborhood down there, and even by the harbor lot or East Beach that would be unfortunate,” Hale said.
Before moving forward, the Waterfront Department would have to get a conditional use permit from the city, get approval from the City Council and get a coastal development permit from the California Coastal Commission.
