The Sandpiper Golf Club’s project passed a major milestone on Tuesday, bringing the proposed renovation and new clubhouse closer to reality.

In a 5-0 vote, the Goleta City Council unanimously approved the project, including a revision to the proposal to create a concrete bicycle path adjacent to the site, certified the project’s final Environmental Impact Report and mitigation measures. 

“This is a really historic night and a really important night for Goleta’s future as well, and a night that has been a long time coming,” Councilman James Kyriaco said.

The construction project, spearheaded by Beanie Babies CEO and hotelier Ty Warner, owner of the club, proposes demolishing and building a new clubhouse, redesigning the 18-hole golf course, restoring the historic Barnsdall Rio Grande Gas Station to be used as part of a coffee shop, building a new maintenance facility and restroom, improving Hollister Avenue and adding coastal access routes.

The project has one change from its original proposal, which includes adding a concrete bicycle path adjacent to the project site at 7925 Hollister Ave. that would connect with an existing path west of Pebble Beach Drive.

The concrete path was found to be an environmentally better choice over the originally proposed decomposed granite surface.

Council members were in support and excited for this change.

“I am especially pleased with the bike path. It is just in my DNA to make it safer for pedestrians and bikes to get from point A to point B, so that is going to be really helpful,” Mayor Paula Perotte said.

Kyriaco agreed and said it provides not only a new route to nearby schools but also a new route for Sandpiper Golf Club employees. 

“Not everyone that works in Goleta has a car. Gas is $6 a gallon now. It is harder and harder for people to get to work through a car these days,” he said.

He also said the community should be appreciative and “owe a little debt” to Warner.

“He could have walked away from this a long time ago,” Kyriaco said, “but he had a vision, and he was patient.” 

The new clubhouse is proposed to be a 37,159-square-foot, three-story facility with sloped turf walls and roofs, and large glass walls.

Its architecture is meant to emulate the natural topography of the environment, according to project architect Barry Winick.

“When I see the imagery that was part of the original proposal, I have to admit, it kind of stirs you up a little bit. It is just so beautiful,” Kyriaco said. 

Additionally, the project promises to improve ocean views for golfers and the public by undergrounding utility lines along Hollister Avenue.

“It is going to be one of, if not the most beautiful visual corridors on the South Coast,” Councilwoman Luz Reyes-Martín said.

Construction for the golf club’s major redesign is estimated to begin in 2027 and last about 18 months, according to the city staff report. 

The city’s Planning Commission supported the project in April and sent its recommendations to the City Council, with the revision that the project address a potential obstruction of views caused by tree placement in the main driveway.

“It is really important to a lot of people that we can make sure that we protect (the view) in any way that we can,” Perotte said.

The project team will be taking out the existing eucalyptus trees and replacing them with shorter Monterey cypress trees to create a shorter cluster, according to Steve Welton, project representative with SEPPS Land Use Consulting.

The project has received steady support from golfers and residents, and Tuesday was no different. 

“I think that when it’s said and done, this golf facility will be in the top 10 in the country,” Dave Pintard said.

Kevin Barthel, while in support of the project, voiced concerns about the project obscuring the sunset during the winter months. He urged the project architects to preserve that sunset viewpoint at the parking lot from Hollister Avenue. 

However, Winick said the view still will be available if people go inside the project’s buildings. Additionally, the project will be brought to the Goleta Design Review Board for more discussion.

The project team now will head to the California Coastal Commission for project approval. 

“I think (Goleta) is about to have another big moment when this happens and is realized,” Kyriaco said.

For the Record: The original article quoted Councilmember Stuart Kasdin for a quote said by Councilmember James Kyriaco.