The City of Goleta may see changes to its sphere of influence, giving the city some say in development projects in Santa Barbara County as well as possible expansion opportunities.

At last week’s meeting, the City Council voted 4-1 to approve revisions to a potential service area map that removes the Ocean Meadows Golf Course and North Fairview areas while keeping the Glen Annie Golf Club and South Patterson areas. 

Currently, Goleta’s sphere of influence is the same as the city limits. 

Adopting a sphere of influence through the Santa Barbara Local Agency Formation Commission sets the city up for potential annexation and could give Goleta some limited say in development projects in the county, according to Anne Wells, the city’s advance planning manager. 

“If you want to change, you have to start somewhere, and I think it’s time for us to start down the road of positioning Goleta for the future with these areas,” Councilman James Kyriaco said.

Last week’s vote also authorized staff to submit a sphere of influence application using the City Council’s approved revisions to LAFCO. 

“I think going through this process and taking this first step in no way, at least in my mind, commits us to pursuing annexation,” Councilwoman Luz Reyes-Martín said. “I see it as it sets up the potential option in the future, and there’s a lot of work and effort that goes into it.”

City staff recommended removing the Ocean Meadows and North Fairview areas after evaluating recent land use changes and pending development projects adjacent to city limits.

The Ocean Meadows Golf Course, east of the Goleta’s Ellwood Mesa, was once the site of a proposed residential development but now belongs to UC Regents as an open space area. City staff do not see any potential development in that area.

Additionally, city staff evaluated the North Fairview area, northeast of the city, as having limited redevelopment potential as an existing developed neighborhood currently sits on the site and because of past resident opposition. 

That is a change from when the City Council voted in 2024 to try to establish the Glen Annie Golf Club, the North Fairview/Holiday Hill, the former Ocean Meadows Golf Course and the Hollipat Agricultural Block to the city’s sphere of influence. 

Two areas, with some revisions, were recommended to be kept. 

The Glen Annie Golf Club, north of the city, has a pending housing project application and conceptual plans to bring 800 to 1,000 new housing units to the area. City staff want to keep that area while changing the prezoning on some of the parcels in the area from agricultural to high-density residential, in accordance with recent county rezoning.

“If we believe we are going to be heavily burdened in a sense by the development, we might want to own it regardless,” Councilman Staurt Kasdin said. “They have nowhere to go but through Goleta.”

The South Patterson area, south of Hollister Avenue, currently has St. Athanasius Church and the Giorgi property in its potential service areas. 

City staff recommended adding seven additional parcels, most of which are proposed to have high-density residential development and could have a potential of 3,100 units, according to the city staff report. 

“I don’t want anyone to be under the impression that taking this step today to start us down the road of prezoning and start us down the road of applying for a sphere of influence is going to be the difference between Glen Annie getting built or not, or Giorgi getting built or not,” Kyriaco said. 

County staff and members of the Board of Supervisors support the city’s change regarding Glen Annie Golf Club and the South Patterson area, according to the city staff report. 

However, Tuesday night’s discussion about the sphere of influence application was requested to be deferred by Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, a law firm representing Goleta property owners and housing development projects.

The firm requested that the city first conduct community outreach to potential affected owners. 

“Our clients just became aware of the proposed SOI adjustments this morning when they happened to review the City Council agenda materials. They have not had an opportunity to digest the staff report and understand its implications for their properties and projects,” the letter submitted to the City Council stated.

However, Kyriaco said there still will be time for people to share their input on the application.

Kasdin voted against the motion.

City staff will now submit a sphere of influence application using the revised map.