Access between the City of Carpinteria and Rincon Beach County Park has primarily been provided by US Highway 101, though the distance between the two destinations is less than one mile. The use of US Highway 101 requires a bicyclist or pedestrian to travel along the highway shoulder. Many bicyclists and pedestrians use the railroad corridor as an alternative route, as evidenced by the unsanctioned trails that are present along the bluff face and along the railroad tracks connecting the City of Carpinteria with Rincon Beach County Park. Use of the unsanctioned trails in and along the railroad corridor, however, presents a public access and safety concern.
The proposed Carpinteria Rincon Trail would extend from the eastern end of Carpinteria Avenue, in the City of Carpinteria, to Rincon Beach County Park, in unincorporated Santa Barbara County. The new, shared-use trail would provide a strategic addition to Carpinteria’s Coastal Vista Trail that upon completion, will connect Padaro Lane to the west and Rincon Beach County Park to the east. In addition to providing critical improvements in public safety, the completion of this trail segment would provide improved public coastal access and recreational opportunities, and enhancement of non-vehicular travel alternatives to the region’s significant coastal resources. Completion of the trail will also fill in a long-standing gap in the statewide California Coastal Trail. The trail further is a requirement of the Conditional Use Permit and Coastal Development Permit No. 09-1522-CUP/CDP granted to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to construct the Linden Avenue and Casitas Pass Road Interchanges and Via Real Extension Project in order to promote regional alternative transportation objectives and to enhance recreation opportunities within the coastal zone and access to coastal resources.
You can view the proposed Rincon Multi-Use Trail alignment here.
See the trail route alternatives by clicking here.
Additional Information
- Notice of Public Hearing of the Carpinteria City Council on May 15 ,2023 at 5:30 pm – Consider the following item: Rincon Trail Multi-Use Path Update; Project No. 19-2015-CUP/CDP
- CEQA Notice of Preparation (NOP) & Project Description for Rincon Multi-Use Trail Environmental Impact Report (EIR)
- Notice of Availability (NOA) for Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the Rincon Trail Project
- CEQA Notice of Completion & Environmental Document Transmittal
- Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the Rincon Trail Project
- Combined Appendices to DEIR for the Rincon Trail Project
- Proposed Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Rincon Trail Project
City Council Staff Reports
- Receive an update on the status of the Rincon Multi-Use Trail project, including stakeholder outreach efforts and consideration of alternative trail alignments, and selection of a preferred project alternative for further evaluation.
- Pursuant to Carpinteria Municipal Code (“CMC”) § 14.78.040, the City Council will hold a public hearing to consider appeals of the Planning Commission’s decision to accept and certify an Environmental Impact Report (“EIR”) and grant approval of a Conditional Use Permit and Coastal Development Permit for Project 19-2015-CUP/CDP, a proposal to construct the 850-foot long portion of the approximately 2,800-foot long multi-use Rincon Trail project filed by: (1) Karl Cameron; (2) Stan Barankiewicz of Orbach Huff & Henderson LLP, on behalf of the Santa Barbara Soaring Association (“SBSA”); and (3) Helen O’Neill. The project location spans from the eastern terminus of Carpinteria Avenue in the City of Carpinteria to the western terminus of the Rincon Beach County Park parking lot, located in unincorporated Santa Barbara County, and involves City and Caltrans rights-of-way and Assessor’s Parcel Nos. 001-220-032, -092, -100 and -101.
- Amendment No. 3 to the Memorandum of Understanding with the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments for the Rincon Multi-Use Trail Project.
- Amendment No. 2 to the Agreement with Bengal Engineering, Inc. for the Rincon Multi-Use Trail Project.
- Amendment No. 3 to the Agreement with Dudek for the Rincon Multi-Use Trail Project.
- Amendment No. 2 to the Agreement with Dudek for City Project No. 15015 – Rincon Multi-Use Trail Project.
- Amendment No. 2 to the Memorandum of Understanding with the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments for the Rincon Multi-Use Trail Project.
- Amendment No. 1 to the Agreement with Dudek for the Rincon Multi-Use Trail Project.
