Author Archives: Jaime Shaw

Parking Tips from the City’s Sergeant Maxwell

This month, Sergeant John Maxwell, head of the City of Goleta’s Motor Traffic Unit, is sharing parking tips. Even though we may see a space large enough to fit a car or truck, it does not mean it is a legal parking space. California law puts restrictions on certain locations to enhance public safety and to provide easier access for emergency services.

The following is a brief list of parking violations commonly encountered by City of Goleta Parking Enforcement:

  • Parking within 15 feet of a Fire Hydrant:
    The California Vehicle Code prohibits parking a vehicle within fifteen (15) feet of a fire hydrant, whether or not the curb is painted red. The purpose of this law is to allow the Fire Department access to the hydrant in the event of an emergency. The only exception to this law is if a licensed driver is sitting in the front seat and is able to immediately move the vehicle if needed.
  • Blocking Wheelchair Access:
    The California Vehicle Code also prohibits parking a vehicle blocking any portion of a curb that has been cut down, lowered, or built to provide wheelchair accessibility to the sidewalk. These areas are typically located on corners, but be watchful as they can also be present wherever the need to provide wheelchair accessibility has been established. Also note that, unlike fire hydrants, there is no exception to this law, even if a driver is in the vehicle.
  • Red Curbs:
    We all know that it is unlawful to park along a red curb. The Goleta Police Department’s Traffic Unit would like to remind all motorists that this includes any portion of your vehicle that may extend into the red curb. When parking, be sure to take an extra moment to ensure your vehicle is not in a red zone in any way to avoid the cost and inconvenience of a parking citation.

The Goleta Police Department is committed to working with our community to keep our roads safe for everyone. If you observe a parking violation that you believe needs to be addressed quickly, please call (805) 683-2724 to notify a Deputy or Parking Enforcement Officer. To report an ongoing parking issue that concerns you, please click here to complete a Citizen Service Request.

New! Library of Things

Public libraries used to loan out more than books and movies. Back in the 1960’s and 70’s, you could check out things like artwork and fishing poles! The Goleta Valley Library is bringing back the idea of loaning out non-traditional items. Goleta’s ‘Library of Things’ launched in April 2019, and the following items are available for patrons:

  • Virtual reality goggles
  • Robots for kids to learn coding
  • Portable record player
  • Machine for transferring videocassette information onto DVDs
  • Machine for transferring audiocassette information onto USB drives
  • Binoculars
  • Portable disc drives for your laptop or computer
  • UV flashlight
  • Cake pans
  • Games

Head over to the Library (500 N. Fairview Avenue) today to check something out from the new Library of Things! Stay up-to-date on what’s happening at the Library by visiting the website (www.GoletaValleyLibrary.org) or following us on Facebook (@GoletaValleyLibrary). You can also subscribe here for the Library’s e-newsletter, The Reading Corner.

 

Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan Cruises to Another Award

We are excited to share that the City’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan (BPMP) has won another award! The BPMP is the proud recipient of the American Planning Association Central Coast Chapter’s Award of Excellence. The award is given to projects that exemplify outstanding achievement in the planning field. Earlier this year the BPMP also won the 2018-19 Project of the Year in the Special Studies <$2 million category by the American Public Works Association (APWA) Central Coast Chapter.

The Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan was developed over a two year period with input from the community, project consultant, Technical Advisory Committee, City Commissions and Council. The BPMP was adopted by City Council on October 16, 2018.

The BPMP will guide Goleta’s biking and walking future and make it easier to bike and walk around town by encouraging the development of an integrated bicycle and pedestrian system throughout the City of Goleta with connections to other regional bike systems. The BPMP also promotes public health by encouraging more people to bike and walk, reducing automobile usage and fuel consumption, and promoting transportation equity.

The BPMP outlines a broad range of improvements within public rights-of-way that will be developed and constructed when Council directs project funding and prioritization. These improvements will occur over the next ten to twenty years and coordinate with the existing Capital Improvement Program (CIP). The BPMP is also considered a “living document” that Council can update as needed in future years when new programs and projects are identified.

It Starts with Public Works

National Public Works Week is May 19-25 and City of Goleta Public Works staff will be at the Camino Real Marketplace (7004 Market Place Drive) for a community event on Thursday, May 23, from 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. This year’s theme, “It Starts Here,” represents the efforts put forth by public works professionals to keep our communities going. Infrastructure, growth and innovation, mobility, security and healthy communities all start with public works.

