Veronica PiscitelliThe city of Santa Barbara, California, has updated its five-year Capital Improvement Plan, identifying and detailing major short and long-term projects in the city’s future. The plan is estimated to cost more than $2 billion for a combined 296 projects. The projects include repairs, maintenance, rehabilitation, improvements and replacements of the area’s critical facilities, roads, bridges and flood control facilities.
Funding for more than half of the total projected $2 billion has already been identified, according to interim Public Works Director Brian D’Amour. $366 million will be provided from the city’s general fund and Measure C sales tax revenue. More than $225 million in funding will be from state and federal grants. Additionally, $241 million toward the projects will come from debt issuance and loans. The remaining $800 million is still left to be funded.
The Capital Improvement Plan details projects to be completed from this year through 2030 across numerous city entities including the airport, parks and recreation and public safety sectors. The largest sum of money, an estimated $885 million, is set to fund 60 street and transportation projects. Most of the costs will be covered by state and federal grants. The street and transportation projects include the De la Vina Bridge replacement, annual pavement replacement and major road improvements.
The water department has 11 projects slated at a projected cost of $342 million. A replacement of Vic Trace Reservoir, as well as citywide water main improvements are just some of the department’s plans. The biggest project under the public safety umbrella is a new police station. It is one of 10 projects that are estimated to cost a combined $260 million.
New developments at the airport are also outlined in the Capital Improvement Plan. A total of 37 capital projects there are estimated to cost $117 million. Many of the projects are funded through Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grants. However, with uncertainty over the future of the FAA funding, some future projects remain unfunded.
Other highly funded items detailed in the Capital Improvement Plan are under the parks and recreation department. These long-awaited community projects include renovations at Ortega Park, Dwight Murphy Park and Los Baños Swimming Pool. Additionally, City Hall and the Central and Eastside library branches are set to receive updates. The complete Capital Improvement Plan will not be finalized until the city budget is adopted in June.
Image by Egor Shitikov from Pixabay
