The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to keep the rock revetments and parking lots in place at Goleta Beach Park.
The large chunks of rocks in question work to halt erosion into the parking lot and grassy areas. But local environmentalists, including the Santa Barbara Surfrider chapter, argue that studies show rock seawalls eventually work against sandy beaches, causing them to disappear.
It's now up to the California Coastal Commission to issue a permit for the park to keep everything as is.
"I think it's important to note that we looked at the science behind it," said 2nd District Supervisor Janet Wolf. "I hope that the Coastal Commission looks at the reasons why we did what we did and is thoughtful about their response, which I expect that they would be."
The county's Goleta Beach 2.0 "managed retreat" project was opposed by the group Friends of Goleta Beach Park, and was closely watched by the Goleta Valley Chamber of Commerce.