Daily Archives: March 1, 2023

SB County Awarded $16 Million for Public Transportation Projects

State funding helps to transform travel in the region ensuring completion of Goleta Train Depot Project and bolsters infrastructure resiliency in Santa Barbara County, north of Gaviota State Beach 

California State Transportation Agency recently announced $2.5 billion to fund 16 ongoing public transportation projects statewide to expand transit and passenger rail service. Projects in Santa Barbara county received $16 million from the first of two rounds of funding announcements in the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program.

The $16 million for projects in Santa Barbara county were awarded to Santa Barbara County Association of Governments in partnership with the City of Goleta to complete the Goleta Train Depot Project, and Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor Agency to address bluff erosion north of Gaviota State Beach.

Santa Barbara County Association of Governments made a push for more funding for regional public transit and intercity rail from the state legislature that led to historic investments from state to help support vital projects in the region.

“The state of California is making significant investments to bring much-need resources that strengthen infrastructure across the state to improve transportation options and enhance mobility throughout the state,” said Senator Monique Limón. “This marks a historic moment that the state has been able to provide additional investments to support existing projects and I look forward to celebrating the completion of the Goleta Train Depot Project.”

Santa Barbara County Association of Governments was awarded $5.6 million for the Goleta Train Depot project. The award was leveraged by a $1 million local contribution from the City of Goleta. In 2018, Santa Barbara County Association of Governments received $13 million in state Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program grant for the Goleta Train Depot project. This is the first time since the state program began in 2015 it has provided supplemental funding for existing projects to be completed.

“The Goleta Train Depot project is a landmark project for our community and now one-step closer to completion with the $5.6 million in funding from the state,” said Marjie Kirn, executive director of the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments. “We look forward to celebrating the start of construction with the City of Goleta later this year.”

The Goleta Train Depot Project is to construct new multi-modal train station at the existing AMTRAK platform on South La Patera Lane in Goleta with the intent to increase rail ridership and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Through the completion of a full-service station, the project will improve connections to bus transit, accommodate transit service to/from the Santa Barbara Airport and the University of California, Santa Barbara, add new bicycle and pedestrian facilities and allow accommodation for potential additional train storage to support increased passenger rail service.

With the help of the $10.4 million state investment, the LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency is improving coastal resiliency through slope stabilization efforts in Santa Barbara County as part of a Corridor Hardening Improvement Program. Together with Union Pacific Railroad, LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency will work toward repairs in areas north of Gaviota State Beach.

The Transit Intercity Rail Capital Program has provided more than $9.1 billion in funding to nearly 100 projects since 2015, funded primarily from Senate Bill 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, Cap-and-Trade program proceeds, and the General Fund.

A complete list of the recipients can be found here.


Goleta Train Depot rendering

Cox Charities to Award $20,000 in Grants

Local nonprofits with programs focused on K-12 STEM education, conservation and sustainability, and military and veterans are encouraged to apply for a Cox Charities Community Grant through March 17. A total of $20,000 is available for nonprofits serving Carpinteria, Santa Barbara, or Goleta populations.   

The grants are part of Cox Charities’ statewide Community Grants program, which is awarding $320,000 total to nonprofits in Cox’s California markets (San Diego, Orange County, Palos Verdes, and Santa Barbara).  

To apply for a Cox Charities Community Grant, organizations must meet the following criteria: 

  • Be a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization; 
  • Be located in or provide services in a Cox Communications service area in California; 
  • Align with one or more of Cox Charities’ focus areas. 

To apply, visit www.coxcharitiesca.org/communitygrants. Recipients will be announced in May.  

A charitable foundation funded by employee donations that are matched by the company, Cox Charities enables employees to support its communities by awarding grants to nonprofits focused on youth and education, conservation and sustainability, and military and veterans. Cox Charities has awarded more than $500,000 across California in the past three years. Previous local grantees include PathPoint, SEE International, and the Santa Barbara Zoo. A volunteer advisory board of Cox employees oversees Cox Charities and its giving programs.

