County
At the behest of 2nd District Supervisor Janet Wolf, the County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to not discuss creating or raising beach and park fees throughout the county. Though the supervisors had previously indicated they didn’t want to discuss such mattersincluding the implementation of fees at Goleta and Arroyo Burro Beachesthe CEO’s office brought the issue up again as a possible budget crisis solution.
**This brief was written inaccurately in the print edition. We apologize for the error.
•
The Santa Barbara Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) voted 4-3 on 5/1 to annex a 22-acre parcel off Patterson Avenue owned by St. Athanasius Church to the Goleta Sanitary District. While only 4.6 acres will be developed, with the remaining 17 open for agricultural production, those opposing the move say it contradicts LAFCO’s mission to avoid actions promoting urban sprawl. Outfitting the property with sewers could be seen as attractive bait to developers.
•
A plan to put a suicide-deterring barrier on Cold Spring Bridge was originally estimated by Caltrans to cost about $605,000. But according to Caltrans documents made available through public records requests made by opponents to the plan, the barrier’s actual cost is about $2.8 million. An update from Caltrans is scheduled for 5/15 in front of the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments.
•
With signatures of more than 600 people, Buellton residents submitted the Urban Growth Boundary Petition on 5/2. Designed to manage growth within Buellton’s existing city limit while protecting surrounding agricultural land, the plan would require residents to vote on development with provisions to extend city services outside the boundary. Exceptions will be made for public schools, parks, and some state-mandated housing projects.
