Visitor Center at King Gillette Ranch

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area » Visitor Center at King Gillette Ranch » Document List

Click on "Document List" in the menu to the left to access the Visitor Center EA, FONSI, and other documents related to planning at King Gillette Ranch.

King Gillette Ranch was purchased from Soka University in 2005 with funds from eleven different funding sources from an almost unprecedented partnership of federal, State, and local government, and private donors. One of the most stunning locales in the Santa Monica Mountains, the biologically diverse parkland contains broad meadows and low ridgelines, valley and coast live oak savannah, grassland, coastal sage scrub, chaparral, and riparian woodland. Park features include razor baron King Gillette's 1920s Spanish Colonial Revival style mansion and other structures that were part of the original landscape plan, including a constructed pond and formal courtyard. The park is enjoyed daily by hikers, birders, picnickers and school children. Public interpretive programs are offered regularly.

The National Park Service, California State Parks, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, and the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority are preparing a Design Concept Plan (DCP) for King Gillette Ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains. The DCP would guide the future management and operations at King Gillette Ranch and would address management of visitor-serving uses at the ranch, including the establishment of an interagency visitor center for the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, public trail access, and environmental education. The plan would also guide natural and cultural resource preservation and restoration.

Public scoping for the DCP took place in late 2008. Additional scoping specific to the Visitor Center was held in September, 2009. The partner agencies began synthesizing a joint NEPA/CEQA compliance document for the DCP.

However, the complexity of the visitor center project and related funding requirements necessitated a separate in-depth compliance document for the visitor center. This is the document - the Anthony C. Beilenson Visitor Center at King Gillette Ranch Environmental Assessment - that was available for public comment from February 12th to March 15, 2010.

The National Park Service has reviewed the public's comments, and has approved a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the proposed Visitor Center. The FONSI and associated Errata and Response to Public Comments is with the Environmental Assessment and can be accessed by clicking "Document List" to the left of this text.

Preparation of the joint NEPA/CEQA environmental assessment/initial study for the King Gillette Ranch DCP will resume later this year, and a separate public review process will take place at that time.

Contact Information

Melanie Beck (Visitor Center Project)
National Park Service
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
(805)370-2346