Bluffs Watch – Citizens for the Carpinteria Bluffs

Latest Updates

Bluffs Luxury Housing Development Environmental Review

Public Scoping June 11 – July 10

SAVE THE DATE: On Tuesday, June 30, at 5:30 p.m., the City of Carpinteria will hold a public scoping hearing at City Hall to collect your thoughts on environmental impacts that this proposal will impose on the bluffs

An Environmental Impact Report will soon be drafted to analyze the impacts of developing 191 Luxury Homes on the Carpinteria Bluffs. The project is moving through the standard review process. Your input can shape the study areas of the EIR, so they’re specific to this unique, environmentally sensitive coastal open space.

What Can You Do?

Email public comments to PublicComment@carpinteriaca.gov.

These comments will help shape the Environmental Impact Report and make it specific to this uniquely important and sensitive property. Provide comments highlighting your personal experience and how 191 homes might impact views, animals, traffic, railroad safety.

EIR Standard Review Categories

Aesthetics, Air Quality, and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Biological, Cultural, and Geological Resources
Hazards, Hazardous Materials, and Hydrology/Water Quality
Noise, Traffic/Transportation, and Public Services/Utilities

What's in the Project?

97 Standalone Homes – 5 bedroom, 3,500 square feet

94 Townhomes as triplexes – 3-4 bedroom, 1,800 square feet

2-car garages for every unit and parking for 683 cars

500,000 square feet of new buildings (about 9 football fields)

Carpinterians have worked for decades to preserve the Bluffs. This development proposal exploits our successes by using a nature preserve and harbor seal rookery as amenities to be sold to the highest bidder.

The Developer has made many statements about this project

“It creates open space.”

How do new buildings create open space?

“It makes housing more affordable.”

How do $5-10 million homes create affordability?

“This is the right location for housing.”

Why does it use builder’s remedy to bypass local rules?

What We Are Doing

We will continue to work with environmental nonprofit, land-preservation and law groups to establish a strategy for defending this sacred, open, undeveloped land from the threat of a sprawling, luxury coastal development.

Our ultimate goal is to raise funds to acquire this property for permanent preservation.

Citizens for the Carpinteria Bluffs

A massive luxury housing development has been proposed for the Carpinteria Bluffs

Once buildings are built, open space is lost forever