[Editor’s Note: Bacara Resort & Spa and Oly Chadmar Group, developer of the planned Residences at Sandpiper, are among the parties that have sued the city of Goleta over the original General Plan. Sandpiper Golf Course is asking for a reconfiguration of its play areas. An earlier version of the story below was incorrect.]
In contrast to the tense atmosphere at the previous Goleta City Council hearing on proposed General Plan amendments, Tuesday night’s continuation of that meeting was a rather subdued affair. In the end, the council waded through the last of the 80 amendments recommended by city staff.
Goleta’s General Plan has been the topic of controversy since the city’s incorporation in 2002. The city’s original council, which also acted as its first planning agency, put together a plan that was praised by environmentalists and slow-growth advocates for its strong stance on environmental protections. But critics said the plan was inconsistent and it was viewed as too restrictive for businesses that wanted to expand, homeowners who wanted to remodel and developers who wanted to build. Business interests, including Bacara Resort & Spa and Oly Chadmar Group, developer of the planned Residences at Sandpiper, are among those that have filed suit against the city over the original General Plan.
The 2006 election, however, saw three originial council members swept out of office by more business-friendly challengers, clearing the way for the General Plan’s amendment.
The Jan. 17 hearing was the council’s first foray into the process and the meeting was a raucous one. This session was far more orderly. Most of the comments Tuesday were in support of the General Plan amendments, put forth by speakers from the business and development sector, as well as housing advocates and industrial property owners.
“I want to thank you for your balanced views and moderate approach, which is environmentally friendly and still supports our local businesses and controlled growth,” said Reyne Stapleman, a local resident, real estate agent and member of the nascent Keepers of the Goodland, a group strongly in favor of the General Plan amendments.
Mayor Michael Bennett’s decision to streamline the public comment process — by not allowing speakers who had commented during the Jan. 17 session — sparked rumblings among some in the audience about possible violations of the Brown Act, the state law that ensures open meetings. The ruling affected nine speakers, a mix of supporters and detractors of the proposed amendments. According to City Attorney Julie Biggs, however, because Tuesday’s meeting was a continuation of the Jan. 17 proceedings, Bennett had the discretion to make that decision.
The council discussed and ultimately pushed through the last 24 amendments proposed by staff for city initiation. Proposed amendments included changes to policies regarding the city’s Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Areas, stormwater management, open space and coastal bluff setbacks — changes that potentially could affect Bacara’s plans for a hotel condominium project, development at the newly approved 275-housing unit Village at Los Carneros, Haskell’s Beach access and Sandpiper Golf Course’s reconfigured play areas.
Voting on the more contentious issues — environmental protections and coastal access — were split along typical political lines for Goleta. The pro-business majority of Bennett and Council members Jean Blois and Eric Onnen voted mostly in tandem for the consideration of those proposed amendments, while slow-growth Councilwoman Jonny Wallis often dissented. Councilman Roger Aceves toed a more central line.
At final count, out of the 80 proposed amendments to the Goleta General Plan, just over 60 have been rescheduled for consideration by the council for approval — in April for the amendments that do not need in-depth environmental review, and in August for the ones that need further environmental study.