A small waterfront park in Santa Barbara is being reimagined as a cultural site to honor the region’s Chumash heritage.
Ambassador Park, located between West Cabrillo Boulevard and West Mason Street, is currently a grassy space lined with palm trees. But long ago, the site was home to Syuxton Village, the largest Chumash settlement on the West Coast.
The city is working with Chumash tribal members and the California Coastal Conservancy to redesign the half-acre park. Plans include information boards, native landscaping and two walking paths.
“The project design is intended to honor and celebrate the heritage of our Chumash community, which were here pre-European settlement,” said Jill Zachary, the Director of Santa Barbara’s Parks and Recreation Department. “And provide the opportunity to educate members of the community about their culture, about the habitats that existed once upon a time.”
Planning efforts for the project began in 2017. The project received a $240,000 grant this week from the California Coastal Conservancy to support its current designs.
“This is a wonderful opportunity to revise a remnant of a very important Chumash Village along Santa Barbara's waterfront,” Zachary said.
Construction is still several years away and will require additional funding and approval from the Historic Landmarks Commission.
Designs for the project can be found on the city’s webpage.
