January 2000
COMMUNITY AGENDA
Every Tuesday @ 9 AM Board of Supervisors meets. Channel
20
Every Wednesday @ 9 AM Planning Commission meets . Channel
20
Supervisor Rose holds open office hours from 4 to 6 PM twice
per month on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays.
The 2nd is at Farmers Market and the 4th
is at her office
Goleta Union School District Board _ 1st &
3rd Wed. of each month @ 7:30 PM
Goleta Water District Board _ 2nd & 4th
Tues. of each month at 7 PM
Goleta Sanitary District Board _ 1st & 3rd
Mon of each month @ 7:30 PM.
Santa Barbara City Council _ Every Tuesday at 2 and 6 PM.
Channel 18.
These dates change frequently _ for the latest dates, times
and locations; or to add information -call Jack Hawxhurst
at 683-9068.
HOT OFF THE PRESS
Willow Springs
We need LETTERS from you. The purpose is to head off the
possibility that the Board of Supervisors make a special deal
on Willow Springs with Towbes Development on January 18
th.
Why should we be involved in a project at Los Carneros and
Hollister? Because it has no neighbors next door to speak
up and because it can backfire into our neighborhood. This
project will cause community impacts of over $6 million, yet
the developer believes that he should pay less than one quarter
of this _ as if the clock were rolled back to 1985. The whole
community could be short-changed in order to attract over
200 AFFORDABLE apartments that then are sold as condos in
just 10 years instead of the 30 years required by county rules.
You may recall that PANA initiated the push for development
fees so that growth would, at least be required to pay its
own way in our community. Only 6 months ago the Supervisors
obeyed state law in defining these development fees. Now the
question is whether they have the will to actually impose
them instead of making a special deal for each project. Willow
Springs will cause $4.2 million in impacts to area streets
_ money we need to keep up with the increasing traffic. But
the developer wants to pay only $160,000 of this. If the Supervisors
hold firm for the community, the developer will still only
have to pay $524,000, leaving the County to find $787,000
for the affordable subsidy, and $3 million in state and federal
matching grants. But why take on such an obligation for the
developer for just 10 years of affordability? Why give this
developer a better deal than the City of Santa Barbara (Airport
Gateway Center)?
The Supervisors also need to overrule the Parks Commission,
which cut the $1.2 million due for Willow Springs park impacts
in half. Even when the fees of $423,000 for impacts on fire,
Sheriff, library and public administration are paid, the Goleta
schools will suffer a $69,000 penalty because state law only
allows collecting part of the proven costs of impacts.
Finally, the Supervisors must refuse the developer's request
to freeze time. He wants the Board to freeze his future fees
- rather like us asking the bank to promise us that we can
pay today's price for the house we like, even if we buy it
10 years from now.
Please write to the Supervisors about Willow Springs and
plan to come on January 18 th to the hearing. This deal would
be bad precedent, bad for Goleta, and bad for our local area.
Anna's Fairview Bakery
Anna's has verbal assurance of a lease in the Fairview Center
to remain here. They will be opening a second bakery at the
Big Box, but continuing to serve their loyal customers here.
BACKYARD ISSUES
Arco
The old Jack-in-the-Box site on Patterson Avenue is coming
back as an Arco gas station with a mini-mart. The application
has been deemed incomplete by the County. This potential development
is going to be tricky since the median has been placed on
Patterson Avenue and the traffic has increased so much. Discussions
with the county center on whether Calle Real will be extended
through the site, and whether it is unsafe for cars to exit
from this site to go west on Calle Real.
Maravilla
PANA has met with representatives of Senior Resources Group
regarding Maravilla design changes. We are continuing to look
for ways to reduce the height, reduce traffic, protect the
creek and prevent parking north of the site on Merida. We
will strive to remain closely involved with the County review
process.
Calle Real & San Jose Creek Bridge
Calle Real is destined to be widened to two lanes in each
direction with a landscaped median as a part of the Maravilla
development. The current bridge over San Jose Creek, just
east of Kellogg Avenue, is to be widened as a part of this
process. PANA is requesting that the bridge and Calle Real
be widened to the south instead of impacting the natural creek
to the north. We also hope that this might lead to a two story
Maravilla.
NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC COP
Streets
PANA Directors have continued a walking inspection of our
area streets. We have again sent a letter to the County identifying
those in the worst state of repair.
