The Goodland Coalition invites the public to a FREE forum to meet and hear from Goleta’s new Director of Planning and Environmental Review, Peter Imhof.
What – Program
*Moderators Introduction: Peter’s background and qualifications
*Learn about his goals, challenges and opportunities for the department
*Update on major issues and opportunities for community involvement:
– Ordinance revisions in process: Zoning, Cannabis, and Accessory Dwelling Unit ordinances
– Sustainability Programs: Community Choice Aggregation, SEC Distributed Energy Resources, Ellwood Mesa Tree and Habitat
Management Program, etc.
- Audience question-and-answer session
- Peter’s concluding remarks
- When: Thursday, March 8 at 6:00 PM
- Where: Goleta Public Library, 500 N Fairview Ave, Goleta, CA 93117 in the large community meeting roomR.S.V.P. is optional, just to make sure we have enough cookies: info@thegoodlandcoalition.org
* * *
- GOLETA PLANNING WORKSHOP 1PM ON MARCH 5
The City Council is having an important special meeting to hear from the Planning and Environmental Review Department on possible re-organization and on priority setting.
The Agenda for the March 5, 2018 Special City Council Meeting has been posted and is available here.
The meeting will be held at Council Chambers at City Hall.
***
- HYDROGEN SULFIDE RELEASES IN WEST GOLETA – PUBLIC HEARING 6PM ON MARCH 7
On March 7, 2018 at 6:00 pm the City of Goleta will hold a public meeting on the repeated hydrogen sulfide releases in western Goleta. The meeting will be held in the City’s Council Chambers at 120 Cremona Drive. Staff from the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, Environmental Health Department, the Air Pollution Control Board (APCD) and the Office of Emergency Management will explain their roles and responsibilities and respond to questions.
THE PROBLEM
Goleta residents are concerned that such nearby hydrogen sulfide releases are dangerous and that local agencies can and should be doing more to protect resident safety:
– Exposure to hydrogen sulfide can cause permanent injury and can be fatal. Its toxicity depends on the concentration and duration of exposure.
– Current policies and practices do not prevent exposures, but seem to only detect and report on them.
– It is apparent that local authorities don’t know the concentration levels or the duration of the releases, and often not even their source.(see below for recent examples.)
At least one local resident is an authority on detecting releases of toxic materials and has noted that reliable detection and automated alerting systems are commercially available.These systems are much more capable of identifying sources of the releases, exposure concentrations and durations of exposures.
RECENT HISTORY
Residents of western Goleta recently experienced a serious hydrogen sulfide release on Sunday, October 9, 2016. It was feared the release came from Venoco’s Ellwood oil processing facility (EOF) located next to the Sandpiper golf course. The source was later discovered to be a water well being drilled on agricultural land near Winchester Canyon. The Santa Barbara Air Pollution Control Board (APCD) finally ordered the drilling stopped.
Since October 2016 local authorities have repeatedly responded to hydrogen sulfide releases in western Goleta, but not always in a satisfactory way. For example, last week hydrogen sulfide fence alarms at Venoco’s facility sounded intermittently for more than 90 minutes. When residents called 911 to report the odor, they were told that the source was offshore and that the first responders were not able to detect any toxins with their equipment.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
If you think more should be done to protect local citizens from future toxic releases, please to attend the March 7 meeting and advocate for better monitoring and enforcement to prevent dangerous releases.
More background information on APCD findings on recent releases can be found here: https://ourair.org/hydrogen-sulfide-in-goleta-area
***
[The following is excerpted from City of Goleta announcements.]
- OLD TOWN GOLETA SIDEWALKS PROJECT, PARKING AND COMPLETE STREETS MARCH MEETINGS AND WORKSHOP (SEE DATES AND TIMES BELOW)
Old Town Sidewalks Project Meetings
This project will provide a network of sidewalks on at least one side of neighborhood streets north of Hollister Avenue between South Fairview and Kinman Avenues as well as along Pine Avenue south of Hollister Avenue. Construction is anticipated to begin in late 2019.
On March 6 at 6:00 pm, City staff will update the Goleta City Council and community on this neighborhood project and the right-of-way process, at City Hall Council Chambers, 130 Cremona Drive.
On March 22, staff will hold a community meeting to have a more interactive discussion that includes street-level graphics and private property owner information on what to expect during the right-of-way process.The meeting is scheduled from 5:30 to 6:30 pm at the Goleta Valley Community Center, 5679 Hollister Avenue.
Old Town Parking Restrictions Community Meeting on March 12
The City is looking at changing the parking in Old Town along Hollister Avenue and adjacent streets in order to accommodate easier access for patrons of local businesses and the desire of the Old Town community. Join us for a Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Standing Committee meeting on March 12 at 6:00 p.m. at the Goleta Valley Community Center (5679 Hollister Avenue) to provide input on this topic. Anyone interested in providing feedback and learning more is welcome to attend.
Can’t make the meeting? Take our survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/oldtownparking
Para obtener información en español, y para tomar nuestra encuesta, haga clic aquí: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/oldtownparkingespanol
Hollister Complete Streets Community Workshops, 5:30 PM March 12 for residents, 9AM March 13 for businesses
Residents and visitors of Old Town are invited to a community workshop on March 13 at 5:30 p.m. at the Goleta Valley Community Center (5679 Hollister Avenue).
