Noleta Needs Its Own Planning Commission

As the Board of Supervisors prepares to vote on the new Eastern Goleta Valley Community Plan, on February 21, it is imperative that in it they provide for an Area Planning Commission. Here’s why:

• With conventional zoning essentially abandoned in the new plan, it is especially important that a community advisory panel be established to have input on land use and other issues directly affecting this area–and not just in 3-minute testimony or individual letters included in minutes that are rarely read.

• Since Montecito, with a population of only 10,000 people, has an influential advisory planning board, the Second District–with 36,000 people–certainly merits such a body.

• We are a unique geographical area being singled out for enormous, dense development.

• With a County Planning Department that dismisses our input out of hand, our neighbors need a standing body that is responsive to their concerns.

• Zip codes 93110 and 93111 are owed their own planning commission in return for being targeted for ALL the County’s housing requirements—650 units—in the current housing mandate cycle and, undoubtedly, much more to come in the next cycle.

Second District Supervisor Janet Wolf is the point person for a neighborhood planning board. Urge her to make this happen by e-mailing her at jwolf@sbcbos2.org. Also, come out on Feb. 21, 9 am, to the Board of Supervisors meeting to make your views known on the loss of neighborhood control over zoning.