Beach town erupts at Katy Perrys plans to build sprawling youth camp outside their homes

A fierce land-use war has erupted in Santa Barbara County, where an enraged coastal enclave is revolting against pop superstar Katy Perry and her sister, Angela Lerche, over plans to develop a youth camp and event center right outside their front doors.Operating under Perry’s Firework Foundation, the project — dubbed “Gratitude Canyon” — would convert a 110-acre agricultural parcel at 183 Winchester Canyon Road in Goleta, California, into a permanent base for Camp Firework, an immersive sleepaway retreat for underserved 11- to 13-year-olds. Plans filed with county planners outline eight cabins, counselor quarters, a dining hall, a gymnasium, a swimming pool, tennis and pickleball courts, an amphitheater, and an acoustically isolated recording studio, according to a report from Noozhawk.The biggest news, opinion and culture shaping California right now.

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Never miss a story Despite the charitable mission, nearly 380 homeowners across Winchester Commons, the San Miguel Tract, and Winchester Canyon Ranches have signed a formal petition to halt the development, warning that a year-round, commercial-scale enterprise is being forced into a high-risk wildfire corridor.Organizers on the opposition petition site bluntly branded the proposal a “Trojan Horse,” alleging it conceals a “year-round event center design intent under the guise of a summer camp for underserved kids” while warning neighbors they are “up against a PR machine with a lot of money behind it.”“We have zero problem with [Katy giving back to the community],” resident Sandra McGreevy told local news outlet Noozhawk, emphasizing that while neighbors support youth initiatives, the camp belongs elsewhere.“The idea of a nature camp is not a bad one, but why is there this thing in the application about other events?” resident Deborah ...