Daily Archives: February 1, 2021

Goleta Beach County Park Public Workshop Recording & Survey

Santa Barbara County Parks is planning for the future of Goleta Beach County Park in relation to sea level rise (SLR), coastal erosion, and the potential need to redesign, relocate, or remove Park facilities due to SLR and storm-related projected increasing damage to the Park over the long-term. Public input is essential on these changes and will help influence future decisions.

On January 28, 2021, a public workshop was held virtually and was well attended.  The project was introduced and followed by a Q&A session. The group discussed near-term and long-term options for Park planning that the County is considering. If you missed the workshop you can watch a recording here.

The Park plays an important role in recreational, environmental, and social equity values, as well as protection of essential local- and regional-serving utilities, State Route 217, regional access to UCSB, California Coastal Trail/Obern Regional Bike Path, and the Santa Barbara Airport.

The group is looking for more feedback. Please take the Goleta Beach Visitor Survey to provide input on coastal access and Park facilities you value most!

Goleta Beach County Park

UCSB Ellwood Marine Terminal Clean Up

Work to remove leftover contaminants from the Ellwood Marine Terminal tanks and associated pipelines occurred in mid-January. The Ellwood Marine Terminal is located on the University of California’s property just east of the City of Goleta’s Ellwood Mesa. The facility was part of Venoco, Inc.’s crude oil operation, but has not been used since 2012. The University has since taken the lead to ensure the facility is decommissioned and contaminants are removed. As part of this effort, the tanks were degassed and pressure washed, with all liquids removed by a vacuum truck. Contaminants were transported to a permitted disposal/recycling facility offsite.

The clean-up effort also included degassing a portion of the pipeline leading from the decommissioned tanks. Access to the pipeline took place at a vault located on City of Goleta property, at the southeastern portion of Ellwood Mesa. The project was permitted by the California Coastal Commission and included safety controls to prevent spills. The project did not involve any tree or vegetation removal and did not adversely impact any sensitive biological resources. Recent surveys determined no monarch butterflies or nesting birds are in the vicinity of the work. There was no grading, excavation, or ground disturbance to degas and remove sludge from the tanks and pipeline. Beach access and recreational trails at Ellwood Mesa remained open during the work.

Questions or concerns about this project can be directed to George Thomson, Parks and Open Space Manager at 805-961-7578 or gthomson@cityofgoleta.org.

Pictured: Ellwood Marine Terminal

Settlement Repair Work Completed on Cathedral Oaks Road

The City of Goleta is pleased to announce that the Cathedral Oaks Road Settlement Repair Project was successfully completed in January 2021, ahead of schedule. The project repaired the “dip” in the roadway located about 0.5 miles west of the Cathedral Oaks and Los Carneros intersection. Thank you to everyone for your patience during construction.

Charlie Ebeling, City of Goleta Public Works Director, said, “We are pleased that the dip on Cathedral Oaks Road has been repaired, and we are also happy to share the repair work was completed in less than a weeks’ time. The repair method was based on a thorough geotechnical investigation that ultimately showed that a relatively inexpensive method of leveling the roadway could be used. This method also had far less impacts on roadway users by shortening the construction duration.”

The Cathedral Oaks Road Settlement Repair Project consisted of injecting material treatment beneath the settled roadway to repair the “dip” and bring the roadway elevations back to level grade. The project did not include roadway asphalt surface repairs; this will be included in a future paving project after confirmation that roadway settling has been resolved.

The Cathedral Oaks Road Corridor is one of our primary roadways targeted for repair as part of our Pavement Management Program. Council recently approved construction for the section of Cathedral Oaks Road from Calle Real to Winchester Canyon and Cathedral Oaks Road from Alameda Avenue to Glen Annie Road. We hope to start construction in spring or summer of this year.

Pictured: Construction work on the Cathedral Oaks Road Settlement Repair Project

Hollister Avenue Old Town Interim Striping Project Authorized

The City of Goleta is initiating a new Capital Improvement Program (CIP) project which will take steps toward making Hollister Avenue in Old Town a “Complete Street.” At the January 19, 2021, City Council meeting, Council approved the new project and also approved using $70,000 from the Measure A fund balance to begin traffic and engineering analysis to develop the Conceptual Design for the new Hollister Avenue Old Town Interim Striping Project. Measure A funds can only be used to fund local transportation projects consisting of road repair, traffic relief and safety measures.

After hearing from staff and a considerable amount of public comment, Council directed staff to move forward with this top priority project. The Interim Striping Project includes reducing Hollister Avenue from four to two lanes in the Old Town corridor and adding Class II bike lanes. The goal is to create safe, convenient and comfortable travel and access for community members of all ages and abilities, regardless of their mode of transportation along Hollister Avenue in Old Town Goleta.

