Katy Perry and her sister Angela Lerche want to build the Gratitude Canyon youth camp in the Goleta Valley. Neighbors have signed a petition citing noise and wildfire evacuation concerns, while local nonprofits back the plan. The project remains in early county review.
Katy Perry and her sister Angela Lerche want to build the Gratitude Canyon arts and nature youth camp in the Goleta Valley. The camp would be developed for the Firework Foundation, their nonprofit, and would serve as a permanent home for Camp Firework, a sleepaway program for underserved children aged 11 to 13. The project would use part of a 110-acre agricultural property at 183 Winchester Canyon Road in Goleta, California.
Project documents show the foundation proposes building eight cabins, tennis courts, counselor housing, a gymnasium, a dining hall, a pool and a recording studio by subdividing the property. The plans also call for an amphitheater, pickleball courts and a zipline. According to the project website, only about 3% of the site would be devoted to camp structures, with the rest remaining open space, agricultural land or landscaping.
More than 360 neighbors have signed a petition against the camp, citing noise and fire safety concerns. Another account puts the number of signers at 380, who call on the county government to shut the project down. Resident Jen Lilienstein created an online campaign against the camp using artificial intelligence, but said it is a neighborhood effort. Resident Sandra McGreevy said neighbors were not opposed to Perry's charitable efforts.
Winchester Canyon relies on a single main access road for all surrounding neighborhoods, which residents see as a wildfire evacuation concern. Petitioners say the applicant's evacuation modeling used routine summer headcounts rather than peak assembly loads. The petition also claims the fire consultant's analysis did not evaluate the full scope of attendees and considered only one adjacent neighborhood.
The plans allow up to four special events a year, each with as many as 400 attendees, which residents have questioned. Foundation representatives said weddings and commercial concerts are strictly prohibited, and the four off-season events would rely on mandatory remote parking, pre-ticketing and shuttles. Camp officials said acoustic modeling showed sound at the nearest property boundary would fall under the county benchmark, and the camp would have quiet hours. Residents dispute that noise would be limited. The opposition campaign estimates 2,410 person-visits in summer sessions and 4,992 visitors through off-season leases and special events, and warns of a potential 9,000 annual visitors.
Perry is seeking a General Plan Amendment and a rezone from AG-II-100, which requires parcels of at least 100 acres, to AG-II-40, which allows parcels as small as 40 acres. Neighbors argue the change permanently degrades agricultural protections. Given the land's zoning, the project will require a zoning change, a general plan amendment and almost certainly an environmental impact report.
Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara and United Boys & Girls Club Santa Barbara have supported the proposal and the foundation's initiatives. The project received positive feedback in a June presentation to the county's South Board of Architectural Review. Board member Valerie Frosch called the design beautiful and said the camp is quite likely the lowest-impact development neighbors would get.
The project remains in the early stages of Santa Barbara County's review, and planners have requested additional application information. An environmental scoping hearing is expected in early 2027, and the environmental impact report process has not started, a spokesperson said. The County Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors will consider the project in public hearings.
