An oceanfront bluff on the South Coast once proposed for development is now owned by the city of Carpinteria and will be preserved as open space.
Landowner John King decided to sell the 2.48-acre plot at Carpinteria Bluffs to the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County.
With help from the La Centra-Sumerlin Foundation, the property was purchased in 2025 for $3.9 million. It will be known as Rincon Gateway Bluffs Property. The Foundation also provided funding to help manage the land.
The Land Trust recently announced the land had been transferred to Carpinteria. The city will develop a master plan to improve accessibility to the bluffs and preserve its habitat. The area is a protected coastal open space, so visitors must stay in designated areas.
More than 70 acres of land on the Carpinteria Bluffs have now been preserved.