County Releases Draft 2030 Climate Action Plan

Public can provide comment and attend March 7 online workshop

The County of Santa Barbara’s Community Services Department has released the draft 2030 Climate Action Plan (CAP) for public comment and it is available online at countyofsb.org/oneclimate. The CAP aims to improve quality of life and prioritize social equity by outlining actions the County and community can take to make walking and biking safer, preserve and enhance open spaces, make buildings more efficient, improve air quality and enhance energy resilience.

There is a virtual workshop on March 7 that provides the community with an opportunity to view the draft CAP and engage with staff. Two in-person workshops were held on March 1, 2023, in both Santa Barbara and Santa Maria.

The workshops are an opportunity for the community to share their thoughts, points of concern and local knowledge. 

Online Workshop
March 7, 2023
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Virtual Workshop via Zoom (Register to receive zoom link)

Spanish translation will be available at the workshops.
Registration and information for all events can be found at countyofsb.org/oneclimate.   

Currently, there is no end date for the public comment period. The County will release a draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) following the draft CAP, which will also have its own set public comment period. Once the EIR public comment period is set, the County will announce the public comment end date for the CAP.

Council Responds to County’s Draft Housing Element

Council Urges County to Allow More Time for Public Participation and to Address Concerns

The Goleta City Council is urging the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors to join the City in addressing housing issues together before submitting its Housing Element to the State. At a Special City Council meeting on February 27, 2023, the Mayor and Council authorized sending a comment letter requesting that the County allow more time to address a list of significant concerns, to consider suggested solutions and for more meaningful public input.

City of Goleta Mayor Paula Perotte said, “The ramifications of the County’s Housing Element are massive and require careful thought, analysis, and extensive outreach, none of which can occur in the rushed timeline provided.  Let’s slow down and do this together.”

After a two-year process, the County recently released its Draft Housing Element on January 30, 2023 with a deadline of March 1, 2023 to provide public comment.  While the plan impacts a number of jurisdictions, it calls for thousands of new units along the City of Goleta’s borders.  This plan to convert land zoned for agriculture located outside the urban/rural limit line will have dramatic impacts on the City and its residents, from transportation issues to housing services.  The proposed housing developments include 1,436 units on the Glenn Annie Golf Course and 2,834 units on the South Patterson Ag block south of Hollister between S. Patterson and Ward Drive, both agriculturally zoned lands. 

Among its recommendations outlined in the comment letter, the Council requests that the County use a more equitable approach such as to prioritize infill on underutilized commercial and other property in the urban area and modify the proposed housing sites it has listed. The City also requests that the County Housing Element include stronger programs committed to preserving new housing for the local workforce with necessary services included.

View the City Council letter here. The County’s Housing Element is available at: https://www.countyofsb.org/3177/Housing-Element-Update.

Piers 421

Piers Removed at Haskell’s Beach

The State Lands Commission, in collaboration with the City of Goleta, has removed the last two oil pier and caisson structures in the state located at Haskell’s Beach in Goleta.

This milestone decommissioning project marks the end of oil production in the Ellwood Oil Field, production that started in the late 1920s and continued into the 1990s. At one time, the shoreline was marked by 13 piers as well as a welter of oil storage and processing facilities immediately onshore. Now the final two piers and caissons are gone, restoring full coastal access and eliminating public safety and environmental threats.

“Removal of the last two oil piers in the state is a defining moment for the region and for California,” said Lieutenant Governor and State Lands Commission Chair Eleni Kounalakis. “Their removal moves us one step closer to a future free of fossil fuels and restores access to a beautiful coastline for the community of Goleta.”

The two structures, known as PRC 421-1 and 421-2, were installed in 1929 and 1930 for the purpose of oil and gas development of the Ellwood Oil Field. After Venoco filed for bankruptcy in 2017, the South Ellwood leases reverted to the State and the Commission  embarked on the decommissioning project. The deteriorating piers and caissons represented a physical coastal obstruction, a potential public safety hazard, and a potential environmental hazard because of the presence of hydrocarbon-impacted soil and fill within the pier caissons.

City of Goleta Mayor Paula Perotte said: “This is a significant accomplishment. Indeed, old oil and gas infrastructure, piers, and wells are leaving our coastal waters for good. The State Lands Commission partnership with the City of Goleta was key to this restoration effort. Our community and the environment are safer because of these decommissioning efforts and for this, we can be proud.”
 
