THE GOODLAND OUTLOOK
Edition 16 — April 22, 2014

Santa Barbara County elections will take place June 3, 2014. Mail-in voting will begin as early as May 5.

The final public forum for this election will take place this Wednesday, April 23 at the Goleta Valley Community Center – 5679 Hollister Avenue. This is a great opportunity to hear directly from the candidates where they stand on the issues. Admission is free.
Forum Schedule:

6 – 7:30 PM: 2nd District Supervisor candidates Janet Wolf and Roger Aceves

7:30 – 9 PM: Santa Barbara County Sheriff Candidates Bill Brown and Sandra Brown.

The forum is co-sponsored by The League of Women Voters of Santa Barbara County, Families Act and The Goodland Coalition. Candidates will be asked questions posed by the moderator who will also ask questions gathered from the audience.

THE GOODLAND OUTLOOK
Edition 15 — April 4, 2014

As you may have heard, the City of Goleta has started a process to create a new Zoning Code. Is it important?
YOU BET!!!!! Just look at what the Goleta says this new code will do:

“The new Zoning Ordinance will include regulations and development standards for each parcel of land in the City…and define allowable land uses for each zone.” (Excerpted from the Supplemental EIR for the New Zoning Ordinance.)

Yes, this affects everyone in Goleta because the new zoning code will define what can be done on each piece of land in Goleta. It will affect:

• Not just what development will be allowed but also redevelopment;
• Not just public property but also commercial and residential property;
• Not just what you can do on your land or to your house, but also what your neighbors can do – from putting up signs, building an addition, putting commercial activities next to residential and vice versa;
• Mountain views, coastal access, shoreline access and visitor using services;
• Location of public services such as hospitals and those serving airport facilities.

The ordinance will also spell out changes in the current zoning PROCESSES, changes such as:

• What notice will be given to the public when zoning variances are requested;
• How much “flexibility” will be allowed for City staff to approve zoning variances and other changes administratively, rather than in open meetings where the public can provide input;
• Whether zoning decisions can be appealed and to whom.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Goleta residents should get involved in the shaping of this new Zoning ordinance. You can participate in upcoming meetings and/or write to city leaders (see below) advocating that when zoning changes and variances are requested, there should be:

• Maximum public notice;

• Maximum opportunities for public involvement;

• Close adherence to Goleta’s existing General Plan;

• Only very minor zoning changes and variances decided at the staff level, the rest by the Planning Commission and City Council;

• Notice and the ability to appeal all staff decision, to the Planning Commission and ultimately to the City Council.

UPCOMING MEETING NEXT MONDAY, APRIL 7: There are plenty of opportunities to participate, starting with an open house on Monday, April 7th from 5-6:30p.m. at Goleta City Hall.

The City will host an Open House with Jennifer Carman, the City’s Planning & Environmental Review Director, and Anne Wells, the City’s Advance Planning Manager, for an informal discussion about the zoning ordinance and Module 1. This is an opportunity for community members to have individual and small group discussions with the City’s lead planners about City zoning regulations and the Zoning Code process.

After the Open House, the Planning Commission will receive a status report on the Zoning Ordinance Project from City staff, including feedback and direction on Module 1: Administration and Permits and a preview of Module 2: Zoning Districts. The Planning Commission meeting will start at 6:30 p.m.

 MORE INFORMATION

To see an excellent article, about Goleta’s new Zoning Ordinance by Goleta’s first Mayor, Margaret Connell, here.

For some other key dates regarding Zoning, see Goleta’s newsletter here.

Goleta’s website relating to the new Zoning Ordinance.

Goleta Contact Information

To email Goleta’s City Council Members, Planning Commission Members, City Manager, Director of Planning and Planning Manager, copy the addresses below in the TO: section of an email.
mbennett@cityofgoleta.org
pperotte@cityofgoleta.org
raceves@cityofgoleta.org
eeaston@cityofgoleta.org
jfarr@cityofgoleta.org

bdaniels@cityofgoleta.org
tdressler@cityofgoleta.org
jsolomon@cityofgoleta.org
eonnen@cityofgoleta.org
mwest@cityofgoleta.org

dsinger@cityofgoleta.org
jcarman@cityofgoleta.org
awells@cityofgoleta.org

THE GOODLAND OUTLOOK
Edition 14 — March 10, 2014

1. The process for creating a new Goleta Zoning Ordinance is starting. When completed, the new Ordinance will affect every piece of land throughout the City of Goleta. It’s vital that the community keep informed and actively participate in this process. See below for the City’s invitation to attend some key, upcoming meetings, beginning Monday, March 10 at 5 PM.

