Edhat Staff
Source: County of Santa Barbara
The Santa Barbara County Planning and Development Department was recognized last week with three top Awards of Excellence from the California Chapter of the American Planning Association, Central Coast Section (APA).
The awards received were “Comprehensive Plan – Large Jurisdiction Award” for the Gaviota Coast Plan, “Innovation in Green Community Planning Award” for the County’s Energy and Climate Action Plan, and “Public Outreach Award” for the Los Alamos Pedestrian Circulation and Parking Plan.
The Gaviota Coast Plan designates and regulates land uses in the Plan Area of approximately 158 square miles is located in southern Santa Barbara County bounded by the Goleta Community Plan boundary, Vandenberg Air Force Base, the ridgeline of the Santa Ynez Mountains, Gaviota Creek watershed and the Pacific Ocean. The Plan provides stakeholders and decision makers with a framework for planning future development in the Plan Area.
The County’s Energy and Climate Action Plan (ECAP) was adopted by the Board of Supervisors to achieve significant greenhouse gas reductions within the unincorporated areas of the County by the year 2020 and beyond, while also protecting important aesthetic qualities and unique local resources. Many County departments and local agencies have been working together to implement the ECAP through numerous programs and projects, as well as tracking and reporting implementation progress.
The Los Alamos Pedestrian Circulation and Parking Plan implements aspects of the 2011 Los Alamos Community Plan (LACP) for the County and Caltrans to co-design safe and aesthetically pleasing pedestrian walkways and bicycle lanes linking residential and commercial uses in Los Alamos, including those located east of Highway 101 with downtown and Bell Street, and to prepare a phased parking plan. Ultimately, approved designs and plans are included in the County Public Works Department’s Capital Improvement Program.
The APA California Awards Program encourages quality in planning and increases the public’s awareness of the planning profession by recognizing outstanding achievements in the industry.
For information about County Planning and Development, go to www.sbcountyplanning.org/.