The work to remove the two oil piers and caissons began in August, 2022. The Commission prepared an Environmental Impact Report and secured permits for this project in collaboration with federal, state, and local agencies. More information can be found at: www.slc.ca.gov/ceqa/prc-421-decommissioning-project.

The Commission is actively working to decommission several other offshore oil and gas production facilities in the Santa Barbara Channel.


Pre-decommissioning PRC 421. Photo taken in 2010.


Drone photo of the piers taken in 2018.


Post decommissioning PRC 421. Photo taken February 2023.

LEAD Goleta Now Accepting Applications

Apply Now to Participate, Space is Limited

After a three-year hiatus, the City of Goleta is excited to bring back our popular LEAD Goleta Community Academy. LEAD stands for Learn, Empower, Advocate and Discuss. This free, interactive, and eye-opening six-week program is designed to help community members better understand the role that local government plays so that they can effectively participate, share that knowledge with others and possibly even consider a future role in city governance.

This will be the third LEAD Goleta the City has held, and for the first time, it will be offered as a bilingual program with simultaneous Spanish interpretation.

The spring LEAD Goleta Community Academy will run for six consecutive weeks every Thursday evening from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. starting on April 20, 2023, and ending on May 25, 2023, with a celebratory graduation ceremony. Most classes will be held in City Hall Council Chambers located at 130 Cremona Drive, but some may be held out in the community.

Each class is interactive and features different key City departments giving a behind the scenes view of how the City of Goleta is run. Attendees will learn everything from how roads are maintained to what goes in to creating the City’s budget. Throughout the program, participants will be exposed to the role of local government.

To get an idea of what you will experience in this academy, watch a recap here of our last LEAD Goleta Community Academy held in January & February 2020.

There are only 30 spots in the LEAD Goleta Community Academy and they fill up fast, so apply today! Priority is given to Goleta residents, but LEAD Goleta is open to any resident of Santa Barbara County. We strongly encourage students to apply. Participants must be able to attend all six classes in order to be considered. Don’t wait, apply here. To access the application in Spanish, click here.

The City of Goleta is proud to offer this unique and enlightening experience and looks forward to meeting our Goleta LEAD Academy class this spring. To apply, go to www.CityofGoleta.org/LEADGoleta.


LEAD Goleta January and February 2020 Class Graduation

Goleta Valley Library Celebrates 50 Years at Fairview

Join Us Saturday, March 11 from 2 to 4 p.m. for Special Event

For the past 50 years, patrons of all ages have been coming to the Goleta Valley Library (GVL) at 500 N. Fairview Avenue in Goleta. The Goleta Valley Library serves the City of Goleta and the County’s surrounding unincorporated areas including Isla Vista, “Noleta”, and Hope Ranch. To celebrate this meaningful milestone, the City of Goleta is inviting YOU to come celebrate with us on Saturday, March 11, 2023, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at this treasured location which has meant so much to our community for the past five decades. It’s also a great opportunity to thank long-time Library Director Allison Gray who is retiring at the end of March. Watch this video invitation in English (https://youtu.be/ejYrgOc4gHw) and Spanish (https://youtu.be/R41dx-PKkwY).

Here is what you have to look forward to:

  • Family friendly activities, including a scavenger hunt
  • Music by library staff member Nicole Lvoff
  • Birthday toast and special tributes at 3:00 p.m.
  • Signature frame signing
  • Photo station
  • “My Favorite Thing about the Goleta Valley Library” Activity
  • Goleta Valley Library “Celebrating 50 Years” commemorative bookmark

Bring your favorite GVL memories and you are welcome to wear the color gray in honor of Allison Gray for her 36 years of library service including the past 15 years in Goleta.