Business Owners & Employees of Old Town are invited to a community workshop 9:00 a.m. 10:30 a.m. on March 14 March 14 at the Goleta Valley Community Center, Room 6 (5679 Hollister Avenue).
Attendees will see three alternatives for what Hollister Avenue could look like. Should it be reduced from two lanes to one in each direction? What should the bike lanes look like? Do you prefer parallel or diagonal parking on Hollister Avenue? We will be gathering feedback on the different options to see which one people like best.
Hollister Avenue is a main corridor in Old Town Goleta providing access to businesses and residential homes. The Complete Streets project will enhance safety, access and mobility for all users (pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders) on Hollister Avenue between Fairview Avenue and State Route 217.
For those who are unable to attend, we still want to hear from you!
Please take our online survey which allows you to rank the three options and provide comments and feedback.
The survey is available at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HollisterCompleteStreets and will be open through March 18, 2018.
For more information on the project please visit http://www.goletacompletestreets.com.
Para obtener información en español, y para tomar nuestra encuesta, haga clic aquí: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/oldtownparkingespanol
***
- ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT (ADU) ORDINANCE IS CHANGING;
Design Review Board Meeting at 3PM on February 27 on ADU Design Review Standards
Recent changes to state law governing Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU) rendered Goleta’s previous ordinance on ADUs void. The state legislature intends to make it easier for residents to build ADUs to meet statewide housing needs.So, the City of Goleta will be adopting a new ADU ordinance to comply with the requirements of state law.
Unfortunately, the state’s “one size fits all” approach to planning does not factor in some of the unique characteristics of individual communities. Fortunately, some discretion still remains with local jurisdictions to tailor an ADU ordinance somewhat.
The Goleta Planning Commission has held two public workshops to provide input to city staff in advance of creating the draft ordinance. Issues of interest include: size and design requirements, the permitting process, development fees, owner occupancy, parking, and incentives to get unpermitted units permitted.
Goleta’s Design Review Board is discussing Design Review Standards for ADUs at its February 27 meeting beginning at 3PM. To see the agenda, click here https://tinyurl.com/yauq5zff and then refer to item D1.
Also, keep an eye out for a draft ADU ordinance to be on a Planning Commission meeting agenda in March 2018 and on the City Council’s agenda for final approval in May 2018 (tentative schedule subject to change). Your input will ensure that the new ordinance adequately preserves neighborhood character while also meeting the requirements of state law and the General Plan.
MORE ABOUT ADUs
An Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) is a secondary dwelling unit on land with a single family dwelling. ADUs may informally be referred to as in-law units, secondary units, or granny flats. An ADU is more than just an addition to a single family home – it is a separate space with its own living facilities and separate entrance. It may be a repurposing of space within the primary dwelling, an addition to the primary dwelling, or detached from the primary dwelling. ADUs may not be sold separately from the primary dwelling.
NOTE: ADUs should not be confused with the City of Santa Barbara’s “Average Unit-Size Density” Incentive Program – also called the AUD Incentive Program.
***
- CITIZENS PLANNING ASSOCIATION OF SANTA BARBARA (CPA)
Some Goleta residents have asked how they can become more involved in local planning issues. We at The Goodland Coalition want to mention that there are opportunities for Goleta residents to keep in touch at CPA, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, grassroots community organization.
CPA representatives and members have been very supportive of issues raised by The Goodland Coalition, helping spread our message and often testifying in our support at Goleta City Council and Planning Commission meetings.
In addition, CPA has provided a free email newsletter that often spots and highlights local issues. They also hold informative meetings and forums on topics of interest. Most recently, they co-sponsored with the SB Urban Creeks Council and the Santa Barbara Public Library a presentation by geologists Edward Keller and Larry Gurrola on the Montecito Debris Flow, video soon to be linked on the CPA website.
Upcoming on March 5, Supervisor Janet Wolf will be at CPA’s First Monday (always free) planning meeting; 12 noon-1:15, Hill-Carrillo Adobe, 11 East Carrillo Street, Santa Barbara. …space is limited!
And they always welcome input when community members want to raise concerns on something that needs attention.
As CPA indicated in a recent newsletter, “CPA is always open to new volunteers, new committee members, new board members, new topics for research, and planning-related subjects for civic or policy action. If you have a topic or project we should know about, please let us know. If you know someone who hankers to get trained, and get involved, please tell us. We need your help to stay involved and pay attention to all that goes on in our community. Join us. Contact us: citizensplanningsb@gmail.com.”
* * *
CITY OF GOLETA CONTACT INFORMATION:
To send an email to Mayor Perotte, city council members Aceves, Bennett, Kasdin and Richards and City Manager Greene, copy the following and past it into the TO: section of an email.
pperotte@cityofgoleta.org, raceves@cityofgoleta.org, mbennett@cityofgoleta.org, skasdin@cityofgoleta.org, krichards@cityofgoleta.org, mgreene@cityofgoleta.org
