September 2001

Agenda

Every Tuesday @ 9 AM Board of Supervisors meets – on Channel 20.

Every Wednesday @ 9 AM Planning Commission meets – on 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 7PM.

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.

Hot Off the Press

BIGGER PICTURE - SORROW AND GRIEF

With the searing memories of the tragic events of September 11, 2001 ever present, our heartfelt thoughts and prayers go to our neighbors who have suffered the loss of a relative, acquaintance, friend, neighbor or co-worker.

Backyard Issues

Fairview Shopping Center – PANA is working to improve the remodel and expansion of our key shopping center. Our perspective is that this design must serve us for as long as the present Center – another 40 years.

A larger, modern Vons will be positive and a face-lift is needed. But some other aspects of the proposal are troubling enough to appeal if they are not changed. Why make exceptions to the community standards for building height and sizes of signs? Why make exceptions to landscape standards?

Why have the managers been unwilling to offer the smaller businesses leases? Are there other Jaspers in our future? Should we expect improvements to safety and aesthetics by eliminating the storage of shopping carts and other merchandise on the sidewalks?

The proposal is for an expansion of 24,000 square feet – not just a remodel. The expansion requires another 300 parking spaces, yet plans call for a net reduction of parking – another breach of community standards leading toward parking problems as they exist at the Calle Real Center and library two blocks away.

How will increased traffic be accommodated safely on Fairview and Calle Real. The shopping center is now served by eight driveways that make left exits difficult and at times dangerous. No signals are proposed. No controls on turning movements are suggested. Surely, in another 10 to 40 years, the existing safety problems will become untenable without major changes. The only real chance for planning such changes is now, as the center designs this expansion.

The correction of traffic problems should not be left for the new City of Goleta to fix after the shopping center is off the hook. This is the one chance to get it RIGHT. We will strive, as always, to assure the current expansion serves the future community in the best ways. Waiving our community standards is not a solution to anything.

The stated reason for the remodel/expansion is to improve aesthetics, but no mention has been made of the unsightly nature of the sidewalks in front of some major tenants. Should our neighborhood shopping center be allowed to block sidewalks with shopping carts, vending machines, and various merchandize? If this is not corrected, will architecture really improve the appearance?

Cary Group Self-Storage – The Planning Commission has denied a site determination for the proposed self- storage project on Calle Real and Patterson. The Planning Commission did not decide that the project was inconsistent with the site – only that the plans were not sufficiently detailed to judge the size, bulk and scale. Ms. Cary is appealing to the Board of Supervisors at the Octocber 23rd meeting.

Ms. Cary will host an open house/mixer to show drawings at the self-storage on Patterson Avenue on October 11, 5;30-7:30 PM. Call Ms. Cary at 687-7342 to attend. Supervisor Rose may also hold an October meeting.

PANA will support neighbors once we are sure they are well informed of the project pros and cons. PANA’s main concern is the mass and appearance from Patterson, Calle Real, and the freeway – it must be far superior to the existing self-storage.

Maravilla – The trucks are rolling, the dirt is flying, and you probably heard or read that PANA agreed to a settlement with Senior Resources Group allowing this senior housing project to proceed.

The terms of the settlement include an enforceable cap on the total number of residents and employees on site at any time. Residents are limited to 515 and employees to 69.

On-site parking was increased for employees and the agreement defines many ways of preventing parking overflow into the neighborhoods. An additional 22 on-site parking spaces may be required if necessary. Lease of additional off-site parking lots could be required with van pooling of employees to and from such sites. Lawn areas near the cottages could be required converted to parking if needed. Complaints by neighborhood residents to PANA (at 683-9068) or the County would trigger such actions.

No truck routes are permitted up Kellogg or Patterson Avenues during construction .

Local residents will be given priority in Maravilla. Long-term residents within 13 miles of Maravilla will be at the top of any waiting lists for Maravilla. Residents of 93110, 93111, and 93117 zip codes will also enjoy a 5% discount on rent and a 5% cap on annual rent increases.

With these hard fought agreements, Maravilla will not impact our neighborhoods, and will be a positive force on area housing needs. Maravilla will soon be available to serve the needs of area seniors. PANA is pleased for the support we have received by the community for the past 3 years as we strived to make this project the best it could be. Any of you wishing to place yourselves on the waiting list for Maravilla can call Senior Resources Group in San Diego at (858) 552-6776.

Noel Xmas Tree Farm – Plans are being submitted for development of the Larry Cavaletto property on Las Perlas. They propose 85 units on the 25.9 acre property. PANA remains in close contact as plans solidify.

