Pining for County Control

Thanks for Lyz Hoffman’s recap of Goleta’s poor planning. Our Good Land City Council jams more and more projects into the Los Angeles–like Storke/Hollister intersection, but makes no attempt to match development with infrastructure.

Exhibit A: What happened to the pedestrian-bike bridge? A Freedom of Information Act request (my request) to the Council unearthed the following ineptitude: “ … we have been unable to locate any documents” regarding funds set aside for this ped-bike bridge by the Camino Real Marketplace traffic mitigation fees. So, where is the money?

Additionally, the last time the bridge was discussed, on April 5, 2004, one citizen recommended the project to be tabled — and so it was — apparently ad infinitum.

Meanwhile, crossing conditions for bicyclists and pedestrians get increasingly hazardous with each coffer-lining project. Again, where is the alternative transportation planning? Talk is cheap.

The Goleta council’s negligence reflects poorly on its overall competence, and warrants a Grand Jury investigation. Again, where is the money? Lois Capps and former Supervisor Gail Marshall, two politicians truly concerned about alternative transportation, actually had state grants for the ped-bike bridge. Our city’s Drive-Through-Council allowed these grants to lapse — arguably because they were too busy approving developments. Sigh. One almost pines for the good old days of county control.