“Cliff’s Notes” of Goleta Zoning on Thursday

With nine city-sponsored workshops behind them and a joint workshop with the City Council and Planning Commission ahead, members of Goleta’s Goodland Coalition are holding a public forum to untangle the meaning of the city’s zoning laws and their ongoing revision. In an only slightly tongue-in-cheek list, the coalition advises attending Thursday’s discussion if you answer “yes” to two or more of these six questions:

•  Do you care if your next-door neighbor in your residential neighborhood applies to re-zone his property to open a drive-thru hamburger stand?

•  Do you care if your ability to park your boat or RV near your house is reduced?

•  Do you care if the business next to yours installs a large, glaring movable sign that flashes night and day?

•  Do you care if development occurs within a few feet of a creek or environmentally sensitive area?

•  Do you care if someone builds a shopping center or a hotel before you have a chance to comment on much traffic it is likely to generate, or how it blocks mountain views, or what the building will look like?

•  Do you care if the buyer of the house next door tears it down and builds a replacement three-story house within three feet of your house?

The “superstars” of the Goleta planning department will be on hand to answer questions and will be giving a “Cliff’s Notes” version of the extensive revisions, the Coalition promises. The event takes place at the Goleta Valley Library (500 N. Fairview Ave.) on Thursday, April 25, 6:30 p.m. For more, visit http://www.goletazoning.com/.