Daily Archives: November 8, 2021

Historic Preservation Ordinance Coming to Goleta

After years of preparation, the Goleta City Council will consider a Historic Preservation Ordinance on December 7, 2021. The goal is to preserve and protect resources that, once lost, cannot be replaced or replicated. On November 8, the Planning Commission reviewed the ordinance and recommended adoption.

Generally, the proposed ordinance would:

  • Create a Historic Preservation Commission.
  • Create historic designation categories and establish a process to designate properties as a historic resource based on eligibility criteria.
  • Establish regulations and processes regarding alterations to designated properties, recission of designations, demolition, maintenance requirements, and Mills Act incentives to maintain designated historic resources.
  • Designate seven (7) structures as Goleta Landmarks and place a total of 29 structures (including the 7 proposed to be Goleta Landmarks) on the inaugural Historic Resources Inventory (HRI). It is expected that the HRI will be expanded over time.
  • Establish processes and criteria when any earth disturbing activities in native soils (i.e., previous not graded or disturbed soils) are proposed. The purpose is to check for subsurface archaeological or tribal cultural resources in order to preserve and protect these resources. A list of project types and circumstances that would exempt from the requirements s included.
  • Establish development standards that would be imposed on any earth-disturbing activities in case subsurface archaeological or tribal cultural resources are found in the course of construction.
  • Add thirty-four definitions related to Historic Preservation and Archaeological and Tribal Cultural Resources to the Goleta Municipal Code.
  • Make other changes to various portions of the Goleta Municipal Code to reflect the requirements of Chapters 17.33 and 17.43 to facilitate consistency in City regulations.

A Historic Preservation Ordinance, if approved, includes regulations that may affect property owners to some degree, especially property owners of designated Historic Resources. The regulations could potentially affect any property owners that are contemplating making changes that involves earth-disturbing activities (i.e., placement of fence posts, trenching for utilities, digging for new foundations, etc.). The goal of the proposed regulations is to foster preservation while allowing development to occur.

Learn more about the project at www.HistoricGoleta.org. The Planning Commission agenda and recording of the meeting is available at https://cityofgoleta.org/goletameetings. For more information regarding the project, please contact Current Planning Manager Lisa Prasse, at lprasse@cityofgoleta.org.

Pictured: Hollister Arch

 

Calle Real Crosswalk Installation at Encina

The Crosswalk on Calle Real Near Encina Lane Project began in early October. The project consists of construction of a new Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon (PHB) signal-controlled crosswalk, ADA accessible ramps, new crosswalk striping, pavement markings and applicable PHB warning and control signage. A Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon is a traffic control device designed to assist pedestrians in safely cross busy roadways, using two red lenses above a single yellow lens that remains dark until a call button is pushed to activate the flashing beacon.

Over 500 residential units are located on the north side of Calle Real (Encina Royal and Encina Meadows Apartments). These housing units generate a considerable amount of pedestrian traffic that access the Calle Real Center. Protected pedestrian crossings exist on Calle Real in the form of a traffic signal at Encina Lane, a rectangular rapid flashing beacon (RRFB) at Kingston Avenue, and a mid-block traffic signal approximately 635-feet west of Kingston Avenue. However, for over 1,000 feet east of Encina Lane, there has been no controlled pedestrian crossing of Calle Real. This has forced pedestrians to either walk a significant distance to a controlled crossing or cross midblock. The Calle Real Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon near Encina Lane Project is being constructed at the ideal location for a controlled pedestrian crossing on Calle Real, midway between Encina Lane and the existing midblock signalized pedestrian crossing just to the east of the Albertsons/Chase Bank driveway providing a controlled crossing approximately every 600 feet between Encina Lane and Kingston Avenue.

The project is expected to be complete by the end of December. We appreciate your patience as improvements are constructed on Calle Real.