Join us for our annual community event to interact with City staff and have your questions answered on projects happening throughout Goleta. There will be equipment demonstrations, games, prizes and balloons for kids, educational materials for school age children, and light refreshments.

The City of Goleta’s Public Works department works hard year-round to improve the quality of life for those who live, work and play in Goleta. Current projects include: repaving portions of Cathedral Oaks Road, the addition of a sidewalk on Fairview Avenue between the Goleta Valley Library and Fairview Gardens, the San Jose Creek Bike Path Project, the Old Town Sidewalks Project, and the award-winning Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan which will make it easier to bike and walk around town. 

Click here to learn more about the City’s Public Works Department, and we hope to see you on May 23!

Final Workshops for Input on the City’s New Zoning Ordinance

There are two more opportunities to provide input on the City’s Revised Draft New Zoning Ordinance. Attend a Joint Planning Commission/City Council Workshop on May 7 at 6:00 p.m and/or a Planning Commission Workshop on May 9 at 6:00 p.m. Both will take place in Goleta City Hall Council Chambers (130 Cremona Drive, Suite B).

The Zoning Ordinance is one of the most influential regulatory documents that ultimately shapes, and will continue to form, the future of Goleta. On January 31, 2019, the City released the Revised Draft New Zoning Ordinance (NZO) along with new opportunities for public input. All residents, business owners and stakeholders within Goleta are encouraged to participate in the development of the New Zoning Ordinance. The Revised Draft NZO is in response to the feedback staff received from the public and Planning Commissioners on a Draft New Zoning Ordinance released in 2016.

With the release of the Revised Draft NZO earlier this year, public engagement opportunities were made available through a series of Open Houses, Planning Commission workshops, Design Review Board meetings, and City Council Ordinance Standing Committee meetings. The Planning Commission workshops covered a range of key topics identified by the public and the Planning Commission during and after the public review of the initial 2016 draft. Workshop topics included: landscaping/lighting, appropriate review bodies and permit procedures, signs, open space, Floor Area Ratio (FAR), parking regulations and housing. These workshops provided an interactive review and discussion of possible steps for moving forward to address the proposed changes.

We hope to see you at our upcoming workshops on May 7 and May 9. Please check out www.GoletaZoning.com for more information and to stay updated throughout the project. This website is specific to the Zoning Ordinance and provides up-to-date information, materials, public and Planning Commission comments, staff’s responses, and meetings past and present.

Update on the Ellwood Mesa Monarch Butterfly Habitat Management Plan

On March 19, 2019, the City Council adopted the Ellwood Mesa/Sperling Preserve Open Space Monarch Butterfly Habitat Management Plan (MBHMP) and the associated environmental document. The MBHMP will maintain and improve the monarch butterfly seasonal aggregation habitat areas to ensure long-term viability of the monarch butterfly population and a variety of other native plant and animal species while allowing for coastal access, education and recreation.

Growing concern over the drought-stressed and dying eucalyptus trees in the butterfly groves led to the finalization of the MBHMP. Now, with Council adoption, planning is underway to carry out the MBHMP’s management actions in fall 2019, pending approval from the California Coastal Commission. An Implementation Plan for the MBHMP, prepared in November 2018 and submitted to the Coastal Commission, outlines the planting and maintenance of eucalyptus trees and native plants on the western flank of the “Ellwood North” monarch aggregation area, where the tree die off has been the most severe. This Implementation Plan would enhance 0.58 acres of eucalyptus grove habitat and plant 0.11 acres of toyon and lemonade berry scrub along the edge of Ellwood North, outside the boundaries of the eucalyptus grove. 

City staff continues to work with the Coastal Conservancy to implement a funding agreement securing the $3.9 million allocated in the FY 2017-18 State budget for restoration of the Ellwood eucalyptus groves. The Coastal Conservancy is expected to take action on this matter on May 16, 2019.

For more information, please visit the City’s project pages on the Ellwood Mesa and the Monarch Habitat Management Plan.

