On The Web: Pineapple Pie's Second Home at the Beach

It's still hard for me to believe I live on the beach! But it is truly amazing to walk out of my dorm room and watch the waves of the pacific ocean. When I am having a bad day I just go sit on one of the cliffs and just watch the sunset... cheesy but you have no idea how much stress it let out to just watch the waves. My dorm room is in a perfect spot... With a view of the lagoon and campus it also sits within a 3 minute walk from the beach. Better yet it is right nect to Isla Vista (IV) the craziest college town in the nation. I love being able to walk through IV at 2am and see tons of people still up... some may be drunk but others are just walking around. People are so friendly here too... I missed out the first 2 quarters I was here because my life was so disorganized and It sucks that it took that long to realize how awesome UCSB is! Here are some pics:

Well at least one student has some appreciation for the beauty of the South Coast, and has a view of the ocean when she wakes up in the morning. Now, what about housing for those that live here year round and clean tables in restaurants, make the beds in hotel rooms, paint houses, etc.?

Adventures at Kamp Katrina... in Goleta!?

A couple moved from Arizona to Goleta into what they describe as a "shabby, dilapidated hill billy dirt shack studio rental cottage". Guess the lesson to be learned here is that one should never move "sight unseen", nor assume anything, even basic human habitation standards. Money is king to most landlords.

Perhaps code enforcement needs to make a visit.

Supervisors Approve Contested Homes on North Patterson

Santa Barbara Newsroom
By Barney McManigal
April 18, 2007

County supervisors on Tuesday unanimously cleared a six-home project on North Patterson Avenue that divided neighbors and revealed the strong resistance builders face in the Goleta Valley -- even with smaller-scale projects.

The Board of Supervisors approved landowner Terri Hourigan’s plan to build homes ranging from 4,200- to 4,800-square-feet on a six-acre plot that some residents call the street’s “crown jewel.”

While the project slated for 1118 Patterson Ave. would come in well under the maximum housing density -- of about three homes per acre -- allowed under the law -- neighbors voiced concerns about traffic, safety and the long-term impacts of growth. Until supervisors cast their votes Tuesday, the Hourigan property was restricted to agricultural uses.

A hodge-podge of housing tracts, mini-malls and scattered farm plots, the unincorporated area between Santa Barbara and Goleta has generated some of the most bitter debates over land-use in a region suffering from intense growing pains.

Describing the project as “piece-meal” planning, several residents requested delays that would allow planners and the community to gauge the impact of all future growth.

Jack Armstrong, a member of the Coalition for Sensible Planning, said officials should wait until the county updates the area’s growth blueprint, which fell out of date when Goleta became a city in 2002. The county plans to finish the update later this year or next.

“You should postpone this project until a comprehensive Goleta Valley Community Plan is completed,” Armstrong said.

But at least one supervisor publicly resisted that idea, saying it could lead to legal troubles down the road.

“That would be tantamount to suggesting a moratorium on building,” said Supervisor Joe Centeno, who has generally voiced strong support for community plan efforts.

Several neighbors praised the project and lamented the red tape Hourigan has faced since she unveiled it in 2001. Overall, she has spent about $600,000 in preparation costs, said Laura Bridley, the land-use consultant representing Hourigan.

Budget hawk Andy Caldwell blasted officials for taking six years to approve a project that he said should have received a permit over-the-counter.

The Coalition of Labor, Agriculture and Business spokesman also took aim at supervisors for not maximizing housing densities on the property to help the county comply with a state mandate for new growth.

“They could have built double -- and probably should have built double -- the number of houses here,” Caldwell said. “The people in the South County need to get a life and get real.”

Besides issues involving the development itself, a major concern of project critics was the need for a stop sign at the corner of Patterson and Camino Meleno. After hearing from several speakers, supervisors agreed to direct the Public Works Department to install the traffic stop.

Supervisor Janet Wolf, the area's representative, called the project a good compromise between diverse interests on both sides.

“One of the reasons it worked out is the response from the neighbors,” said Wolf, who described the property as “very beautiful.”

“When you have that, it’s beneficial.”

The Clock Ticking, Yardi Seeks Worker Housing

Santa Barbara Newsroom
By Tom Schultz
April 9, 2007

An 11th-hour request by company officials Monday has set the stage for the addition of employee housing to an Old Town Goleta project that's been years in the making.

