Daily Archives: September 1, 2021

Planning Commission Public Hearings – September 13

The public is invited to participate in two public hearings at the upcoming virtual Planning Commission meeting on September 13, 2021, at 6:00 p.m.

One of the public hearings is to consider a resolution recommending to the City Council to adopt two new affordable housing fees and adopt associated Title 17 Amendments. City Council will consider the recommendation at a later hearing to adopt the fees and amendments to Title 17. View the Notice here.

The City hosted a virtual public meeting on August 24, 2021, regarding two ongoing Affordable Housing Fee Studies. The two studies support adoption of affordable housing fees for new residential and non-residential development to implement policies established in the City’s General Plan Housing Element. A recording of the meeting is available here. Slides from the presentation are also available here.

The other public hearing is to consider a resolution recommending to the City Council adoption of General Plan and Zoning Amendments to Allow Entertainment and Recreation Services in the General Commercial (C-G) land use designation and zoning district.

The C-G land use designation and zoning district includes various commercial parcels around the City. C-G currently allows a variety of commercial and heavy commercial uses. However, the General Plan and the City’s zoning regulations do not currently allow entertainment and recreation uses, like gyms and dance studios, in C-G. The proposed General Plan and Zoning Amendments would make those types of uses allowed uses in C-G. View the Notice here. 

The agenda and how to participate will be available prior to the meeting date at www.CityofGoleta.org/GoletaMeetings.

“Beat the Heat” this September and October

Five Dollar Spay or Neuter Surgeries for Cats

Throughout September and October, Santa Barbara County Animal Services and Santa Barbara Humane are offering $5 cat spay or neuter surgeries and free microchips through its “Beat the Heat” promotion. 

County Animal Shelters host their annual “Beat the Heat” campaign in an effort to promote responsible pet ownership and prevent accidental and unwanted litters of kittens. In 2020, 736 orphaned kittens came into County Animal Shelters. Spay and neuter surgeries help stop this cycle.

Appointments are limited to the first 100 cats and kittens. Pet owners are encouraged to take advantage of the $5 offer. As an added bonus, the promotion includes free microchips. Other treatments, such as vaccines and flea treatment are available at an additional cost.

“Animal Services and our partner, Santa Barbara Humane, are committed to saving lives through spaying and neutering,” says Jessica Wiebe, Community Programs Director.  “Being able to offer such promotions to help reduce the overpopulation of pets is a crucial piece of the animal sheltering puzzle that we are proud to offer our community. Do not miss the chance to get in on the Beat the Heat promotion and call for an appointment today. Space is limited, and our appointment book fills up fast!”

Santa Barbara County residents who wish to take advantage of the $5 surgery promotion should contact the organizations below:

  • Santa Barbara County Animal Services at (805) 934-6968
  • Santa Barbara Humane-Santa Maria Campus at (805) 964-4777

For more information about County Animal Services and services offered, please visit www.sbcanimalservices.org. Follow @sbcanimalservices on social media for future promotions.

 

Back to School Safety Video Message from Goleta Police

School is back in session for our Goleta students. While it is an exciting time, it’s also a perfect opportunity to go over important safety tips to keep our kids safe this year. Please take time out to watch this Back to School Safety Video Message from Goleta’s School Resource Deputy George Hedricks of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. Thank you Deputy Hedricks!

Pedestrian Safety Month: Be Predictable, Look Out for One Another

As part of Pedestrian Safety Month, The Goleta Police Department is supporting efforts throughout September to improve pedestrian safety and help reduce crashes and injuries.

Pedestrians are more and more at risk on the road. Based on data from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), 2020 had the largest ever annual increase, 21 percent, in the rate at which drivers struck and killed pedestrians. In California, pedestrian deaths accounted for 27 percent of all traffic-related deaths in 2019.

“It’s simple: slow down and stop for pedestrians. They have the same rights to the road as everyone else,” Sergeant Noel Rivas said. “If you’re walking, be mindful of vehicle traffic and be predictable. We should all be looking out for one another.”

For the safety of everyone walking or driving, the Goleta Police Department and the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department will have additional deputies on patrol throughout September specifically looking for California Vehicle Code violations pertaining to drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians.

These violations include right-of-way at crosswalks, illegal turns and not stopping for signs or signals (e.g., right turn on red or red light running), and speeding.

The Goleta Police Department offers steps drivers and pedestrians can take to greatly reduce the risk of getting injured or in a crash, including staying off the phone when behind the wheel or walking:

Pedestrians

  • Be predictable. Use crosswalks.
  • Take notice of approaching vehicles and practice due care.
  • Do not walk or run into the path of a vehicle. No vehicle can stop instantly. At 30 m.p.h., a driver needs at least 90 feet to stop.
  • Be visible. Make it easy for drivers to see you – wear light colors, reflective material and carry a flashlight, particularly at dawn, dusk or at night.
  • Be extra careful crossing streets or entering crosswalks at night when it is harder to see, or when crossing busier streets with more lanes and higher speed limits.

Drivers

  • Follow the speed limit and slow down at intersections. Be prepared to stop for pedestrians at marked and unmarked crosswalks.
  • Avoid blocking crosswalks while waiting to make a right-hand turn.
  • Never drive impaired.

Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The City of Goleta contracts with the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement services.

Goleta Community Center

City of Goleta to Manage Goleta Community Center

The Goleta City Council held a special virtual City Council Meeting on August 31 to discuss the future of the Goleta Community Center (GCC). Originally built in 1927, the GCC is located at 5679 Hollister Avenue in the heart of the City in Old Town and is an important gathering place for our community. The City purchased the GCC in 2013 but the building has been managed by the Goleta Valley Community Center (GVCC), a non-profit organization.

The City Council conceptually approved the City of Goleta assuming direct management of the GCC beginning next year while construction projects are ongoing, and asked staff to return in the fall with a plan to do this. Two major construction projects, one to complete the seismic retrofit and one to complete Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility improvements, are expected to begin next year.

Assuming direct management of the GCC on July 1, 2022, will provide the City an opportunity to take a more active role in improving the quality of the GCC. It will also allow the City to better stage the construction, develop a Community Center Strategic Plan, and determine the best management options for the GCC for the future.

The City Council also received a report during the Council meeting on the stakeholder and public outreach process that was conducted in February and March 2020 to better understand the community’s desires for programming and uses at the GCC. One of the recommendations of the outreach process was that the City conduct a strategic planning process to guide future use and management of the GCC. 

The City of Goleta is looking forward to improving the Goleta Community Center so that is a thriving facility for the next 95 years. We would like to thank the Goleta Valley Community Center (GVCC) organization for managing the GCC for many years. The GVCC organization will continue to be involved in the GCC and help the City decide the future of the Community Center.

Watch a recording of the meeting anytime on the City website at www.CityofGoleta.org/GoletaMeetings. It is also available to watch on Goleta TV Channel 19 Wednesdays and Saturdays at 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. The full agenda from the meeting is available at https://tinyurl.com/x5m2sw8h.

Keep updated on the Goleta Community Center by signing up for updates here.

Join Us for Coastal Cleanup Day on September 18!

Are you looking for a fun and easy way to give back to Goleta? Join us for Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday, September 18th from 9:00 a.m. – noon. Watch our video in English or Spanish to see why our team captains hope to see you and what you need to know before you go! Please bring a face covering – they are required at check in and check out. Don’t wait, sign up here to participate! Also, you don’t have to wait until September 18th to participate, you can help clean up our beaches anytime throughout September and have the trash you pick up tracked on the Clean Swell app.