The Santa Barbara mayor and City Council voted Tuesday night to allow Valle Verde to expand in the quaint Hidden Valley portion of Santa Barbara. This is a mistake that sacrifices safety in this residential neighborhood.
Unfortunately, in doing so, they ignored the past requirements of a Conditional Use Permit (called a CUP) that is a requirement for the Valle Verde property that states, “Access and off-street parking including parking for guests is provided that meets the demand of the neighborhood and without altering the character of the public streets.”
The Conditional Use Permit is supposed to be enforced. Our City Council turned a blind eye.
Valle Verde and the City Council allowed continuing violations of the CUP by allowing the expansion. The traffic is so bad that buses, semi-trucks and cars often are forced to drive in the middle of the road. This is an accident about to happen, and parking again is worsened. Our family has had so many close calls that we avoid using the public roads near Valle Verde. This is not right.
The City Council’s decision puts residents at significant risk in the Valle Verde area. Let’s hope that none of our neighbors are hurt from these irresponsible actions by our high-density-friendly City Council.
John Caulfield
Hidden Valley, Santa Barbara