Yardi Systems Inc. is now on track for a construction time extension that could bring up to 50 homes in addition to office space on property near the Santa Barbara Airport.

At a hearing before the City Council, company officials said that without worker housing it would be difficult to recruit and retain employees.

In a 5-0 vote, the City Council agreed to engage Yardi officials in a new round of project review. The council set a May 7 hearing to consider amendments to an approved 2001 development plan currently governing construction at the site near the Santa Barbara Airport.

“We have had some issues with recruiting and retaining employees,” Gordon Morrell, Yardi executive vice president and chief operating officer, told the council.

It’s a refrain that has filled board rooms, economic forecasts and government chambers up and down the South Coast in recent years, as housing costs have soared. Morrell said that Yardi might incorporate up to 50 new homes, including perhaps 10 rental units.
“This is a very, very rough number,” Morrell said. “We are very new at this.”
Yardi employees would get first priority for the new homes, according to the company.

On Monday, all five council members appeared sympathetic and several complimented Yardi on its effort to expand employer-sponsored housing for workers.

“This is a vital thing we need to consider, housing for our employees,” Mayor Jean Blois said.

Councilman Michael Bennett said the city and Yardi had nothing to lose by exploring their options. The project might help Yardi stay local, he said.

“This is an opportunity for us to be flexible,” Bennett said.

Councilman Eric Onnen suggested that a long extension could be a problem and said he hoped the city would pressure the company to finish in a reasonable stretch of time.

The coming months could bring a clear test of how the council members who were elected last November may handle the design review questions — the size, bulk and scale of projects and how many units to include — that haunt Goleta politics week after week.

Yardi's request came formally in a Thursday letter to the city, which had first learned of the idea about two weeks ago, according to Planning Director Steve Chase.

As currently approved, the Yardi project along South Fairview Avenue near Ekwill Street would add a 73,000-square-foot office building to properties that already hold a 60,800-square-foot workplace and a 108,000 square-foot office building.

Before the extension, the construction of Yardi's third and newest building was slated to begin before Oct. 23 to satisfy terms of the original project approval. Santa Barbara County signed off on the project before Goleta incorporated in 2002.

The third round of construction might have started in a couple of weeks, Morrell said.

“We are that close,” he said. “Our preference, however, is to take care of what we consider the real need.”

While supportive of working with Yardi, Councilwoman Jonny Wallis suggested that a degree of caution was warranted.

Choosing between housing and space for high-paying jobs could prove tricky, she said. Wallis said that adding housing should not get in the way of the expansion of nearby industrial areas.

“We have to be careful,” said Wallis, who lives in Old Town. “Let’s get the issues on the table."

BlogaBarbara: Goleta Housing Plan Rejected By State

For those that are interested, there is quite a discussion going on over at BlogaBarbara regarding the State rejecting Goleta's housing plan.

State Rejects Goleta's Affordable Housing Plan

Santa Barbara Daily Sound
Tuesday, March 22, 2007
By Colby Frazier
Daily Sound Staff Writer

The controversial housing element in the Goleta General Plan that calls for 55 percent of all new development to be classified affordable, was recently turned down by the California Department of Housing and Community Development.

This marks the third time the state has sent the city's inclusionary housing rate proposal back to the drawing board.

"...The Department finds the element continues to require significant revisions to comply with State housing element law," said Cathy E. Creswell, deputy director for the Department of Housing in a letter to council.

The decision by the department of housing comes on the heels of a March 5 city council meeting, during which the council officially voted to open the General Plan to possible amendments.

Some at that meeting criticized the council for diving into General Plan changes before the state's decision on the housing element was known.

Goleta City Manager Dan Singer said that argument was killed on Tuesday when the department of housing issued their findings.

"It's not a surprise," said Councilman Roger Aceves. "I totally expected it to come back."

APPROVAL
The 55 percent inclusionary housing rate was approved by the city council last year with a 4-1 vote. Current city mayor Jean Blois made the lone dissenting vote.

Of those who voted in favor of the rate, only councilwoman Jonny Wallis remains on the council.

The other three members; Jack Hawxhurst, Cynthia Brock and Margaret Connell, lost their spots on the council during the November General Election to Aceves, Michael Bennett and Eric Onnen -- all of whom repeatedly attacked the 55 percent inclusionary rate during their campaigns.