Currently, the plans call for extending Merida northward through the property, with the park/open space and the Cavaletto home to the west of it. Roads would then provide access through Cathedral Oaks Village to Cathedral Oaks Road. The existing farm lane would become an east-west road with access to Las Perlas and to Patterson Avenue. This arrangement provides for maximum diffusion of the traffic.

Some of the power lines will be underground, but the three highest lines are said to be so powerful that they cannot be buried.

We still must remain vigilant that the units along the south property line are not too close to that property line.

County Fire Station – PANA and JM Development (builders of Orchard Park) have worked closely with Supervisor Rose to help neighbors on Harvard Lane and the firemen on Calle Real obtain a fence to buffer the noise from traffic. PANA plans a landscaping party after its construction next month.

ARCO Gas Station & Minimart – It’s back again. Comments are due by October 10 on an EIR for an ARCO gas station on the east side of Patterson Avenue at the freeway.

Approval of this gas station would impact nearby homes by noise, night lighting, and odors. There is a potential for hazardous materials upset, an air quality issue, and a health risk. This gas station would prevent the planned extension of Calle Real. It would also create a safety issue with large volumes of traffic crossing four lanes toward Calle Real and making u-turns. PANA opposes this project.

Neighborhood Traffic Cop

San Jose Creek Class I Bike Lane – Planning is now underway on the bike path that was funded over 2 years ago. Neighbors attended a meeting held by Supervisor Rose at the creek

Community-wide Issues

El Encanto Apartments – PANA has uncovered the Achilles heel of this project on Calle Real. The site was known by the neighbors, but not by the owners, to have been used as a dump-site for many years. Soil testing was performed two years ago and revealed problems typical of soil contamination. But environmental inspection was never performed to prove it one way or the other. PANA provided the environmental consultant with the missing information, resulting in the County being notified of a potential $1.9 million contamination liability. The project may not be financially feasible any longer.

PANA is surely not against affordable housing, but this project made far too many compromises and became a detriment to the surrounding neighborhoods because the site was too small. This affordable apartment project would literally be a dump on the dump – one we could not tolerate in our own area. PANA is pleased to be able to help another neighborhood in its hour of need.

AIRPORT EXPANSION – The City of Santa Barbara plans to double the size of the airport terminal every 15 years and convert to a LA-style two-story structure with jetways. We suspect that a minor expansion of airport facilities is warranted, but also suspect that the plans are excessive.

Santa Barbara has overestimated air travel growth twice before and is doing it a third time. Every 10 years a new plan is advanced to expand the airport based upon faulty statistics.

Santa Barbara has been surprisingly willing to obey state growth projections that are 7 times as fast as the growth on the South Coast over the past decade. Airport pollution and noise do not impact Santa Barbara – only Goleta. We must attempt to restrain growth at the airport to sensible levels in order to preserve our quality of life. While a minor expansion from 45,000 square feet of terminal to perhaps 60,000 square feet may be justified, the proposed 95,000 square feet is just plain unnecessary and is growth inducing.

Over 100 commercial flights occur daily averaging as few as 10 passengers getting on each. There seems to be a lot of “churn” with extra airplanes generating maximum landing fees for the airport, but causing maximum impacts on Goleta and maximum fares for passengers. The city’s plans for expansion seem destined to further the demand for excessive numbers of flights for ever higher fares and landing fees. It is more expensive to fly to LA than across the country. And future growth of the airline industry is now being questioned nationally.

Part of the airport expansion plan is to extend the runway safety zone, which may eventually allow larger planes to land. Plans include almost tripling the number of corporate jets, which are the loudest. East and west of the main runway, noise is frequently unbearable. In our neighborhoods north of the freeway, recent changes to the civil aircraft flight paths have increased noise noticeably.

PANA has designated a member of the Board of Directors to become involved in the airport noise study. We will work with other neighborhood organizations to minimize the impacts of the airport on our lives while retaining the convenience of this connection to the world beyond.

PANA Status Report THANK YOU. Recipients of Speed Bump have shown their outstanding support with donations to keep us going. Over 125 donations have come in since the last newsletter. This means that PANA now enjoys financial support from over 600 families in addition to about the same number who have attended meetings on specific issues. We are in our third year of serving you.

Speed Bump is distributed to over 3000 area addresses, so as many as 10,000 people may see the Speed Bump as a direct 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 You!

We need your contributions to continue our newsletter distribution and to fight for your interests. 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.