About the Goleta Valley Library:
Built in 1972, this 15,000 square foot facility was originally constructed and owned by the County of Santa Barbara, and operated by the City of Santa Barbara under a contract with the County. When the City of Goleta was incorporated in 2002, it took over ownership of the building. In 2017, the Goleta Valley Library received state designation as a municipal library and in 2018 the City of Goleta took over management of the GVL. In 2019, the City of Goleta also took over management of the Solvang and Buellton libraries.  Approximately 26 staff members work at the Goleta Valley Library site and the Library Bookvan. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic the library circulated approximately 600,000 items each year and had more than 250,000 visitors. The numbers are steadily increasing as patrons feel more comfortable returning to the library in person. In fiscal year 2021-22 more than 130,000 e-materials were downloaded from the library’s website. For the latest update on the Goleta Valley Library watch the Library Director’s presentation to the Goleta City Council on March 7, 2023 at 5:30 p.m. The agenda will be available at www.cityofgoleta.org/meetings-agendas at least 72 hours in advance of the meeting.

We can’t wait to see you at 500 N. Fairview on March 11 and hear what you love about the GVL.

Goleta Valley Library Then and Now


Pictured: Mayor Paula Perotte and Library Director Allison Gray outside of the Goleta Valley Library

Green Room: The Ocean Begins On Your Street

The City of Goleta Environmental Services Division would like to share some tips to help protect our watersheds. This month we are discussing the importance of storm drain markers and trash capture technologies and how they help to protect our local waterbodies.  

What are Storm Drain Markers? 

The ocean is closer than you think! Storm drain markers indicate the location of stormwater drainage systems and catch basins that lead to waterbodies and waterways, including rivers, streams, creeks, lakes, ponds, and bays that eventually drain to the ocean. Storm drain markers are intended to educate the public to not leave trash, chemicals and other harsh pollutants in or near storm drains that could otherwise pose a threat to wildlife and water quality. Remember, only rain down the drain! 

While our community strives to prevent trash and pollution from entering the storm drain system, pollution still exists, and trash remains an issue in our local watersheds. Therefore, the City of Goleta is committed to the goal of full trash capture and plans to install full trash capture devices in storm drains throughout the city. Sources of trash include littering and dumping. Types of trash that are particularly problematic in the oceans and creeks include cigarette butts, paper, fast food containers, plastic grocery bags, cans and microplastics. Each of these contribute to the large amounts of trash worldwide that has made it into the ocean, often referred to as “the plastic ocean.” Additionally, these plastics can harm wildlife through ingestion, entanglement, and the dispersal of invasive species. 


City of Goleta full trash capture

How Can You Make A Difference?  

You can help prevent storm drain pollution and protect creeks and the ocean by following these great tips in our brochure, “The Ocean Begins on Your Street” in English and Spanish. 

Community members can also be a part of the solution by getting involved with the Beautify Goleta Volunteer Program. Beautify Goleta hosts Saturday morning cleanup events in neighborhoods throughout the City, generally every other month. Please sign up today and check out our next event details by visiting www.CityofGoleta.org/BeautifyGoleta. We hope you can be a part of the #BeautifyGoleta team of volunteers. If you have any questions, email EnvironmentalServices@CityOfGoleta.org. 

Our Water Our World: Planting A Healthy Garden

Learn about planting a healthy garden while protecting the health of people, pets, and our environment with these tips from the City of Goleta Environmental Services Division. Planting a variety of flowering plants that bloom throughout the spring and summer gives you a beautiful garden and can also reduce the number of garden pests. Many commonly available plants— including drought tolerant plants—attract beneficial insects that feed on pests you don’t want around! 

Attract Beneficial Insects, and Keep them Around 

Beneficial insects are the ultimate non-toxic pest control. And they do all of the work for you! Soldier beetles, syrphid flies, and ladybugs and their larvae attack aphids. Lacewings will go after just about any insect pest. 

Use pesticides only as a last resort. If you must use a pesticide, choose the least toxic product designed to kill the specific target pest. Bees and other beneficial insects are often more sensitive to pesticides than the pests you want to kill. What’s worse, after pesticide use has eliminated the beneficial insects, the pests are free to multiply… and you’ll need to spray again. 

Choosing the Right Plant 

Plant for success! Many of the plants that attract beneficial insects are California natives that should do well here. It’s important to learn about your garden—what type of soil you have and how much sunlight you get throughout the day and during different seasons—and choose plants that fit in. 

