Goleta City Council Responds to County’s Housing Element
By the City of Goleta
The Goleta City Council is urging the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors to join the City in addressing housing issues together before submitting its Housing Element to the State. At a Special City Council meeting held yesterday, February 27, 2023, the Mayor and Council authorized sending a comment letter requesting that the County allow more time to address a list of significant concerns, to consider suggested solutions, and for more meaningful public input.
City of Goleta Mayor Paula Perotte said, “The ramifications of the County’s Housing Element are massive and require careful thought, analysis, and extensive outreach, none of which can occur in the rushed timeline provided. Let’s slow down and do this together.”
After a two-year process, the County recently released its Draft Housing Element on January 30, 2023, with a deadline of March 1, 2023, to provide public comment. While the plan impacts a number of jurisdictions, it calls for thousands of new units along the City of Goleta’s borders. This plan to convert land zoned for agriculture located outside the urban/rural limit line will have dramatic impacts on the City and its residents, from transportation issues to housing services. The proposed housing developments include 1,436 units on the Glenn Annie Golf Course and 2,834 units on the South Patterson Ag block south of Hollister between S. Patterson and Ward Drive, both agriculturally zoned lands.
Among its recommendations outlined in the comment letter, the Council requests that the County use a more equitable approach such as to prioritize infill on underutilized commercial and other property in the urban area and modify the proposed housing sites it has listed. The City also requests that the County Housing Element include stronger programs committed to preserving new housing for the local workforce with necessary services included.
View the City Council letter here. [Today], March 1, 2023, is the last day for the public to submit comments on the County’s Housing Element. View the document and information on how to submit a comment at https://www.countyofsb.org/3177/Housing-Element-Update.
17 Comments
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Mar 06, 2023 06:25 PMForget arguing about the Greka fiasco folks. Let it die. The biggest news story of today came from the Hawk and it’s that Goleta’s leaders called out the County on their plans to build thousands of “affordable” units in Goleta and hardly anywhere else, and apparently now they’re looking at spots in Montecito. What are we thinking? Bird refuge, maybe. Oh I know, it’s Ty Warner’s golf course? Or maybe his mansion? I don’t know.
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Mar 06, 2023 06:36 PMBASIC - that IS awesome news! https://www.noozhawk.com/under-pressure-from-goleta-santa-barbara-county-now-considering-montecito-housing-site/
Thank you, Goleta Council Members!
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Mar 02, 2023 09:40 PMWhere IS a good place to put thousands of units in our local area? Nowhere. It’s unsustainable and horrible for traffic, infrastructure, water resources, etc. That’s my point. Newsom has screwed us.
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Mar 02, 2023 10:35 PMNo where in SB City/Goleta can take 8000 more units. It's absurd. But... we have a large county with plenty more room that SB/Goleta/Carp. Honestly, anywhere other than ripping out a beloved golf course in the farmlands of West Goleta.
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Mar 02, 2023 06:42 PMSac, I’ve got news for you - Newsome is SOLELY RESPONSIBLE for this mess he’s throwing at our community, and the whole state. It’s his mandate. He’s running the show, and it’ll be his legacy, sad as it is.
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Mar 02, 2023 08:16 PMBASIC - yes, it was his mandate, but not his CHOICE as to where to put these homes. We can sit here blaming Newsom all you want, but the fact remains that the local leadership made the decision to destroy a working-class predominate golf course and jam thousands of units and more thousands of people in a rural area with no infrastructure to support it. THAT is reprehensible in my mind.
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Mar 02, 2023 07:20 PMWho is this Newsome character the cons keep bringing up in unrelated contexts?
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Mar 02, 2023 04:47 PMClue in SACKON
This is a MANDATE FROM THE STATE to all jurisdictions, the Country has NO CHOICE but to “find” a place to put the 8000 housing units somewhere…. There is ZERO CONSIDERATION given by the State as to any local impacts on City’s throughout the State….This is not merely a Goleta or SB. Country issue. Newsom IS IN FACT RESPONSIBLE as is every State elected official for this housing mandate.
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Mar 03, 2023 11:48 PMThere are alternatives to the housing mandate to solve the inbalance of housing to people in California. One large item is to enforce immigration laws. That would free up tremendous amount of housing for citizens.
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Mar 02, 2023 06:36 PMNo, I just BLAME the Democrats that are running the State into the ground. Newsom is just the head idiot in charge.
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Mar 02, 2023 05:58 PMCOASTCROTCH - I'm not so much opposed to the housing mandate (although I think 8000 is a bit much) as I am to the County even considering destroying Glen Annie Golf Course along with everything around it. The location is the problem and, again...... that's not Newsom's choice. Hence my comment.
Your obsession with Newsom is starting to eat away at your common sense. You can't blame him for everything.
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Mar 02, 2023 09:01 AMCoast Watch, you are spot on! The Housing Element issue and the the number of statewide units that need to be built comes from Sacto. They dumped a new number of~5600 new homes in SB county over the next 8 year cycle. The previous housing req in the SB county was ~600. They did this all on their own, not consulting with nay of the counties in the state. That is 1000% increase in the number of units from the prior cycle. The states one solution for ALL counties is a disaster. Did they have concerns for water, sewer. roads or congestion? NO they did not.
If you think that only the "developers " pushed this plan you would be wrong. Think building trade unions and enviros.
I think everyone agrees that we need more housing that's a given. Where to place it is the challenge.
You got one party in control of everything in the state. There is no push back or real governance when you have only one party in control.
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Mar 01, 2023 03:42 PMI agree completely. Imagine what the traffic will look like in the already packed Glen Annie area, as well as at South Patterson. Total gridlock. Poor planning Board of Sup’s. Try again.
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Mar 01, 2023 11:11 AMIf the County had engaged the public instead of the land owners early in this process, all these issues could have been worked out...or at least the public would feel as if they had some voice. What is going to the state is really developer-driven. I don't think other jurisdictions spent a year going out and meeting with developers. Goleta's council is to be commended for recognizing the weaknesses of the County's chosen process, making suggestions that make sense, and asking for more time. Planning staff needs to remember that they work for us, the residents, and that there are community plans in place that contain policies to save our ag. land. BOS, please step up sooner than later. The Planning Commission hasn't even had a chance to review and discuss this Housing Element update. Waiting for the zoning process and doing a one size fits all programmatic EIR is going to make things worse.
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Mar 01, 2023 10:41 AMThank you, Mayor Perotte! The citizens of Goleta are TIRED of being the county's dumping grounds. Taking away the golf course from the working class who can't afford the fees at Sandpiper and other local courses would be awful. Loading that area with almost 1500 new units and thousands of people would be catastrophic. There NEEDS to be a better plan. Yeah, I'm a NIMBY on this and so should anyone be who lives in that area. Stop treating Goleta like a dump!
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Mar 02, 2023 09:04 AMCOAST - Newsom didn't chose that location, so just stop.
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Mar 01, 2023 06:40 PM@SACJON… So how does it feel to have the wrath of Sacramento Politicians come down on you, Goleta and EVERY OTHER city in this State…. When we are a one party Nation/State, you have NO SAY on the policies they legislate into law….You have no recourse. Accept it and DO NOT MOVE TO IDAHO!