Bishop Ranch Seeks Zoning Change

I just saw this on another local blog. Check it out:

An application to initiate the study of options for the future of Bishop Ranch scheduled to be heard by the Goleta City Council next Tuesday, July 15, 2008, has been withdrawn by the applicant following the release of a staff report recommending denial of the requested initiation. The project hearing will not take place.

Not wanting to waste valuable City of Goleta time or resources, the applicant stated there is no reason to move forward. “It is very clear that while there is substantial support in the community to fully study and review the future of Bishop Ranch that same support does not exist at the City, neither with the staff nor with the council,” stated Michael Keston, the applicant.

The subject Bishop Ranch property, first zoned for housing in 1951, is a 240-acre site along the 101 Freeway and neighbored on two sides by homes. According to public records it has not been farmed since the 1940s. The application was the result of model community collaboration, a four-month Community Working Group process undertaken from late 2007 through January 2008 involving hundreds of local residents.

“In withdrawing this plan, it is important that I publicly thank the hundreds of Goleta residents who worked with us for long hours to fully understand the challenges the City faces to fulfill State housing demands without having to build high density multi-family housing,” added Keston.

“A diversity of Goleta residents came forward and worked hard to create a consensus plan, I appreciate the effort and I regret this vision will not go forward.”

Without the plan there will be no project hearing on Tuesday. Keston requested all those who have indicated that they will attend the Goleta City Council meeting stay home and enjoy time with their families.

It seems to me that this property would be ideal for condos and apartments, given that it is within city limits, is near transportation corridors such as the 101, and given that it doesn't seem to have the water rights for farming. This would be a much more ideal tract of land to develop for housing than the Naples site.

The cities of Goleta and Santa Barbara need to address the issues of housing for their residents, the question is only where they should zone housing developments, and what types of housing they should zone. We already have plenty of housing for those who can afford to pay a million, or even millions, for their homes. What we don't have are denser, more affordable dwellings such as townhomes, apartments, or condos, that working residents could afford, and that have a smaller ecological footprint than a McMansion. We also don't need more sprawl up the freeway -- we need residences that can access public transportation, bike routes, or that at least won't bring high auto commuting costs. I've often wondered why properties such as Bishop Ranch lie vacant, even while people discuss developing the coast.

How perfectly Margaret Connell is this story today. First, that she is so excited about the Bishop Ranch and is a day late. Second, that her a day late story appears on the same day as the Naples development.

It is because of Connell's types that we have developed the precious coastline, hillsides and real ag properties and left land in the middle of our city vacant - unusable for anything.

Think about this:

Bishop Ranch in the middle of Goleta, with the 101 on one side and homes on two sides, built out over the next 25 years?

or.

Naples along the Gaviota coast - creating leap frog development - starting the end of the Gaviota coast.

The reason we have lost our hillsides and are about to lose our Gaviota coast are Connell and her kind. You just do not get it and every time you do something you damage our community forever.

My neighbors and I would much rather have the Bishop Ranch than the Gaviota coast. And we would much rather not have Margaret Connell back on the city council. You have messed things up enough Ms. Connell - stay here were your opinions may be irrational but they do not ruin our community.

It is disappointing to see this opportunity go up in smoke. Because our council and staff are afraid to even study this plan, we are going to pack in too much housing on Hollister Avenue, negatively changing the character of the Hollister corridor.

In our community where we are in desperate need of housing for working families, we let parcels of land like Bishop Ranch sit vacant. This is not smart planning-this is fear of change.

I am not one of those people who is able to or chooses to attend many meetings at City Hall like Ms. Connell and her cronies. However, I was planning on attending the upcoming meeting because I think that Bishop Ranch would be great for our city. We need to reverse the direction we are headed.

Goleta currrently has plans to only build multi-family housing, and when they finally have a chance to examine a proposal for single family housing at Bishop Ranch, they won't even take the time to study it!

Aside from its border with the 101, Bishop Ranch is already surrounded by housing, and it has not been farmed for as far back as I can remember. Shouldn't we at least examine this site for housing?

Oh what timing - it seems this property would be ideal to go up in flames in the next fire! What a perfect fire break for the ret of Goleta. Anyone buying a house here would have to be insane or insanely misinformed. Have we forgotten so quickly the areas that were completely evacuated a week ago? All it will take next time is a little less humidity a little higher temperature and a little Santa Ana sundowner wind!

Sorry, typo - Bishop Ranch - fire break for the *rest* of Goleta - talk about temporary housing! But who cares as long as the developers get their due ruining this last stretch of beautiful Orchard Land and rural road that actually still looks like Goleta's logo...the Lemon Festival is becoming a joke.

The housing shortage by the way is not caused by lack of housing, it's caused in a large part by an unchecked influx of illegal immigration and an associated rapid birth rate...

My neighbors and I were looking forward to having Bishop Ranch and having some sports parks for our kids.

We don't have enough soccer and football fields in Goleta - and now we are not even listening to people who would like to build us new parks?

When will we wake up in Goleta and see golden opportunities like this one staring us right in the face?

Ahh yes not enough parks - wasn't Girsch Park supposed to be a bone thrown out by the Big Box Developers to garner support from the City? Then the maintenance costs were thrown back to the community. So let's destroy what's left of Goleta's rural and agricultural feel and add more tinder for the next fire so the kiddies can play soccer and play football at further cost to the community...

I, along with Margaret and 100 or so other residents, worked on the plan for Bishop Ranch for 8 meetings. Its too bad that our council will not even listen to a plan from the community. Is this how democracy works now?

Let's put Bishop Ranch under the microscope and see what we find. Right now its all hearsay in regards to the environmental impacts.

We won't know the facts until this plan goes under the environmental review process. What are people like Margaret so afraid of?