A proposal for major renovations at Sandpiper Golf Club in Goleta was supported by the city Planning Commission on Monday with one alteration.

The commission supported that the project, with a revision to a proposed path along Hollister Avenue, be forwarded to the City Council for consideration.

The commission voted 4-0 to recommend that the City Council adopt and certify findings from an environmental impact report, support the mitigation plan, and approve a development plan and a conditional-use permit for the project under the alternative plan.

Separately, the commission voted 3-1, with Commissioner Katie Maynard opposed, to recommend that the council approve the alternative plan with some height and setback adjustments, and a requirement that the landscape plan reflect trees that will not block the scenic view.

The votes did not include Commissioner Anne Miller, who recused herself because of a conflict of interest.

The construction project proposes demolishing the current clubhouse and building a unique replacement with above- and below-ground buildings at 7925 Hollister Ave.

Other components of the project include: a maintenance facility for staff, a redesign of the 18-hole golf course, restroom and snack facilities, restoration and reuse of the Barnsdall Rio Grande Gas Station, construction of the Rio Grande Coffee shop, increased parking, and the addition of transit stops and crosswalks along Hollister Avenue. 

“It is a beautiful-looking project,” Commissioner Cary Penniman said.

The alteration came after the project’s draft environmental impact report found that switching the proposed decomposed granite path along Hollister Avenue with a 10- to 14-foot-wide concrete multimodal path would be “environmentally superior,” according to Steve Rodriguez, a consultant on the project contracted by the City of Goleta.

That path was the primary change suggested for the project. 

The original plan proposed having a decomposed granite path along Hollister Avenue connecting to the Juan Bautista de Anza Trail.

“I think (the alternative) still allows us to connect to the de Anza Trail, and we are having that de Anza Trail feeding into that separated bike path,” Maynard said. “It will be a beautiful addition to the area.”

City staff also asked the applicant to extend the path one-third of a mile to the east.

While the project team and the club’s owner — Beanie Babies CEO and hotelier Ty Warner — support the alternative, they disagree with the avenues of funding for the extension, according to Steve Welton, planner for the project with SEPPS Land Use Consulting.

The proposal to change the path was made because the decomposed granite sidewalk was identified as not being compliant with ADA requirements, city plans and engineering standards, according to the city staff report.

The alternative also would connect to existing pedestrian and bicycle paths, promote residents to use alternative transportation methods, and enhance access to nearby spaces such as the Ellwood Mesa Open Space and the Sperling Preserve, Rodriguez said.

However, Commissioner Rita Serotkin worried that a multimodal path would duplicate the bike lane already on the street, and she voiced safety concerns about the path being multi-use. 

“One of my concerns is that with a lot of kids now on electric bikes, they are not always the safest,” she said. “You are putting bikes and pedestrians on the same path, and having been a runner for many years, that doesn’t always work.”

Project architect Barry Winick said cyclists focused on speed would most likely stay on the road, and those leisurely biking would probably use the path. 

The alternative also received support and some criticism from residents of Santa Barbara Bluffs, a gated home community near the golf course, citing traffic concerns.

“We really applaud this project. It is wonderful for Goleta,” resident Carolyn Grenier said. “(But) that area of Goleta is not safe for vehicular traffic or for pedestrians and bikes, and if you put in 10 to 12 feet of path in that area, it is going to be even more dangerous.”

Along with introducing an alternative path to the project, Monday’s meeting summarized the project’s draft environmental impact report’s findings that concluded there would not be any significant and unavoidable impacts. 

Some impacts were identified as being potentially significant but would have mitigation measures. 

While overall the commissioners supported the project, Penniman was concerned that the project’s landscape plans, specifically trees, would obstruct the scenic ocean view the project promises from Hollister Avenue.

“The landscape plan sheet appears to place mature canopy trees directly within the most significant existing corridor from the southbound Cathedral Oaks (and) Hollister approach,” he said.

He added to the Planning Commission’s recommendation to the Goleta City Council that the project team’s landscape plan reflect trees that will not block the views. 

Other commissioners did not think it was a big enough concern to specifically highlight in the recommendation.

“I think that this is a matter of trimming the trees, and I don’t think this is something at this point to be concerned about,” Serotkin said. 

Ultimately, the landscaping recommendation was included in the commission’s recommendation to the City Council. 

Maynard voted against adding that specific language but still in support of the project.

Aside from the Goleta City Council, the project still needs to go before the California Coastal Commission, which Welton hopes to complete by the end of the year.