This is a critical week for the Rincon Trail project, which will alter the coastline forever. There are two planning meetings with deadlines for public comment. Please voice your concerns now by emailing the contacts listed below by tomorrow evening, Monday January 17th.
Update:
The City of Carpinteria is attempting to move forward with a design that will ruin a treasured 40 year paragliding and hang gliding site, and the only coastal soaring site in the City. The project is 20 months behind schedule and has ballooned to a cost of $16M for 0.2mi of path. It will remove 312M lbs of soil in 5,000 truckloads, leveling the iconic ridge at Bates. The anticipated 100,000 trail users will be dumped into the already overcrowded Rincon Parking Lot with no plans for traffic management. Thus far, they have ignored our public comments, expert testimony, and this petition. We need you to send emails to show them how many of us care about preserving this special place. We are asking for the Rincon Trail to be built on the North side of the Bluffs, along the highway, so the ridge will remain and the bikers can bypass the dangerous parking lot.
Please email these contacts now:
PublicComment@ci.carpinteria.ca.us
info@sbcag.org
meagan.harmon@coastal.ca.gov
Please consider these taking points:
Tell a story about why Bates ridge matters to you, whether it's the view, the flying, or the history of the place, and how it has supported all types of recreational users for decades until now.
I want a bike path, but one that is built on the North side of the bluffs because it is safer and more direct for cyclists. The current design dumps bikers into a crowded and steep parking lot.
I want a bike path that is better for the environment. The current design excavates and hauls away 312 million lbs of soil, which is upward of 5,000 truckloads. Forever altering the coastline.
I want a bike path that is less expensive. The current project is estimated to cost $16 million for 0.2 miles of path, that’s $16,000 per foot! It will drain capital resources for the future.
I signed a petition with 2,800 signatures because I want to see the south side of the ridge preserved for the historic flying that happens there, which has existed for over 40 years.
Flying at Bates is protected recreation under the California Environmental Quality Act and has not been properly addressed in the EIR, there will likely be more project delays because of this.
The project planners haven’t been listening to community groups and have tried to skip steps. The flying community for example has 1,000 local members who want to see a better design.
The Environmental Impact Report presents Alternative 4, which will build on the North side of the bluffs. This design will be easier to design, cost less, be safer for bikers, and better for pilots.
The planners have used up their time and money, causing the project to risk losing its grant. We should not be forced to rush now because of their unfeasible design and slow progress. If the project needs to reapply for an ATP grant, it is the fault of the planners, not community groups.
Please also attend these meetings to make comments in person.
Planning Commission Meeting:
Tuesday, January 18, 2022 at 5:30 p.m.
City of Carpinteria, Council Chamber
5775 Carpinteria Avenue
SBCAG Zoom Meeting to decide funding:
Thursday, January 20, 10am Agenda item 7: Highway 101 Reserve Funding - Rincon Trail
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Thank you,
Jeff Longcor