The Hollister Avenue Old Town Interim Striping Project came about due to the long timeline and lack of funding needed to construct the Hollister Avenue Complete Streets Corridor Project. The Hollister Avenue Complete Streets Corridor Project will enhance safety, access and mobility for all users (pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders) on Hollister Avenue between Fairview Avenue and State Route 217.

The Interim Striping Project focuses on improvements to the Hollister Avenue corridor between Fairview Avenue and State Route 217 and will be used as a demonstration project looking at implementing improvements which were developed as part of the Complete Streets Corridor Study. The Interim Striping Project will focus primarily on restriping Hollister Avenue in Old Town Goleta as a two-lane roadway with bike lanes and provides an opportunity to gauge the effectiveness and safety of the identified changes before more permanent hardscape improvements are constructed. These other improvements such as sidewalk widening, new medians, landscaping, and other beautification elements also identified as part of the Complete Streets Corridor Project will be deferred to a future project.

Mayor Paula Perotte said, “We are excited to move forward with a study that will inform us on how to best proceed with The Hollister Avenue Interim Striping Project. This project would include re-striping Hollister Avenue to test the effects of reducing car lanes and gain more car parking and bike lanes.”

Charlie Ebeling, City of Goleta Director of Public Works, added, “The Interim Striping Project is a great first step in the process. This project will help us answer questions about what works and what doesn’t, when we are ready to move forward with the Hollister Avenue Complete Streets Project.”

With the action taken at the City Council meeting, Public Works will begin the analysis and scoping to develop the Conceptual Design for the Interim Striping Project. Staff will return to City Council to present a scope, budget, timeline and conceptual design for the striping changes before moving forward into the Design and Construction Phases. The City will continue to pursue the more permanent Hollister Avenue Complete Streets Corridor Project improvements and look for opportunities for funding.

The complete staff report is available here: https://tinyurl.com/yxt4a42j.

Pictured: Archive photo of Hollister Avenue in Old Town

Pedestrian Safety Improvement Project Underway

The City will soon have improved pedestrian safety at two intersections. Construction is underway and when complete there will be pedestrian activated Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFB’s) across Hollister Avenue at Chapel Street.  The installation will provide an additional visual cue to alert motorists when a pedestrian wishes to cross the street. The second location includes the installation of a pedestrian crossing signal over the Calle Real travel lanes at the intersection of Kingston Avenue, replacing the existing old style yellow flashing beacons. The project will also include new striping, signage, lighting, and the construction of new standard curb ramps.  Construction is anticipated to be completed by the end of April. 

City of Goleta Public Works Director Charlie Ebeling said, “The Department of Public Works is excited to be installing new pedestrian signalized crosswalks on Hollister Avenue near Goleta Cottage Hospital and Calle Real near the hotels, businesses, and residential areas. The City was awarded a Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) grant to improve the pedestrian safety at these two locations. We appreciate your patience during the construction period.” 

City staff is working with the contractor to minimize impacts to the public, however, the project will require the need to close travel lanes to complete the work. The contractor will be starting at the Hollister Avenue and Chapel Street location first and move to the Calle Real and Kingston Avenue location in early February. Traffic control will be in place with advance warning flashing boards. Delays are expected so please plan accordingly over the next couple of months while construction is occurring in these areas. Work will take place Monday – Friday from 7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

If you have any questions, or would like additional information, please contact City Construction Manager Bill Callaghan, MNS Engineers, at bcallaghan@mnsengineers.com or 805.648.4840 ext. 3506.

Examples of the types of crossing signals:

Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFB) on Hollister Avenue at Orange Avenue

Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon (PHB) on Hollister Avenue at the Goleta Valley Community Center

Location Map

Thank You for Helping to Choose New LED Streetlights

Thank you to everyone who took time out to check out and choose from four different LED streetlights in western Goleta and take a survey. As part of a pilot study, the City of Goleta installed new Light-Emitting Diode (LED) streetlights in a small section of western Goleta to test different types of LED streetlights. The goal of the program is to evaluate and select one LED streetlight to be used for the City’s LED Street Lighting Project that will replace more than 1,300 High-Pressure Sodium (HPS) streetlight fixtures throughout Goleta with new energy efficient LED streetlights. The new lights will save the City money, require less maintenance, provide clearer lighting and are better for the environment.      

During the month of January, the public was invited to check out the fixtures on display in the Cannon Green Drive neighborhood along Davenport Road, Freeman Place, and Elmhurst Place and submit feedback via a survey

City staff is reviewing the survey comments and feedback, and will share them on our website here.

