Goleta Design Board to Give Marriott Plan Another Look

Major revisions have been made to the proposed extended-stay hotel on Hollister Avenue

By Sonia Fernandez, Noozhawk Staff Writer | Published on 03.08.2010

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The Goleta Design Review Board will take yet another look on Tuesday at the Marriott Residence Inn project proposed for 6300 Hollister Ave. With some major changes, the project may make it through this time.

The extended-stay hotel project, which has been making the rounds at the city’s planning desk, has been in something of a tug-of-war between the board and the Orange County-based applicant, R.D. Olson Construction, for issues relating to the size of the building and its potential for blocking the scenic mountain views from Hollister Avenue.

The mountain views from Hollister are considered a visual resource in the city’s General Plan. During the last few DRB reviews, the development team has been sent back to the drawing board to attempt to fix that issue. Another version of the project, at 140 rooms, made it through the city’s planning process in 2009, only to be withdrawn because of a lawsuit challenging the environmental documents related to it.

Meanwhile, the project’s proponents have maintained that to keep the hotel feasible, with its larger suites, the room count had to hover around 133 just to break even. Local land costs, including additional work needed to preserve the site’s archaeological resources, have resulted in what project supporters say is a relatively more costly plan.

This version of the project, however, has taken the room count to 118, about 15 rooms fewer than what was claimed as the break-even point for the hotel. Correspondingly, the decrease in room count also brings the proposed hotel under the 50 percent footprint cap required by the city, which also was a somewhat contentious point between the DRB and the project’s proponents.

Steve Fedde, a representative for Sares-Regis Group, which owns the land, said the decrease in room size was made through a renegotiation of the lease with Robert Olsen.

“All parties had to reduce their expectations to make the project work,” he said, adding that the economics of the project necessitated the change in lease terms.

If the project makes it through the Design Review Board, it will still need to go through several other layers of approval, including the Goleta Planning Commission.

— Noozhawk staff writer Sonia Fernandez can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

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» Lars on 03.09.10 @ 07:17 AM

All local hotels, especially hotels in Goleta are suffering big time right now.

Of course the city wants the increased bed tax, but since there’s already a massive oversupply of hotel rooms in the area, the total amount collected won’t increase.  Who in their right mind excepts a new “freeway special” hotel in Goleta to actually attract new tourists?  The idea is absurd.

Attractive apartments or townhouses would be welcome.  With all these unneeded new big box hotels, before you know it, Goleta will look like Oxnard.

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» Interested Party on 03.09.10 @ 08:06 AM

Good for the City to focus on a long-term stay and respond to the unique demand that exists for that type of room.  Lars’ argument would be true if Goleta were approving just another local motel, but that isn’t this proposal.

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» AN50 on 03.09.10 @ 09:31 AM

These hotels are actually to serve local businesses. They will steal revenue from the city of Santa Barbara and aid local commerce. When the NIMBYs in this town realize what pays the bills then they will see the wisdom in building these facilities. Most of us living and working here are growing very tired of the same squeaky voices at all the public hears spewing the same tired old 40 year long message of NO. Give it a rest people and let’s get going.

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