2. See Part II of the recent Goleta Grapevine column regarding Goleta Growth, appearing in the online version of The Santa Barbara Independent.

SEE DETAILS BELOW

[the following is a copy of the official invitation from the City of Goleta]

Zoning Code Process Update

On Monday, March 10 from 5-6 p.m., City staff and the project consultant will host an Open House for an informal discussion on Module #1 (Administration) of the Zoning Ordinance.

Also on Monday, March 10 from 6-8 p.m., the Planning Commission will have a study session on Module #1 (Administration) of the Zoning Code. The public is encouraged to attend this meeting.

On Thursday, March 20 at 5:30 p.m., the City will hold an Environmental Scoping Meeting on the Zoning Ordinance Project. This meeting is to obtain agency and public comment on the adequacy of the scope and content of the environmental information and analysis, including potentially significant environmental issues, and mitigation measures that should be included in the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (SEIR). All interested parties are encouraged to attend the scoping meeting and to present written and/or oral comments.

These meetings will be held in City Council Chambers at 130 Cremona Drive, Suite B, Goleta, CA 93117.

For more information and links to project documents, please visit www.GoletaZoning.com .

NOTE: To receive updates on this process, sign up here on the right hand side of the page http://www.goletazoning.com/participate-1.html.

To see module #1 that will be the subject of the March 10 Planning Commission meeting, Module 1: Administration and Permits

We strongly encourage Goletans to become informed and involved in this process and we will try to keep you updated each time new zoning code-related items come to the Planning Commission and City Council.

2. See recent Part II  of the Goleta Grapevine column that appeared this week in the online version of The Santa Barbara Independent regarding Goleta’s recent growth spurt: http://www.independent.com/news/2014/mar/03/where-did-all-growth-come-part-2/

You may want to add your own comments at the space provided below the column.

NOTE: The Goleta Grapevine appears regularly in the online version ONLY of The Santa Barbara Independent. Click link to Indy Grapevine column“; to see other previous columns:  http://www.independent.com/news/columns/goleta-grapevine/

THE GOODLAND OUTLOOK
Edition 13 — February 19, 2014

1. City of Goleta is hosting a Workshop on Major Development and Related Capital Projects necessary to mitigate the traffic impacts of recent and planned growth and the public is urged to participate February 20 at 6 PM. See details below.

2. A process to create a new Goleta Zoning Ordinance will begin soon at Goleta’s Planning Commission. The new Zoning Ordinance will affect every piece of land throughout the City of Goleta, so it’s vital that the community ask to be kept informed and actively participate in this process.

3. See recent Goleta Grapevine column in the online version of The Santa Barbara Independent regarding Goleta Growth.

SEE DETAILS BELOW
1.Major Development and Related Capital Projects Workshop
The City of Goleta will host a public workshop at Goleta City Hall on February 20th at 6 p.m. City staff will present planned design and funding to mitigate the traffic impacts of recent and planned developments in Goleta.

Western Goleta is currently undergoing an unprecedented growth cycle, including developments recently approved or constructed by Goleta, UCSB, and Santa Barbara County. The associated traffic impacts will pose challenges to good motor vehicle, bike and pedestrian circulation in the city, especially on Hollister Avenue at and around Los Carneros and Storke intersections.

There will be time for public comment. Whether you attend or send comments via email (see contact information below) public participation and oversight will be essential to ask city leaders to

• ensure that traffic mitigation of growth will be done in a responsible and timely way,
• recognize that good and safe circulation is key to the vitality of local businesses, and,
• remember that good and safe circulation is key to preserving and protecting our neighborhoods.