Goleta Strategic Energy Plan Workshop

Join us in building Goleta’s clean energy future! The City of Goleta, in partnership with the County of Santa Barbara and the City of Carpinteria, invites you to attend our Strategic Energy Plan Workshop on May 15. We will be sharing updates on the project’s progress and reviewing the key points in Goleta’s Draft Strategic Energy Plan. The goal of this workshop is to identify community priorities and the best strategies to reach Goleta’s 100% renewable energy goal. There will also be opportunities for questions and discussion.

What: Strategic Energy Plan Workshop will explore:

  • Community goals and priorities in energy planning
  • Best fit strategies for the City of Goleta’s 100% renewable energy goals and resilient energy needs

When: Wednesday, May 15, 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Where: Goleta Valley Community Center, Room #6 (5679 Hollister Avenue)

RSVP: Space is limited, please RSVP here.

View the event flyer here.

The City of Goleta’s draft Strategic Energy Plan is available for review here. We need your valuable input to help identify the best strategies to ensure equitable community access to clean energy and its benefits. Visit the project page on the City’s website for more information.

If you have any questions about this project or the upcoming workshop, please email sep@cityofgoleta.org.

Provide Input on the City’s Historic Preservation Ordinance

The City has begun the next phase of our Historic Preservation Project – developing a Historic Preservation Ordinance. We are seeking community input on relevant topics necessary to shape the content of future regulations, such as:

  • Identification of eligibility criteria and process to list and delist a historic resource
  • Development of regulations associated with historic properties including archaeological resources

Come to an upcoming Planning Commission meeting at Goleta City Hall Council Chambers (130 Cremona Drive, Suite B) to provide input. Discussions will be part of regular Planning Commission agendas. Dates and anticipated topics are as follows:

  • May 13, 6:00 p.m.: Discussion of general provisions and those related to the built resources
  • June 24, 6:00 p.m.: Discussion of issues related to cultural and archaeological resources

Background – Historic Preservation Project

Working with a consultant team from Historic Resources Group, the Historic Preservation Project consists of the creation of a comprehensive Citywide Historic Context Statement and a Citywide Historic Resources Survey to create an inventory of historic resources in the City. The purpose of a historic context statement is to place built resources in the appropriate historic, social, and architectural context so that the relationship between area’s physical environment and its broader history can be established.

More information and materials regarding the Historic Preservation Project, including the latest version of the Context Statement, are accessible on the City’s website at www.historicgoleta.org.

 

Have a Say in Goleta’s New Train Station!

Goleta is getting a new train station and we want to hear from you! Come to an open house on the Goleta Train Station Area Master Plan May 2 or May 8 at 6:00 p.m. to find out more about proposed improvements. Join us to learn about the status and limits of the proposed Master Plan, share your insights, and help us understand your priorities and concerns. View the flyer here.

Thursday, May 2
6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
City of Goleta Council Chambers
130 Cremona Drive, Suite B

Wednesday, May 8
6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Goleta Valley Community Center
5679 Hollister Avenue

The City is developing a new full-service multi-modal train station, next to the existing Amtrak platform on South La Patera Lane. By creating a full-service station, the City hopes to increase train ridership, improve connections to bus transit, accommodate transit service to/from the Santa Barbara Airport and UCSB and add new bicycle and pedestrian facilities. This project will also allow accommodation for future additional train storage, supporting increased commuter rail needs.

Learn more about the new train station here. Sign up for updates via email or text here.

Fire is Everyone’s Fight: Fire Safety for Older Adults

The U.S. Fire Administration recently focused on older adult fire safety. This is important for all ages, because whether or not you are over 65, you probably know someone who is. People over age 65 are twice as likely to die in a home fire, and the risk of injury in a fire also increases with age. Watch this video and see below for fire safety tips for both older adults and their caregivers:

  • Know two ways out of each room. Keep these exits clear.
  • Make sure everyone is able to get outside if the smoke alarm sounds.
  • If you use a walker or wheelchair, check all exits to be sure that you can go through the doorways.
  • If you can’t hear your smoke alarm, consider getting one that has a different sound or one that comes with a bed shaker or strobe light.
  • Discuss your fire escape plan with family and neighbors. Contact your building manager or fire department to discuss your plan if you need extra help escaping.
  • Keep wheelchairs, eyeglasses hearing aids and a telephone next to your bed.
  • Caregivers should check the smoke alarms of those who are unable to do it themselves.
  • Never smoke around medical oxygen.
  • Use a timer to remind you that you are cooking.

Visit www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention for more information on fire prevention.