Author Archives: Jaime Shaw

Construction is Under Way on the Hollister Class I Bike Path

You may have noticed the work being done on Hollister Avenue between Pacific Oaks Road and Ellwood Elementary School. Construction is in full swing on the new Hollister Class I Bike Path, which will provide a safe way for local students to get to school. During most of the six month construction period, Hollister Avenue in that area will be reduced to two lanes with left turn lanes remaining. For more information on this project, please visit http://tinyurl.com/HollisterClassI. You can sign up to receive regular updates on the Hollister Class I Bike Path via email or text at http://tinyurl.com/goletasubscriptions. Thank you for your patience and cooperation so that this work may be completed as soon as possible.

Venoco’s Status and the Future of Drilling Off Our Coast

On Monday, April 17, Venoco announced it had filed for bankruptcy and quitclaimed its interests in Platform Holly and the Ellwood Piers leases to the California State Lands Commission (CSLC).  This is significant news as it effectively ends commercial oil and gas production off our coast.   But the timing of when this will occur is still very much unknown.

The State Lands Commission will oversee the decommissioning of Platform Holly and Ellwood Piers.  The process for decommissioning the facilities and abandoning the approximately 32 wells will be expensive, complex and lengthy. The CSLC is filing a claim against Venoco in bankruptcy court in an attempt to recoup costs for the decommissioning process.

In the interim, Venoco will continue to operate the Ellwood Onshore Oil and Gas Processing Facility (EOF), Platform Holly and the Ellwood Piers (also referred to as the 421 Piers / Wells). These oil production facilities Venoco operates are currently idle due to the Plains All American Pipeline break but must be maintained because the wells are under pressure.  However, the EOF is still collecting gas from the seep tents and processing it at the EOF.

The City of Goleta has regulatory authority over the EOF, 421 Piers and related onshore facilities, Line 96, and the Sales Gas Pipeline.     

The City is actively engaged with State and local agencies as short-term facility operations and maintenance and long-term decommissioning and bankruptcy processes are underway The City is gathering information on how the quitclaiming process and decommissioning of the other assets will affect the disposition of the EOF and other onshore facilities. The City’s objective is to restore the Ellwood Onshore Facility to an active recreation use, consistent with the General Plan land use designation.

Mayor Paula Perotte said, “The quitclaim is a positive development for the Goleta community and all of us who look forward to the restoration of our coastline.  The City’s paramount concern has been, and will continue to be, the public health and safety of our community and our residents.  Our city council and staff look forward to working with California’s State Lands Commission and other agencies on the decommissioning of these facilities. We will keep the public fully informed as more details become available.”

The CSLC has set up a webpage to provide information to the public http://www.slc.ca.gov/Info/SouthEllwood.html. 

The City is planning a community conversation as more information is available, so our public can be involved in the process.  To receive updates, please sign up for the Oil & Gas Projects email/text notifications here: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/CAGOLETA/subscriber/new.

Volunteer for our Next Beautify Goleta Event!

The City of Goleta is looking for volunteers for our community clean-up program, Beautify Goleta. The next Beautify Goleta event is May 13 from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. in Old Town. The program is designed to make it easy for residents to clean up their homes and yards. The City encourages this by providing roll-off boxes for disposal of unwanted items for a designated time period on specific Saturday mornings for small sections of the City.  

Volunteers are needed to help residents unload their unwanted items and keep track of the number of residents that participate. Volunteers will receive a free Beautify Goleta t-shirt; water and work gloves will be provided. Volunteers must wear closed-toed shoes and it is recommended to wear a hat, work clothes and sunscreen as well.  If you are interested in volunteering for our May 13 event or future events, please contact Everett King, Environmental Services Coordinator, at eking@cityofgoleta.org or 805-961-7565.

Goleta Library

Join the Library Advisory Committee!

The City is looking for a volunteer to serve on the County of Santa Barbara Library Advisory Committee as a representative of the City of Goleta. The candidate must a qualified elector, which requires that the individual be a United States citizen, 18 years of age or older, and living within the City limits of the City of Goleta. The deadline to apply is May 30, 2017.

Applications may be obtained from, and must be returned to, Deborah Lopez (dlopez@cityofgoleta.org), City Clerk, City of Goleta, 130 Cremona Drive, Suite B, Goleta, CA 93117. Applications are also available on the City website. Additional information can be provided by calling (805) 961-7505.

New Technology Center Opens in Goleta!

