The Goleta Parks and Recreation Commission voted 5-1 on Wednesday to recommend demolishing the caretaker’s cottage at Stow Grove Park.
The cottage has been at the park since the mid-1960s, and its construction was a requirement when the property was deeded to Santa Barbara County in 1965. The deed transferred to Goleta when it became a city in 2002.
A caretaker hasn’t resided in the cottage since 2016, and the cottage has since fallen into disrepair and doesn’t meet accessibility requirements, according to Goleta’s Neighborhood Services director, JoAnne Plummer.
A handful of neighbors attended Wednesday’s meeting to share that they missed having a caretaker in the cottage to watch over the park and that they want a caretaker to return.
Mary and Rob Widiner live near Stow Grove Park and told the commission how not having a caretaker has put a burden on the community to report disturbances happening in the park. They also said the gates haven’t been closed at night since the caretaker left.
“We do miss the caretaker role on the property, specifically on the weekends,” Mary Widiner said. “For us, the caretaker role was eyes and ears, being able to maintain the property, and to not have to call the police for something silly like amplified music.”
Hank Goebel, who also lives near the park, said he’d like to see a prefabricated structure eventually replace the cottage. He also said the caretaker was critical to the park as he’s since seen people leaving trash behind, being in the parks after hours and kids using tree stakes as weapons.
“Having somebody on site for situations like this prevents damage to the park, and that’s our goal,” Goebel said. “It’s a jewel. We want to see it maintained, we want to see it available to the public to use it appropriately, and that’s our goal.”
Plummer said the city’s staffing doesn’t support having a caretaker stationed at the parks. There are, however, maintenance crews who regularly maintain the parks.
The Parks and Recreation Commission wasn’t given many options when reviewing the cottage. It could either recommend demolition or leave the cottage as it is, as the city doesn’t have the funds to refurbish and repair it. The commission also doesn’t have the authority to approve a caretaker position or make staffing decisions.
Plummer said refurbishing the cottage or replacing it with a prefabricated structure would cost more than $500,000. Demolishing the structure is estimated to cost $40,000 to $60,000.
Commissioner Stacie Furia said that because the city doesn’t have the funds to repair the structure, she worried that leaving it there would cause more issues in the park, leading to vandalism and broken windows.
Commissioner Timothy Philibosian said he thought it made more financial sense to demolish the existing structure now, while the city has funding to do so, and then try to replace it in a few years.
“Refurbishing what’s there currently is going to be expensive, take a long time; it’s just going to get worse and worse as we move forward,” Philibosian said.
Commissioner Deborah Williams cast the one vote against the demolition, explaining that the cottage is part of the park’s master plan. It was part of the deed when the county took over ownership, and she said she hopes the City Council looks into the possibility of funding a caretaker position or a park ranger.
The discussion comes as the city is in the first phase of the Stow Grove Park Project. The project includes adding an inclusive playground and new restrooms to the park.
If the City Council officially approves demolishing the cottage, work would happen in the first phase of park construction, set to start in September, according to Plummer.
The city reached out to members of the Stow family, who said they were comfortable with the city demolishing the cottage.
The recommendation will go to the City Council for final approval by this summer, though first it may be reviewed by Goleta’s Historic Preservation Commission.
