The Rincon Multi-Use Trail project — a 2,800-foot bike and pedestrian trail connecting the city of Carpinteria to Rincon Beach Park — is on the brink of construction, gaining approval at Carpinteria’s Planning Commission once again last week despite public pushback from the city’s “soaring community,” who fear for the future of their fly site.
A core group of paragliding and hang-gliding enthusiasts, whose launching point may be affected by the trail construction, showed up last Tuesday, January 18, in big numbers to try to convince the commission to choose the one of four proposed trail options that would leave their bluffs unaffected.
Despite the concerns from the gliding community, the commissioners ultimately chose the trail that would be most environmentally sound according to the impact report and the option that would work best as part of the greater California Coastal Trail.