For questions or more information, contact City Project Manager Michael Winnewisser at mwinnewisser@cityofgoleta.org or (805) 690-5120.

Pictured: Photo of one of the  LED Streetlights installed for the pilot study.

Stow Grove Park Tree Maintenance Update & Video

Tree maintenance work at Stow Grove Park is scheduled to begin this month and will take approximately two weeks. Work was delayed from the end of January due to the recent heavy rains. As part of the City’s maintenance efforts, numerous dead trees in the redwood grove will be removed and reused for park amenities such as picnic tables and benches. City of Goleta Parks and Open Space Manager George Thomson takes you on a tour of the grove in this video https://youtu.be/WW0eO5POzCM.

“The Stow Grove Park redwoods are a unique and important part of Goleta’s urban forest and the upcoming maintenance work will ensure the grove will be enjoyed by future generations of park users,” said George Thomson.

To improve public safety and allow for new tree plantings, forty dead redwoods, one dead coral tree, and numerous dead pittosporum trees will be removed. Additional maintenance in the redwood grove will include updating the irrigation system and spreading mulch to improve water availability for the hundreds of mature redwoods originally planted in the 1930s. 

As part of the long-term maintenance plan for the grove, the City will also be planting approximately 75 young coastal redwoods and 25 incense cedars. In addition to the work planned for the redwood grove, approximately 40 trees along the eastern and southern perimeter of Stow Grove Park will be trimmed to remove dead branches and ivy. A consulting biologist will be performing wildlife surveys to ensure no impacts to wildlife occur during the work. 

The City’s Public Tree Advisory Commission reviewed the proposed work at their November 30, 2020, meeting. More details about the project are available in the staff report at https://tinyurl.com/y6v6p965.

Please contact George Thomson, Parks and Open Space Manager, at 805-961-7578 or gthomson@cityofgoleta.org with questions or concerns.

Pictured: Stow Grove Park

Watch Old Town Sidewalks Celebration Video

The City of Goleta encourages you to take time out to watch our Old Town Sidewalks Celebration Video. The $3.2 million project was recently completed on time and under budget. Typically we would have done a ribbon-cutting celebration to mark the project being finished, but due to the pandemic and restrictions on gatherings we have put together this video instead.  We hope you enjoy seeing the difference the new sidewalks and other improvements are making in Old Town Goleta.

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/gjQNVeQ3RgM. It is also available in Spanish here: https://youtu.be/g-sGpPKs6Hg.

Pictured: (left to right) Project Manager James Winslow, Mayor Paula Perotte, and Public Works Director Charlie Ebeling celebrating the completion of the Old Town Sidewalks Improvement Project

Thank You Vyto Adomaitis for Almost Two Decades of Service

The City of Goleta is losing a veteran and valued staff member who has been with the City almost since it started. Vyto Adomaitis, the City’s Director of Neighborhood Services and Public Safety (NSPS), has accepted a position as the new Community Development Director for the City of Oxnard.  His last official day with the City is February 19, 2021 after almost 19 years of service.  He will begin his new role with the City of Oxnard on February 22, 2021.

Vyto started with the City of Goleta shortly after its incorporation in 2002. During his time, he has led an award-winning department known for its leadership and collaborative approach to addressing community needs in Goleta and the Santa Barbara County region. In 2014, Vyto’s department was the recipient of the prestigious Helen Putnam Award for Excellence in Public Service from the League of California Cities, on behalf of the City of Goleta.

Vyto Adomaitis said, “I am forever grateful to the City of Goleta for giving me the opportunity to serve this community for the last almost 19 years.  It has been an absolutely wonderful experience to work with the highly dedicated and talented staff here. I am also extremely proud of the strong partnerships we have built with the Sheriff’s Office, Fire Department and District Attorney’s Office in helping to keep Goleta a safe community. Thank you to the City Council, City Manager and staff for allowing me to be a part of all of this and for your support of me and my excellent staff in the Neighborhood Services and Public Safety Department.”

City of Goleta’s City Manager Michelle Greene said, “Vyto helped shape our young organization as we developed over the years. His dedication, high standards for excellence, can-do attitude and unique problem-solving skills have been an asset to the City team and will take him far in his new venture. It has been a pleasure to work alongside him. He will be deeply missed.”

Mayor Paula Perotte said, “Vyto has been here from the beginning and I think that everyone would agree that Vyto and our city grew together. I know although we grew together, we will not grow apart. We look forward to hearing about all his successes in his new position and hope that every now and then we can tap his memory and institutional knowledge of Goleta and our formative years. We send him off with our best wishes on his new adventure.”

Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said, “Vyto Adomaitis has done an outstanding job representing the City of Goleta’s interest in obtaining professional, robust, effective and accountable contract law enforcement services from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. During frequent interactions with our agency he epitomized good will, cooperation and credibility. As a result of his efforts, the support of the City Council, and our agency’s strong partnership with the community, Goleta has consistently received outstanding police services that have helped make it one of the safest 100 cities in America. We will miss Vyto, but we wish him well and know he will do an equally superb job for the City of Oxnard.

Joyce E. Dudley, Santa Barbara County’s District Attorney said “It has been my absolute honor and pleasure to work with Vyto. He is smart, compassionate, energetic and supportive. I will miss Vyto’s wisdom and his warmth.”

Santa Barbara County Fire Chief Mark Hartwig said, “Vyto has been an advocate for the people of Goleta through a strong partnership with County Fire and tireless work on the future Station 10 in western Goleta.”

Vyto’s nearly 34 years of government and private-sector experience includes Community Development, Redevelopment, Planning, Downtown Revitalization, Economic Development, Community Development Block Grants, Housing, Capital Projects, Building & Safety, Code Compliance, Public Safety Administration, Emergency Operations, grants writing, homelessness issues, process improvements, customer service and conducting significant community outreach efforts.

Vyto’s professional highlights include serving as the current Chairman of the Executive Board for the Goleta Entrepreneurial Magnet, a partnership between the City of Goleta and the University of California Santa Barbara that seeks to promote economic development activities in the Goleta area. He also led the project team for Goleta’s Fire Station 10 Project, a City Council priority, obtaining unanimous California Coastal Commission approval last September, which will facilitate the future development of this long-awaited public safety facility for the City’s residents. Lastly, he led the project team on the very successful and popular Jonny D. Wallis Neighborhood Park project.

The City will be presenting Vyto with a City Tile at our upcoming City Council meeting tonight, Tuesday, February 2, 2021 at 5:30 p.m.  If you would like to thank Vyto and wish him well, you are invited to participate in the public comment period of his send off.  To participate, click here to join the City Council meeting electronically at and use the webinar ID 966-926-155.  You can also submit your comment in advance by sending to cityclerkgroup@cityofgoleta.org. 

To us, Vyto will always be #GoodLandGoodPeople.

Vyto Adomaitis and City Manager Michelle Greene

Vyto at the Jonny D. Wallis Neighborhood Park Grand Opening in March 2019 (pictured left to right: JoAnne Plummer, Parks and Recreation Manager, Jaime Valdez, Senior Project Manager, Mayor Paula Perotte, Vyto Adomaitis, Neighborhood Services and Public Safety Director, and Claudia Dato, Senior Project Manager)

Vyto Adomaitis and Mayor Paula Perotte at Goleta Chamber of Commerce event

Vyto at the 2019 State of the City with Sheriff’s Commander Kevin Huddle, Undersheriff Sol Linver, City of Goleta Neighborhood Services and Public Safety Director Vyto Adomaitis, Sheriff Bill Brown, Lt. Brian Thielst and Sgt. John Maxwell.

 

 

Let’s See Your #GoodLandGoodPeople Photos

We have been at this pandemic life for almost a year and we know it has taken its toll on so many mentally, physically and financially. We need positive images to keep us going and we need your help. 

Soon after the COVID-19 Stay-at-Home Orders began, the City launched our #GoodLandGoodPeople campaign to provide a bright spot during a very difficult time. Nine months since the launch, we have seen our community truly embody the #GoodLandGoodPeople mindset. With the pandemic still going, we want to keep the spirit of this campaign alive and encourage you to share your #GoodLandGoodPeople moments with us. Examples of photos to send include:

  • Creative ways you and your family are working / schooling / playing / staying busy.
  • Pay tribute to those helping others during this time. This includes medical professionals, grocery store workers, first responders, and more.
  • Uplifting images from our community that will make us smile.

One recent example we received that put a smile on our faces was a photo of the Stylers celebrating their 71st anniversary safely together at Mariposa At Ellwood Shores. The Culinary Director, Michael Despres prepared a homemade cake for them to enjoy. Congratulations to the Stylers! Thank you to Mariposa At Ellwood Shores for all you are doing to keep your residents safe and happy during this challenging time.

We would love to hear from you. To participate, email your photo and a brief description/caption to PIO@CityofGoleta.org. Follow us on Facebook (@CityofGoleta) and Instagram (@CityofGoleta) to see the great photos we have already shared and to see what’s next. Please also share on your social media accounts as well and use the hashtag #GoodLandGoodPeople.

Thanks for helping to keep us all uplifted.

Pictured: The Stylers celebrating their 71st wedding anniversary at Mariposa At Ellwood Shores