Work has been completed on Patterson, Cambridge, Parkwood
Place, Pintura Place and Loreto Place. Yet to be begun are
Harvard Lane, Stanford Place, Kings Way, Danbury Court, Albany
Court, Arundel, Wakefield and Lexington. To these we have
added Agana, Tila Place, Paseo Cameo, Pembroke, Princeton,
Somerset, Longfellow, North Cambridge and North Patterson,
Paseo Orlando, Paseo Rio/Calle Aiberta, La Ramada, Cervato,
and portions of Cathedral Oaks. After those are repaired,
we need to focus on Via Bolzano, North Kellogg east of St.
Mary's, Norma Way, May Court, Camino Campana, Parejo east
of Harvard Lane and Pebble Hill Drive.
Traffic Congestion
The traffic report submitted for the Arco shows that two
year old PANA estimates of Calle Real traffic are way more
accurate than those of the engineers. Even before closure
of the Fairview overhead, Calle Real traffic was 20% higher
than official predictions for 1999 and already over 10% higher
than they predicted for 2007.
Speed Limits
The inability to control speeds on Cathedral Oaks, Patterson
at Agana, University Drive and Berkeley Road continue to attract
attention of the neighbors and Supervisors Marshall and Rose.
Join CONA by going to conasb@aol.com.
COMMUNITY-WIDE ISSUES
Let's take a little tour of what is on our plate _ from west
to east. This is only a partial list of 99 projects on the
County's Goleta Cumulative Project List. These projects are
expected to ADD 66,000 MORE car trips per day to our streets.
PANA has been in an almost continuous struggle with the professional
County planners over the intensity of development. We are
trying to minimize the intensity/density of development on
each parcel, while the County is trying to maximize the development
of each parcel in the name of "efficient land use."
Naples
A significant decision is pending this month on the antiquated
subdivision between El Capitan and Haskel's Beach. The State
Supreme Court says some development on the Gaviota Coast must
be allowed. So the question is whether to encourage 88 multi-acre
ranchettes north of the 101 or make it hard on the 200 plus
lots called Naples. For instance, will Naples happen if water
wells and septic systems have to be approved by the Coastal
Commission one lot at a time?
Bacara Resort
The 400 room resort, originally called the Hyatt project
and then the Santa Barbara Hotel and Spa, is growing on Haskel's
Bluffs. This $250 million "destination" resort will
employ 900, almost as many as are employed by the entire City
of Santa Barbara. If they all come by bus it will take over
36 buses per day.
Ellwood Shores
The county park called Santa Barbara Shores Park will be
receiving a new EIR and Specific Plan as a result of Coastal
Commission and Supervisor actions. Monarch Point is
the adjacent housing development of 161 units that is proposed
on the bluffs and next to the butterfly habitat.
El Encanto/Calle Real Apartments
The "affordable" apartment project proposed near
the 7-11 out on the west section of Calle Real was to involve
18 units on less than an acre and third stories. PANA, who
opposed third story units on Maravilla, expressed concern
over the two 3rd story units. We have recently
learned that funds have been found that may allow it to proceed
without the 3rd story units.
Westfield
This involves 43 units under construction south of Cathedral
Oaks where the road ends now, just south of Glenn Annie Golf
Course. This project involves a lot of fill to raise the homes,
just like Maravilla.
Willow Springs
These 235 apartment units are the focus of the current debate
over affordable housing and development fees in Goleta. Send
your letter TODAY.
Bishop Ranch
PANA broke the story of back room consultations between the
developer of Bishop Ranch and the County to build 1000 units.
This is the huge 250 acre open area south of Cathedral Oaks
Road, between Los Carneros and Glenn Annie. It is in Agricultural
zoning until the 2003 update of the Goleta Community Plan.
Supervisor Marshall has opposed this project.
Los Carneros Master Plan
The grant application has been rejected. PANA was first to
object to this plan for up to 1500 units, then other organizations
asked their names to be withdrawn. Now the developers have
withdrawn from the project too. The County had applied for
a grant to plan a huge dense development on these 60 acres
that makes the Bishop Ranch proposal of 1000 units on 250
acres look wonderful by comparison. It was to consist of 20
acres of housing on 4000 square foot lots, 20 acres of multi-family
housing at 40 to 50 units per acre, 13 acres of park and 7
acres of office/commercial.
DELCO
A large developer is trying to get a special deal before
the City of Goleta happens. They want over 1 MILLION square
feet of commercial development (twice as big as the Big Box).
They want to grow at 2 to 3 times the rate of ALL the rest
of Goleta (100 to 150 thousand square feet per year). They
also want time to stand still for them _ freezing development
fees for up to 10 years. Who are they kidding?
