Ortega Park Project to be Presented at Architectural Board of Review

The Ortega Park Revitalization Project will be presented at the Architectural Board of Review (ABR) on Monday, March 20, 2023. The Parks and Recreation Department Project Team is requesting Project Design Approval. This milestone will allow the project to start construction drawings needed to submit for a building permit. 

Several community-led changes have been made to the design since the last presentation to the ABR on May 4, 2020. These changes include the following:

• Community Pool – The 25-yard pool increased from 4 to 6 lanes to support expanded programming options, including the ability to hold swim meets.
• Community Gathering Space – The community gathering space has been expanded to support large-scale community events. This change removed the bocce ball and cornhole courts and ping-pong tables. The splash pad has also been removed, and splash features have been incorporated into the wading pool within the community pool area. The basketball court has been moved towards the street corner to provide a larger grass area.
• All-Wheel Park (formerly Skate Park) – The skate park now has an all-wheel design suited for skateboards, scooters, bikes, rollerskates, and rollerblades.
• Murals and Public Art – Four community meetings informed the locations for 12 existing murals and 12 new murals.
• Fencing – Fencing will be used around the pool, all-wheel park, and multi-sport field to ensure safety. The perimeter fence allowing the park to be secured after-hours has been removed.

More information about the upcoming meeting can be found at SantaBarbaraCA.gov/ABR. Plans and the agenda will be available on Thursday, March 16th. More information about the Ortega Park Revitalization Project can be found at SantaBarbaraCA.gov/OrtegaPark.