2. New Goleta Zoning Ordinance: It is vital that Goleta residents participate in the process for creating Goleta’s new zoning code, beginning soon at Goleta’s Planning Commission.

The new code will affect every piece of land and its uses in Goleta, reflecting the General Plan’s vision, including for key items such as agricultural uses, construction requirements, building heights and creek setbacks and much more.
To receive updates on this process, sign up on the right hand side of the page, participate.

To learn more about the goals and overall plan for this process, visit the Goleta zoning website. An annotated outline of the proposed zoning code is available under the ‘documents’ link. This outline provides a framework for drafting the specific zoning regulations. The outline is organized into six parts:

1. Introduction
2. Base Zoning districts
3. Overlay Zones
4. Citywide Regulations
5. Administration and Permits
6. General Terms and Definitions
Each of these sections of the proposed zoning ordinance will be brought to Goleta’s Planning Commission for discussion and public comment over the next several months. The City expects this process with the Planning Commission to be completed in April, and the draft zoning ordinance that is created will then undergo environmental review. Following the environmental review, there will be City Council hearings before the Council ultimately adopts a newly zoning ordinance currently scheduled for the fall of 2014.
For more detailed information on the process, click <a title=”slideshow” on the link below to see a slideshow created by Goleta’s zoning consultants that may help you understand how the process works.

We strongly encourage Goletans to become informed and involved in this process and we will try to keep you updated each time new zoning code-related items come to the Planning Commission and City Council.
3. See recent Goleta Grapevine column in the online version of The Santa Barbara Independent regarding Goleta’s recent growth spurt.

You may want to add your own comments at the space provided below the column.

THE GOODLAND OUTLOOK
Edition 12 — February 10, 2014

This edition contains information on 3 key City of Goleta items:

1. The resolution of The Goodland Coalition’s appeal of the McDonald’s drive through
2. The next big change: The Goleta Zoning Code
3. The next big project: Villages at Los Carneros

We hope you will take a few minutes to read below and forward this email to friends and family who care about the future of Goleta.
1. McDonald’s Drive-Through
As you may have heard, The Goodland Coalition’s appeal to the City Council of Goleta to reject a new drive-through at the Camino Real McDonald’s was successful.

This was McDonald’s third try at adding a drive through at the Storke entrance near Home Depot. That would have made the already congested traffic at this entrance and surrounding Hollister intersections even more congested and less safe.

We want to thank Goleta Council Members Easton, Farr and Perotte who voted to uphold our appeal (as well as Commissioners West and Solomon for having voted against the drive through at the Planning Commission.)

And we are grateful for the numerous people and organizations that wrote emails, spoke at the meetings to express support for preventing even more traffic congestion and pedestrian and bicycle hazards at these busy intersections. We also thank those who provided some funding to defray our legal expenses.

We also want to thank our attorneys, Marc Chytilo and his Associate and Goleta resident Ana Citrin.

To read more about this great outcome, please see this Noozhawk story.

2. The City of Goleta is in the process of developing a new zoning code that potentially affects land use throughout Goleta. Here is your chance to get involved. For details.

3. Villages at Los Carneros
As some may have heard, a large residential project titled “Villages at Los Carneros” is making its way through the development process.
A Proposed Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) has been prepared and the City held a public hearing on the adequacy of the DEIR on Thursday, January 23, 2014.

The project site is located on the west side of Los Carneros Road south of US Highway 101 and the Union Pacific Railroad. The Development Plans consists of 465 residences on approximately 43 acres, comprised of single-family homes, duplexes, triplexes, four-plexes, townhomes, condominium flats, and apartments. Seventy (70) of the 465 residences would be affordable residential apartment units.

Access would be provided at three locations: two new roadway connections to Los Carneros Road, one at the east boundary of the project site via an extension of Calle Koral into the project site and one at the southwest boundary. The third access will be from the west side of the project site via a new bridge over Tecolotito Creek and connecting to the existing Cortona Drive.

To learn more, click here and scroll down to the caption “Villages at Los Carneros.”

If you need further information or to be added to the interested parties list, you can contact Kathy Allen, Senior Planner, at (805) 961-7545 or KAllen@cityofgoleta.org