Participate in the Foodbank Turkey Drive

The Foodbank of Santa Barbara County Turkey Drive is happening now through November 24. Turkeys can be dropped off at the Foodbank Warehouse at 4554 Hollister Avenue, Santa Barbara. Additional locations are listed below. Donations will continue to be accepted after November 24 and distributed in December.

This season, so many families and individuals in our community are struggling to make ends meet. With the need for food so high, we want to provide as many as we can with a turkey dinner to celebrate the holidays. Our goal is to collect 3,000 birds or more to provide to those facing hunger this season. 

If you’d rather buy a turkey dinner without having to drop off a turkey, you can donate to our Virtual Food Drive here.

Playground Installations Underway

The City is currently working on renovating four parks with new play or outdoor fitness equipment. We are excited to announce that work to replace and install playground equipment at Berkeley Park is complete! Installation of fitness equipment has begun at Winchester 1 Park and work has begun on Winchester 2 Park to replace and expand the playground and add a walkway from the new playground to the sidewalk at Calle Real. The playground renovation and expansion at Andamar Park will begin later this month and includes a replacement of the access road to accommodate accessibility needs.

During construction, portions of the park(s), or in some cases the entire park(s), will be closed to public access. Please keep in my mind this schedule is tentative and could be modified based on field and/or weather conditions.

Thank you for your patience as we work to bring new playground equipment to Goleta! For more information, visit the project page on our website here.

Pictured: New playground equipment at Berkeley Park

Planning for the Future of Pickleball on November 18

At a special meeting of the Parks and Recreation Commission on November 18 at 6:00 p.m., the Commission will consider a proposal from the Goleta Valley Community Center to renovate the existing tennis courts into permanent pickleball courts. The tennis courts are behind the Goleta Community Center building, located at 5679 Hollister Avenue.

The proposal includes the resurfacing and renovation of the existing tennis courts into four permanent pickleball courts and a fifth court that will be striped to accommodate both basketball and temporary pickleball, serving two recreational uses. All interested community members are invited to attend the meeting and/or provide input on this matter.

The meeting will be held virtually and broadcast live on the City’s website at www.cityofgoleta.org/goletameetings and on Goleta TV Channel 19. Written comments may be submitted via email to sdawson@cityofgoleta.org at least 24 hours prior to the Parks and Recreation Commission meeting.

The meeting agenda, instructions for participating in the meeting to provide oral comments, details of the proposed project, and other meeting materials will be available here on the City’s website approximately 72 hours in advance of the meeting. Questions about the project can be directed to the Goleta Valley Community Center at 805-967-1237. Questions related to the meeting can be directed to JoAnne Plummer, Parks and Recreation Manager, at jplummer@cityofgoleta.org.

#VaccinateGoleta Update: Vaccine and Mask Mandate

The number of those getting vaccinated continues to increase. As of November 4, the percentage of eligible to be vaccinated Santa Barbara County residents is 71.5%. View the Santa Barbara County Community Data Dashboard here. 

There have been a lot of developments over the last few weeks. Not only have Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson all been approved for booster shots, but children ages 5 to 11 years are now eligible to receive the vaccine. Also, the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department has extended the indoor mask mandate as transmission level in the County is not yet classified as Low.

COVID-19 Vaccination Available for Children 5 to 11 Years of Age

The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) endorsed recommendations that children 5 to 11 years old be vaccinated against COVID-19 with the Pfizer-BioNTech pediatric vaccine on November 2, 2021. This announcement follows the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) authorization of the pediatric vaccine the week prior. The Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup has also approved these recommendations. With this authorization, approximately 42,000 children ages 5 through 11 are now eligible to be vaccinated in Santa Barbara County.

Local distribution of pediatric COVID-19 vaccines has already begun with full-scale availability anticipated the week on November 8. Vaccines will be available at pediatric healthcare provider offices, pharmacies, and through targeted community events at schools and other venues.

For information about the pediatric COVID-19 vaccine and countywide availability, please visit www.publichealthsbc.org/vaccine/ or call 2-1-1.

The full  announcement can be found here.

