County Scraps Beachfront RV Camping Plan for Rincon Parkway

Bowing to complaints from residents, county parks officials scrapped a plan Wednesday to convert some free beachfront parking along Rincon Parkway north of Ventura to overnight camping spaces for recreational vehicles as a money-making venture.

The Parks and Harbor Commission voted 8 to 1 to reject the proposal, citing a lack of information on the plan and how much revenue it would generate.

“I know staff have been looking for more revenue for parks, but I don’t think this is the answer,” Chairwoman Virginia Davis said.

The commission, however, left open the possibility it would reconsider a revised proposal later. Opponents vowed to restage their fight if necessary.

“I’m sure the staff feels there is a need to increase RV parking,” said Faria Beach resident Caroline Milton, referring to the revenue the project could produce for the cash-poor parks department.

Of the 11 people who testified at Wednesday’s hearing, nearly all spoke out against the project.

County officials lost the political support of the Ventura County chapter of the Surfrider Foundation when the officials failed to commit to more beach access by increasing free daytime parking hours.

“We can’t lose any more access, we’re not gaining any,” said Brian Brennan, president of the surfers’ advocacy group.

Homeowners at nearby Faria Beach and Solimar Beach Colony railed against the plan, citing health concerns and the dangers of vehicles backing into traffic.

“It is a beautiful idea and to line it with RVs would indeed be dangerous,” said James McKinzie, a 25-year Solimar Beach resident. “I don’t understand why we are revisiting a disaster area.”

Indeed, in the early 1980s the county had converted the area from RV camping to day-use parking precisely because the RV use was a disaster, parks manager Blake Boyle said. At that time, people were living at the parkway.

But today, regulations prevent people from making their home there, Boyle said.

The pilot program would have converted 41% of the 2-mile-long parking area into 53 overnight parking spaces during the summer for recreational vehicles. The existing 112 spaces are often filled during the summer.

No reduction in daytime parking spaces would have occurred because much of the remainder of the parkway would be re-striped for angular rather than parallel parking. Also, the installation of restrooms and garbage cans would have been added to a beach that has neither, Boyle said.

“We feel we can meet the need for additional RV parking, we can preserve the day use and we can bring additional services,” he said. “What we’ve tried to do is balance various interests.”

It was estimated the plan would have grossed between $60,000 and $70,000 for a department that will soon split off from the harbor department, but would have netted only $40,000 to $50,000 after the improvements, Boyle conceded.

That admission, omitted from the report describing the proposal, prompted a majority of the parks commission to scuttle the plan. They were also concerned about other details that may not have been included in the report.

Still, the proposal could be revisited.

“I think there’s an essential requirement for us as a commission to provide a balance,” Commissioner Jeff Alexander said. “There are people who see the beach as an opportunity and we should provide that both as a day-use spot and a camping spot.”