  • Read the label! Most nurseries provide detailed information about plants’ blooming habits and water and sunlight requirements. For plants that are pest-prone, such as hollyhocks and fuchsias, look for varieties described as pest- and disease-resistant. 
  • Before you buy a plant, check the roots. Gently pull or knock the plant out of its pot to make sure it’s not root-bound. Don’t buy a plant with roots that are kinked, growing out of the bottom of the container, or surrounding the root ball. Also, don’t buy a plant if its root crown (the area where the roots meet the stem or trunk) is soft or rotten. 
  • Talk to your local garden club, and check out these resources to help you choose the right plants: 

Caring for your Plants 

Knowing your plant’s needs for water, pruning, and fertilizer will help you keep your garden healthy. Even drought-tolerant plants need regular water to become established. During their first two growing seasons, water new plants deeply twice a week so that their roots will grow down into the soil. You may have to water young plants more often during hot weather. 

  • Don’t pile soil around the plant any higher than the root crown. Don’t plant in a depression that will allow water to wash soil down around the stem or trunk and cover the root crown. A continually moist root crown can cause rot. 
  • Cover bare soil with mulch. Mulch conserves soil moisture so plants don’t dry out as quickly. A four-inch layer of mulch will prevent most annual weeds from growing, and any weeds that do sprout can be pulled out more easily. 
  • Use a mulch of leaves, bark, or composted manure and/or garden waste to provide organic matter to the soil and a slow, steady flow of nutrients to plants. Make sure not to cover the crown of the plant. 
  • If you need to fertilize, use organic, slow-release fertilizers. 
  • Learn how and when to prune your plants, and don’t prune more than recommended. Severe pruning can damage the plant and encourage pests and diseases. 

Find more information on planting a healthy garden in our OWOW brochures in English  and  Spanish.  

The City of Goleta along with the Cities of Buellton, Carpinteria, Solvang, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, and the County of Santa Barbara have partnered with the OWOW organization to promote the use of less-toxic products in an effort to reduce pesticide pollution in our communities. By reducing pesticide use and the use of less-toxic products around the home, you can help reduce pesticides and other pollutants such as herbicides and fertilizers from being picked up while watering or when it rains and transported to the nearest storm drain inlet and into our waterways. The  OWOW website is a great resource for finding less-toxic products to use around your home or garden.

Bicycle Bob’s Recognized

Life is better on two wheels – and after 39 years of Bicycle Bob’s operating in Old Town Goleta, owners Bob and Julia Zaratzian are retiring. We couldn’t let them go without a proper Goleta send off. At the February 21 City Council meeting, Bicycle Bob’s was honored for its outstanding service to the Goleta community all of these years.

The Zaratzians opened Bicycle Bob’s in downtown Santa Barbara in March of 1983. Quickly outgrowing the space, they expanded their business with the opening of the Goleta store in 1988. 

Bicycle Bob’s raised the bar for what a bike should be by focusing on being an inclusive store for all members of the Bicycle Community. Juveniles, commuters, recreation riders, and bicycle enthusiasts of all ages were made to feel more like friends than customers. Throughout their nearly four decades in business, they supported local schools, non-profits, and law enforcement through their donations of bicycles, helmets, and gift certificates.  

“This is a really wonderful way to wrap up our almost 40 years of business.” said Julia Zaratzian, “We raised our family here and we love this community”.  

For Bicycle Bob’s, cycling was more than a hobby, it is a way of life. “I came 45 years ago to Goleta.” said Bob Zaratzian, “We couldn’t have asked for a better community to run a business and to raise a family”. 

While Bicycle Bob’s has now changed to Trek Bicycle Santa Barbara, they will still be operating out of the same location on 320 S. Kellogg Ave. Please make sure to welcome Trek Bicycle to Goleta and join us in thanking Bob and Julia for providing generations of Goleta families the opportunity to discover their passion for biking! 

Pictured top-right: Bob and Julia Zaratzian with Mayor Pro Tempore Kyle Richards


Bob and Julia outside of their store


Bob and Julia with some of their employees


Bob and Julia with their family after receiving a proclamation from the City