Is It Time to Get Your COVID-19 Booster Shot?

By Dr. Henning Ansorg, M.D., FACP, Health Officer County of Santa Barbara, Department of Public Health

Last month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Emergency Use Authorizations (EUA) for Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 booster doses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup followed suit and recommended a booster dose especially for persons over 65 and to persons with chronic medical conditions.

These decisions, as well as the authorization to allow for mixing and matching of COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers for boosters, will allow more Californians to increase and maintain a robust protection against infection heading into the winter months.

Learn more about booster shots here.

County Extends Health Officer Order Requiring Use of Face Coverings Indoors

The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department has extended a Health Officer Order which requires the use of masks in indoor public settings. This order requires all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, to wear face coverings when indoors in public settings, with limited exceptions. This Order 2021-10.6 is in effect until 5 p.m. on December 4, 2021, or until it is extended, rescinded, superseded, or amended. Read the full announcement here.

For more information on COVID-19, including vaccines and testing, please go to https://publichealthsbc.org/.

Get Involved! #DrawGoleta

Now is the time to participate in the City of Goleta’s historic district mapping process! You have until January 6, 2022, to turn in a map showing your recommended boundaries. With district elections, the City will be divided into four districts, and voters in each district will elect a City Council member who lives in their own district. The Mayor will continue to be elected by voters across Goleta.

Public participation is a very important part of this process. On November 4, 2021, we held our fourth community workshop that was also the public’s first chance to work with the final Census data. Don’t worry if you missed it, a video recording of the meeting, and the presentation, are available here.

Everyone is encouraged to draw and submit their own map. Get started by going to https://drawgoleta.org/draw-a-map/. If you prefer to submit your ideas using a paper map, you can pick one up from Goleta City Hall or the Goleta Valley Library during hours of operation.

Thank you to those community members who have already submitted a map. We recently learned that any maps submitted before the mapping tools were updated with the official population data need to be resubmitted. We apologize for this inconvenience, as people were supposed to be able to edit their maps, but unfortunately that is not the case.

Below are tips for people who have already submitted an online map and need to create a new one. The tips are also useful for anyone creating a map online.

  • To guarantee that your DistrictR map is balanced, you must start a new drawing by clicking the purple button “built out of 2020 blocks”; if you click on your original version that you made with the estimated data and try to edit that, it will not adjust for the new official data, but continue to use the estimated data
  • If you would like to use your original version as a template, you can have that open in another tab and try to do your best to replicate it as you make a new drawing
  • Once you are done, make sure to select “Share Now” to save it to the Public Gallery; drafts are not shared with the Council
  • When you are using DistrictR, please be mindful of what the percentage value displayed at the bottom right side of the page is showing you
  • It is showing the maximum population deviation, or the most a single district deviates from the ideal
  • We are looking for plans that have a total population deviation that is less than 10%
  • Having a maximum population deviation that is less than 10% does not necessarily mean that the total population deviation is less than 10%
  • So, to be safe, aim for a maximum population deviation that is under 5%

For more information go to www.DrawGoleta.org. For additional questions, contact cityclerkgroup@cityofgoleta.org or call 805-961-7505. Thank you for your interest and participation in shaping the future of Goleta.

Construction Begins on $5.8 Million Paving Project

Construction to improve the City’s roadway system began on November 8th. The nearly $6 million worth of work includes much-needed pavement rehabilitation on Cathedral Oaks Road from Glen Annie Road to Los Carneros Road. The work is expected to take approximately 8 months to complete. We appreciate your patience in advance as repairs are made to this well-traveled Goleta roadway.

Although this will be a big benefit to the City’s roadway network and a major step in the right direction, this is a one-time funding allocation. City staff will continue to explore all options to identify potential funding sources for the additional $3.3 million needed annually to appropriately maintain the City’s entire roadway system. The City is also working on evaluating the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and identifying how to reprioritize and/or fund the approximately $110 million worth of unfunded CIP Projects.

For more information, please read the staff report here.