The Goleta Valley Tech Center is now open! Started by local non-profit EqualiTech, the Tech Center was implemented to bridge the digital divide of those in Goleta and Santa Barbara with access to technology and those without. Located in room 5A at the Goleta Valley Community Center (5679 Hollister Avenue), the Tech Center provides free computer access, free Wi-Fi and wireless printing. It is open to the public Tuesday – Friday 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. and Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Look for more information on a grand opening celebration scheduled for May 18. 

Protect Yourself from Mosquito Bites and the Zika Virus

With summer approaching, mosquito season is beginning and the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department (SBCPHD) wants to remind everyone to take precautions from disease and infections spread by mosquitos, such as the Zika virus.

The Zika virus primarily spreads through bites from infected mosquitos. The type of mosquito carrying the virus has not been found in Santa Barbara County.  Of the 5,200 cases of the disease that have been reported in the US between January 1, 2015, and April 12, 2017, most (94%) were in travelers returning from affected areas. As of April 14, 2017, 533 confirmed infections, all travel-related, have been found in California, including several in Santa Barbara County. Although there is currently no risk of contracting the disease from infected mosquitos in Santa Barbara County, the SBCHD reminds everyone to remain cautious and protect yourself from mosquito bites.

Many infected persons will not show any symptoms, or only mild symptoms, such as fever, rash, headache, joint pain, eye redness, and muscle aches. There is no specific treatment available, and symptoms resolve on their own in a few days to a week. The greatest concern is for unborn babies when the mother is infected during pregnancy.

To learn more about the Zika virus and how to protect yourself, go to http://cosb.countyofsb.org/zika_Virus/.

Goleta’s Next Two Year Budget

As the City’s current two year budget cycle comes to an end on June 30, 2017, the City
Council and City Staff are working to create a new two-year budget that uses taxpayer dollars for the greatest benefit of the community. The values and priorities of the City outlined in the Strategic Plan are the driving forces for budget creation.  The Council will hold budget meetings throughout May and the public is encouraged to participate. Meetings can be found here: http://www.cityofgoleta.org/community/events-calendar. The final budget adoption will occur by June 30th in order to meet state requirements.

City Looking for Your Input on Play Equipment at Four Local Parks

The City of Goleta is improving some neighborhood playgrounds and would like to get feedback from residents. The focus for this project will be on the following parks: Winchester I, Winchester II, Andamar and Berkeley (Emerald Terrace).  A meeting will be held for neighbors of these parks to discuss the planned improvements and share their thoughts on the types of play equipment they would like to see at their local park.

Berkeley & Andamar Neighborhood Parks
Monday, May 22nd, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Meeting Location: Goleta Branch Library, 500 North Fairview Avenue

Winchester I & Winchester II Neighborhood Parks
Wednesday, May 24th, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Meeting Location: Brandon Elementary School, 195 Brandon Drive

San Miguel Park and Santa Barbara Shores Park will be receiving improvements soon as well. More information to come as it gets closer.

For any questions, please contact JoAnne Plummer, Parks and Recreation Manager at (805) 562-5505 or jplummer@cityofgoleta.org.

Sidewalk Improvements Around the Corner

The City is working to improve the sidewalk situation, or lack thereof, in Old Town. Some sections of sidewalk on the east side of Magnolia Avenue, south of Hollister Avenue to Gaviota Street, have deteriorated while other sections are missing.

The Magnolia Sidewalk Infill Project includes replacing deteriorated or missing sidewalk on the east and west sides of Magnolia Avenue from Hollister Avenue south to Gaviota Street. The project will improve walking paths, sight distance at the intersections for drivers, drainage along Magnolia Avenue, and driveway access.

This project has been approved by City Council and is going out to bid. Construction is expected to begin this summer and take 30 working days.

Hollister Class I Bike Path Kicks Off Construction

The long-awaited Hollister Class I Bike Path will begin construction in May 2017 and is scheduled to take about six months. The Bike Path is intended to provide a way for many school children living south of Hollister Avenue to safely bike to Ellwood School. It runs from Pacific Oaks Drive west to Ellwood School. Existing sidewalks will be replaced and new street trees will be planted. Hollister Avenue will still have four lanes of travel with a center left turn lane.

While most of the construction will occur during summer, keeping school children safe is a top priority. The Project will include a comprehensive and safe traffic control plan to ensure safety and to minimize the impact to the local residents, students, school, motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists. For more information, click here.

We will be sending regular updates on this project. To sign up to receive them via email or text, please go to http://tinyurl.com/goletasubscriptions.