"We're cleaning up the General Plan," Bennett said. "The General Plan was a good document, it just needed to have the necessary changes to provide the things the General Plan was drafted to do."

For Singer, the department of housing's decision to send the housing element back to the city is not so much of a rejection, but more of a continuation of the process.

"This is a constructive letter," Singer said. "It gives us some very good suggestions that I believe the Council is willing to consider as we move forward with a General Plan Amendment."

The letter drafted by the state that outlines its reasons for turning down the city's housing element says: "The proposed 55 percent inclusionary housing policy represents one of the highest percentage inclusionary requirements in the State, and will significantly impact the cost and supply of housing in Goleta."

The 55 percent inclusionary housing rate isn't the only part of the housing element the department took exception to.

The letter also says the housing element submitted does not adequately demonstrate the projected residential densities and buildout capacities on the available sites identified in the plan.

Other issues identified in the letter state a lack of public participation while drafting the plan, as well as a lack of consistency throughout the plan.

Changes will also likely include floor area ratios that are specified in the General Plan and setbacks for new and remodeled structures.

After the General Plan was approved on Oct. 2 of last year, eight lawsuits were filed -- many as a result of the inclusionary housing rate.

Singer said the outcome of the lawsuits won't be known until the council makes official changes to the General Plan.

He did say however that a tentative agreement was reached with the plaintiffs of the lawsuits to not move forward with the lawsuits, but it expired last week. Singer said the city hopes to reach another similar agreement with the plaintiffs that will keep the various parties out of court until the current council's actions are made official.

'PERENNIAL QUESTION'
Now it's no longer a matter of if the General Plan will be amended, it's a matter of when it will be completed.

"That's kind of the perennial question," Singer said. "The more changes that get thrown out on the table so to speak the more complicated and cumbersome the process is going to get."

Singer said the council will likely split their changes into two different amendments in order to get some of the less complicated changes enacted more quickly.

On one side will be less changes like the inclusionary housing rate, which Singer said won't require any additional environmental review and will move through the process more quickly. On the other will be a host of changes that could take as long as a year to complete.

Singer said most inclusionary housing rates in the state of California fall anywhere between 15 to 30 percent, and Goleta will likely end up somewhere in between as well.

The council is scheduled to discuss General Plan amendments again at its April 16 meeting.

"I'm looking forward to holding additional public hearings to talk about the housing element and hopefully help us create one that the state will approve," Aceves said. "It's exciting. We'll be able to do it, and do it right."

Posted with permission from the Santa Barbara Daily Sound.

Update 3/22 2:05PM:
Story is now posted at the Santa Barbara Daily Sound Blog.

State Rejects Goleta's Housing Plan

SB Independent
March 21, 2007
By Martha Sadler

The State of California finally returned its decision on the City of Goleta's housing plans, which were adopted in November as part of the newly established the city's first general plan. In a word, the answer from the state's Housing and Community Development (HCD) division is “no.” The the housing element requires more work to earn state certification. The state did not specifically reject the general plan's controversial 55 percent affordable requirement for new condo development along a certain portion of Hollister, but it did decide that the city's development standards are too stringent to allow the kind and amount of affordable housing that the general plan envisions. In addition, the HCD wants the city to provide more detail on plans for housing farmworkers and the homeless. The council, whose newly elected majority campaigned on a platform of changing the general plan's housing element, is way ahead of the state in that is has already given a preliminary nod to both relaxing development standards and eliminating the 55 percent requirement, amendments which staff is refining and will bring back to the council for consideration again on 4/16.

Click here for the Independent story.

Third Time Is Not The Charm For Goleta's General Plan Housing Element

The Santa Barbara News-Press is reporting that the State Department of Housing and Community Development has rejected the City of Goleta's General Plan Housing Element for the third time in 18 months.

In a letter to City Manager Dan Singer on March 19, Cathy Creswell, the Housing Department's Deputy Directory, outlined six areas in which the City is out of compliance. They are: housing needs, resources and constraints, housing programs, general plan consistency, public participation and coastal zone localities.

The News-Press is reporting that Dan Singer said City Staff are in the process of preparing a General Plan Amendment for the Council's consideration, and it is expected to be on the April 16 agenda.

Santa Barbara News-Press Article (Must be a subscriber to view.)