| Happenings around the Neighborhood
Regardless of the project, a home remodel or
a large development, PANA strives to support the
concept of neighborhood compatibility so that
as changes occur they reflect the concerns of
neighbors and fit within the character of the
surrounding neighborhoods. Here are some projects
that PANA has been following.
Noel
Christmas Tree Farm
The status of this project is uncertain since
the attempt to rezone it is intertwined with the
county's housing element update. Thus, we have
yet to hear whether a development application
will be moving forward. And although there appears
to be very little support in the community to
rezone any agricultural land for housing, the
developer is proceeding forward to plan a housing
tract for this 25 acre property off Patterson
Avenue.
As a result, PANA recently met with the developer
to review his latest proposal and to express neighborhood
concerns about neighborhood compatibility and
traffic impacts. In October 2000 when the developer
first presented development plans at a neighborhood
meeting, he proposed 86 homes. Since that time,
there have been several iterations of designs
and number of homes, with the county at one time
proposing as many as 300 units. Since only site
planning is underway, we don't know the number
of units planned.
The county continues to push for a commercial
component in the project, perhaps a small grocery
store. County planners believe that this will
serve the neighborhood and will reduce traffic
trips to nearby shopping areas. This is debatable.
Since neighbors have expressed uniform resistance
to commercial activities on this project, we continue
to strongly oppose any commercial component.
Rowe
Property Subdivision
Approximately 4 acres at Camino Campana and Kellogg,
currently being used to grow citrus, are slated
to be developed for 11 houses. Since this property
features a hill, there is concern that any two
story homes must be very carefully sited in order
to avoid impacting neighboring homes. It is also
important for this project to provide adequate
parking so that adjacent streets do not bear the
brunt of poor planning. The Planning Commission
recently approved this project having addressed
the above concerns.
Can
you hear me now?
PANA is tracking the application of a proposed
cell-site at the new Patterson Packing project
on the southwest corner of Calle Real and Patterson.
The applicant was considering the installation
of a 50-foot antennae designed to look like a
pine tree. Following inquiries by PANA, the county
is now expecting the applicant to submit a revised
proposal.
Berkeley
Road remodel
PANA recently supported several neighbors' appeal
of the county's approval of a house remodel on
Berkeley Road. The neighbor's felt an appeal was
necessary since they were unable to get any substantive
information about the remodel plans in any other
way. What they did know alarmed them: a 4-bedroom
2-bath house would be transformed into 7 bedrooms
and 7.5 bathrooms. As a result of the appeal,
the applicant has resubmitted plans for a smaller
project.
City
of Goleta and Second Story additions
As the example above illustrates, home remodeling
continues to create concern in many neighborhoods,
both for those who want to remodel and for the
neighbors who will be impacted by the results.
In the city of Goleta, home expansion has come
under increased scrutiny because of the scope
of some of the remodels; it is not unusual to
see square footage of homes double. Homeowners
have a right to alter their homes to suit their
needs. Yet this should be balanced with preserving
neighbors' views and privacy.
In the city of Goleta, these concerns have led
to the adoption of interim measures to limit the
size of home remodels while the city completes
their general plan. Currently the city of Goleta
restricts home expansion to an increase of no
more than 50% of the existing size of the home
and a floor-to-lot area ratio no greater than
35% with second stories permitted. In order to
ensure that neighborhood compatibility and other
concerns are addressed, the project must go through
the city's design review board.
This approach differs from the county where approval
for adding a second story is an over-the-counter
ministerial permit with no design review. And
with only posted on-site noticing of the land
use permit, not all neighbors who might be affected
by the remodel are notified. PANA is working to
change this so that there is notification of affected
neighbors.
From our experience, the city of Goleta's approach
is endorsed by the majority of residents as it
is seen as a prudent way to balance property rights
for all.
MTD
property
The Metropolitan Transit District owns about 17-acres
on Calle Real near Turnpike. Discussion have been
on-going for some time to build perhaps as many
as 300 to 400 "starter" homes"
and apartments in a mixed-use development. This
project is an excellent example of why neighbors
often get enraged by land-use decisions. Located
immediately north of the MTD property is Forte
Ranch, a planned unit development built at 8-units
per acre. With density of the proposed project
at 20-units per acre, the project has aroused
the concern of Forte Ranch residents who have
been trying unsuccessfully to meet with MTD officials
for over a year. Parking is already in short supply
at Forte Ranch and any efforts to limit parking
at the MTD site will just be another insult to
the neighbors of spill-over impacts of this in-fill
development.
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