Airport Gateway Center
The City of Santa Barbara is developing a huge 180,000 square
feet development on the "Airport property" north
of Hollister next to the abandoned drive-in theater. It will
have major traffic implications in an area already congested.
Bulldozers will start moving soon. At least the City will
be paying for its impacts like any other developer, because
Supervisors Rose and Marshall demanded full impact fees.
United Cerebral Palsey Housing
It is believed that this project behind the Fairview Center
and the Presbyterian Church has found funds to pay its reduced
impact fees and will soon receive final approval for 13 units.
As a "beneficial" project, the impact fees of $167
thousand were reduced to only $47 thousand, but were still
a major hurdle.
Paige Family Hotel
A 222 room hotel is coming to the area south of Old Town
where Kellogg runs along Ward Memorial.
Ward Memorial Boulevard
In order to provide for the Paige Hotel and additional development,
the County has taken over Ward Memorial (217) so that two
signalized intersections can be constructed on the current
freeway. Construction is likely within a year or so.
La Sumida Gardens
The portion of the La Sumida nursery that is between Hollister
and Overpass Road will become 175 apartments. Later the portions
of the nursey on Hollister and on Patterson will become commercial
development. This will have a very significant effect on Patterson
Avenue traffic _ even more than Maravilla.
Maravilla
PANA fought hard more than a year ago to make this 3 story
project more acceptable. This Calle Real development will
introduce about 600 elderly and employees on the farmland
west of the Calle Real fire station. It is currently undergoing
design revisions and PANA is still working to improve the
project.
Orchard Park
This will create 20 homes instead of the originally proposed
48, on Calle Real east of the fire station. Getting approval
for this project occupied a lot of attention from the neighbors
and PANA during the past year and construction is likely to
begin this year.
ARCO and the "Albersons Site"
PANA is watching closely to see if these projects are resubmitted
this year and how these relate to the possible extension of
Calle Real to Turnpike.
Veterans Administration Clinic
This will create 34,000 square feet of VA Clinic just south
of the Hospital on Patterson.
Oak View
These 22 homes at Walnut and Hollister are being built now
on the old pumpkin patch site.
Girls Inc. Facility
This facility is being planned on Hollister just north of
the school.
Forte Ranch Phase II & III
Another 55 units are coming to the hillside off Calle Real
east of Turnpike.
GOLETA GOVERNANCE
GREAT (Goleta Revenue & Expenditure Analysis Team)
reported that the entire Goleta Valley area sent about $4
million per year out into the County, confirming the Goleta
Now! thesis.
The Goleta Roundtable is sending out a survey throughout
the Goleta Valley to learn what people think about governance
issues. If you receive one, please return it quickly to support
this potentially important communication process.
Goleta Now!
The effort to create a City of Goleta west of Kellogg and
Cambridge reached its first major milestone in December with
certification of the petition signatures. Over 4800 signatures
were gathered to satisfy the 3425 goal. This effort found
that those living in the 93117 area were as strongly in favor
of the proposal as the residents of 93111 were against being
included _ over 75% in each case. The year 2000 will see the
LAFCO review process unfold and a vote in November. The impetus
for Goleta Now! has been that the western portion of the Goleta
Valley has not had a say in the approval of developments impacting
their area. Also, they realize that the recent rush of growth
is about to generate a flood of increased revenue that will
be spread around the County if it is not kept here to mitigate
the impacts.
PANA STATUS REPORT
THANK YOU. Recipients of Speed Bump have shown their outstanding
support with donations to keep us going. Over 200 donations
have come in since the last newsletter, and 140 were from
new supporters. This means that PANA now enjoys financial
support from over 300 families in addition to the 300 who
have attended meetings on specific issues.
Speed Bump is distributed to over 3000 area addresses, as
a result of your support. PANA's area is north of the freeway
between Turnpike Road and Fairview Avenue. Our considerable
strength comes from you.
WE NEED YOUR HELP
We need your contributions to continue our newsletter distribution.
When you contribute to PANA, more of your neighbors learn
what is happening around our area. Please think of your contributions
as extending PANA's reach _ not just getting the newsletter
to yourself.
So many of you have been kind enough to help in the past,
that we have no plans to expand circulation further. Some
send a little each time, while some send a lot all at once.
Either works. But it may have been a year ago that you last
helped PANA with your contribution. Please consider helping
again _ or joining in for the first time.
We hope you agree that our record of volunteer effort and
success in representing the Patterson Area Neighborhoods speaks
for itself.
HAPPY NEW CENTURY to YOU.
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