Plans Afoot for Franceschi Park on Santa Barbara’s Riviera

Parks and Recreation Asking for Community Comments

Over a century old, the park around Dr. Francesco Franceschi's house on the Riviera will be revamped, with the public asked to send comments to a survey before February 29. | Credit: Courtesy

Franceschi Park users got their first glimpse of the improvements proposed for Franceschi House at a community workshop that took place at the Riviera Ridge School in early February. Anticipating more community input, the city’s survey will stay open through February 29.

At the February 10 meeting, city officials fielded questions from groups of community members about what the new space could look like and how it would preserve the historical landmarks at the park perched above Santa Barbara along the Riviera hills. They had many different views on what should be prioritized during the project. Some wanted to ensure that the sweeping views of the town and coast would remain untainted, while others prioritized restoration of the plants that made the park unique. Still others simply call for the quiet, safe park that it’s always been.

Santa Barbara landscape architect and ex–City Parks and Recreation employee Billy Goodnick, encourages the city to focus on the greenery that he says has been put on the back burner since Alden Freeman bought the property in 1926.

“I just don’t want them to lose sight of the horticulture,” he pleaded. “It isn’t even there anymore.” Goodnick’s colleague at Parks and Recreation, Jeff Cope, also added, “It’s about the horticulture, not the house.”

After years of efforts to restore the now rundown house, the city voted in 2018 to instead replace it with an open-air structure. This area would be open to the public, and would make efforts to preserve the 17 acres of exotic foliage that Dr. Francesco Franceschi crafted in the early 1900s.

“This workshop was meant to bring people together,” said Eryn Blazey, Parks and Recreation marketing coordinator. “And we had a great turnout of people who already use the park regularly.”

Parks and Recreation invites public feedback on the Franceschi House via the community survey, which will close on February 29 at 5 p.m. Plans for the park and house can be seen at the Parks and Recreation’s Reimagining the Franceschi House page.