- Amendment to the Agreement with Bengal Engineering, Inc. for the Rincon Multi-Use Trail Project.
- Amendment No. 1 to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the City of Carpinteria and the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) Relating to the Funding and Delivery of the Rincon Multi-Use Trail Project.
- Resolution No. 5770, authorizing acceptance of the terms and execution of Agreement No. 17-055 for funds from the California Coastal Conservancy in the amount of $150,000 to be used to prepare additional environmental compliance and final plan documents for the Carpinteria Rincon Trail Project.
- Engaging professional services consultants for the Carpinteria Rincon Trail Project to prepare amended environmental documents and the final plans, construction specifications and a cost estimate (P, S and E package).
- Approve and authorize the Mayor to sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the City of Carpinteria and the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) relating to the funding and delivery of the Rincon Multi-Use Trail Project.
- Agreement with Bengal Engineering for Engineering Services for the Carpinteria Rincon Trail Project.
- Amendment to the Measure A Cooperative Agreement for the Rincon Shared Use Trail Project.
- Letters in support of grant applications by the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments Submitting for the Rincon Bike Trail and Santa Claus Lane Bike Path Projects to be signed by the Mayor.
Carpinteria Open Space Management Advisory Board
- Systemwide Open Space & Trail System Topics.
- Review Meeting Summary and Action Items from June 16, 2022 Meeting.
Public Facility Site Acquisition/Development Committee
- Relinquishment of Caltrans Right-of-Way for Rincon Multi-Use Trail Project.
- Present draft temporary construction easements for Rincon Multi-Use Trail Project.
Planning Commission
- Hearing on the request of Matt Roberts, Parks, Recreation and Public Facilities Director for the City of Carpinteria to consider Project 19-2015-CUP/CDP (application filed October 17, 2019) for a Conditional Use Permit and a Coastal Development Permit to allow the construction of the 850-linear foot segment of the proposed Rincon Trail project located in the City of Carpinteria (the remaining 1,900 feet of the proposed trail is located within the jurisdiction of the County of Santa Barbara); and to certify the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) prepared for the entirety of the project pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines. The application involves City and Caltrans rights-of-way located at the eastern end of the City of Carpinteria, and parcels owned by Union Pacific Railroad and County of Santa Barbara, located outside of the City of Carpinteria in unincorporated Santa Barbara County (APNs 001-220-032, 001-220-092, 001-220-100, and 001-220-101).
- Hearing on the request of Matt Roberts, City of Carpinteria Parks, Recreation and Facilities Department to consider adoption and certification of the Subsequent Mitigated Negative Declaration (“SMND”) prepared for the Carpinteria Rincon Trail project, pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) Guidelines. The Carpinteria Rincon Trail project proposes a new 2,800-foot public multi-use trail connecting the eastern terminus of Carpinteria Avenue to Rincon County Beach Park located in unincorporated Santa Barbara County near the Ventura County line.
- Hearing on the request of the City of Carpinteria to consider Case No. 19-2013-GC, for a determination that the City’s acquisition of three land parcels totaling approximately 3.819 acres of fee interest within the Carpinteria Bluffs III planning area (the state owned parcels have no assigned APN), for the project known as the Carpinteria Rincon Trail is consistent with the General Plan/Coastal Plan of the City of Carpinteria pursuant to Government Code §65402.
- Hearing on the request of Matt Roberts, City of Carpinteria Parks and Recreation Director, to consider Project 15-1760-CUP/CDP (application filed 3/11/15) for a Conditional Use Permit and Coastal Development Permit to construct the trailhead and a portion of the Rincon Trail within the City’s jurisdiction connecting the east end of Carpinteria Avenue to Rincon Beach County Park. The trailhead would be developed with 17 public parking spaces and a rest area with three picnic tables. The action includes approval of the Mitigated Negative Declaration prepared for the project pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines. As a result of this project, significant but mitigable effects on the environment are anticipated in the following categories: aesthetics, air quality, biological resources, hydrology / water quality, land use and noise.
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