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Yahoo!After several hours of intense discussion on Tuesday evening, June 2, the Goleta City Council voted unanimously to send the developer of Citrus Village - a 12-unit condominium complex proposed for a parcel on the western end of Calle Real - back to the drawing board. “We went round and round, with the developer very frustrated,” said Councilmember Margaret Connell, noting that the main issues the City Council had with the project as proposed were its size, bulk, and scale. However, the project having already been reviewed by Goleta’s Design Review Board and its Planning Commission, the Council will not send Peikert Group architects - the project applicant - through those steps of the approval process again.
Councilmember Ed Easton, who was on the Planning Commission when the project was heard there, suggested that the number of units in the development be reduced from 12 to nine. The council also expressed reservations over the heights of the three-story buildings called for in the project design, which are up to 33 feet tall. Citing money worries as a reason for keeping the project at its current size, the applicant showed financial documents to the Council, indicating that while the project will cost over $5 million to build, only about $4.5 million would be recovered by selling the units. Furthermore, they pointed out that with fewer units, the requirement that the developer provide affordable housing in the project will be lifted. Nevertheless, the Council directed the developer to come back with something smaller.
Comments
Good for the Board. Enough already of too big projects that only benefit the developer and leave the community holding the bag. Go read the article about the El Encanto fiasco!
Noletaman (anonymous profile)
June 4, 2009 at 12:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)
What a nightmare. Have you seen the site? This little dirt patch is stuck between a run down "shopping center" and a dilapidated apartment-condo from the 1960s. A little bit of tasteful housing at this in-fill site is just what is needed here, yet the anti-growth fanatics in Goleta have spent years throwing up every kind of obstacle to prevent anything from happening here. This ain't the Gaviota Coast my friends. The City's time would be better spent working on a plan to slow down the drag race traffic on Calle Real in this area.
appleoneusmonk (anonymous profile)
June 5, 2009 at 7:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Another brilliant move by the Council members to retard economic growth and urban infill. How dare the Architect design a project within the zoning ordinance and design guidelines...At this rate, Easton and Connell are well on their way to leaving a legacy of a decrepid city to the next generation of Goletans to enjoy.
dsully (anonymous profile)
June 5, 2009 at 9:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)
What drag racing? r we talking about the end of Calle Real where it meets Los Carneros? If so, you r totally off with a shopping center and an apt complex - there are none... Perhaps appleoneusmonk is actually with the developers? this seems to be their tactics...
and btw- Goleta may not be the Gaviota coast, but it is beautiful and those of us who live here want to see smart, attractive developement that increases the areas value for years to come.
tammy (anonymous profile)
June 5, 2009 at 2:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Hi Tammy, do you know where this project site is? Not sure what 'tactics' you're talking about; I'm just expressing a personal opinion. And I'm not saying that Goleta is totally uninhabitable, but a little "attractive development" is just what is needed at this run-down site. Get over yourself, and do a little homework... Oh, and have a nice weekend.
appleoneusmonk (anonymous profile)
June 6, 2009 at 9:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)
appleoneusmonk: Get over YOURself. Tammy expressed her views politely, you should too. I agree with the Goleta council. They are trying to make sure we don't have huge buildings and overly crowded, dense structures everywhere. I'm glad they are taking a measured approach and that the community is involved with making sure that development does not get out of hand. Better to go slow because once it's built, it's there.
sunnyday (anonymous profile)
June 7, 2009 at 12:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)