Carpinteria Group Aims to Save Parking Lot from Development
Committee Hopes Rezoning Will Prevent Proposed Surfliner Inn Project
The Committee to Save Our Downtown & Beach Parking Lot announced that Carpinteria’s Acting City Clerk, Brian Barrett, issued a “Certificate of Sufficiency” on December 20 regarding the committee’s initiative to save Parking Lot 3 — the proposed location for the Surfliner Inn.
The initiative technically seeks to “change and/or readopt” the city’s general plan and zoning designation, as well as “amend the definition” of the open space and recreational land-use category of the general plan, which could have severe implications to future city-wide projects, according to city staff.
The certification will be presented to the Carpinteria City Council at its regular meeting on January 10, 2022. If successful, the initiative will selectively downzone this parking lot parcel from its current “general commercial” zoning to “open space/recreation.” Though the Surfliner Inn has moved forward in the early steps of the city process, several locals have spoken during public comment, hoping to preserve the existing lot, which has public restrooms and a portion of a community garden.
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