Pictured: Cathedral Oaks Road

Public Asked to Give Input on Unmet Transit Needs

Informational listening session on December 1 seeks public input on how bus systems, dial-a-ride, and paratransit services can better serve residents in Santa Barbara County.

An unmet transit needs listening session will take place from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, December 1, 2021, via Zoom Webinar hosted by the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG). The public is encouraged to stop by anytime during the two-hour virtual listening session to share comments or concerns about bus systems, dial-a-ride and paratransit services in Santa Barbara County, or express needs for new or expanded services in the county. Spanish language interpretation services will be available during the listening session.

Those unable to attend the December 1, 2021, listening session can take an online survey in English or Spanish until Friday, December 3, 2021. The public can also submit comments in writing to SBCAG at 260 North San Antonio Road, Suite B, Santa Barbara, CA 93110, or by email to comment@sbcag.org.

Comments provided at the listening session, on the online survey, or in writing are shared with local decision makers, transit agencies, and the California Department of Transportation to help influence options for transit services and projects. A summary of public input is presented to Santa Barbara County Transit Advisory Committee and SBCAG Board of Directors in early 2022.

WHAT: Unmet Transit Needs Listening Session

WHEN: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday, December 1, 2021, (visit virtually anytime during the two-hour listening session)

WHERE: Zoom Webinar*:

  • Webinar ID: 843 8403 4139; Passcode: 718234; OR
  • Telephone: (669) 900-9128

*Spanish-language interpretation services available

DETAILS: SBCAG is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodations for this meeting. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, accommodation requests should be made by Monday, November 29 to SBCAG at (805) 961-8900.

Online Survey, www.surveymonkey.com/r/SBCAG_TNA (English); www.surveymonkey.com/r/TNA_ESP (Spanish)

Provide feedback in writing to SBCAG at 260 North San Antonio Road, Suite B, Santa Barbara, CA 93110, or by email to comment@sbcag.org.

SBCAG will receive comments on transit needs in Santa Barbara County, as required under Section 99401.5 of the Public Utilities Code.

Citrus Infestation: Look Out for Invasive Tiny Beetles

Tiny beetles that have killed tens of thousands of trees in Southern California, recently were found and identified in Santa Barbara County. Known as invasive shothole borers, the beetles tunnel into trees and introduce a fungus that serves as the food source for adult beetles and their larva. As the fungus spreads in the tree, it disrupts the flow of water and nutrients, leading to tree decline, branch dieback, and tree death.

While they seem to prefer box elder, sycamore and willow, invasive shothole borers attack a wide variety of trees and can live and reproduce in more than 65 tree species found in California. They could be infesting trees in your neighborhood without you even knowing it.

What to look for? The main sign of infestation is the presence of small, perfectly round entry holes (about the size of the tip of a medium ballpoint pen), often associated with staining; gumming; sugar-like buildup; and/or boring dust. Dead branches with wilting leaves may be a sign of severe infestation. Look for these signs on trees in your yard and neighborhood. Light to moderately infested trees can usually be managed with branch removals and ongoing monitoring, while heavier infestations may require treatments. Unfortunately, severely infested trees rarely survive, can quickly become hazardous, and are a big source of beetles, so they need to be removed. Proper disposal of green waste including chipping infested wood is a critical step in effective management to prevent the spread of this pest.

With the help of a grant from Cal-Fire, the County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office has identified invasive shothole borers in Montecito and the Santa Ynez Valley, and it has begun removing the most seriously infested trees on county lands. The department is assisting other jurisdictions and the public with ISHB identification, trapping, visual surveys and resources to manage the ISHB. 

To learn more, visit www.ishb.org and/or www.agcommissioner.com.

Top right photo: Beetle infestation in castor bean by Akif Eskalen of UC, Davis


Entry hole in a sycamore, photo by Monica Dimson of UC Cooperative Extension


Tree removal in Santa Barbara County, photo by Randall Oliver, UC Statewide IPM Program