Article taken from the Santa
Barbara News Press South Coast panel
loses Gaviota By
BARNEY McMANIGAL 11/23/05 Despite pleas to keep the Gaviota coast under the watch of a South Coast design review panel, the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday narrowly approved a plan to place it under North County stewardship. Under the plan that passed 3-2, Gaviota building projects must come before a Solvang-based panel that would judge the design quality of proposed developments. Supervisors Salud Carbajal and Susan Rose, of the 1st and 2nd Districts, voted against splitting the county Board of Architectural Review into three regional panels based in Santa Maria, Solvang and Santa Barbara. For large-scale projects that must go before the county Planning Commission, the design panel is one piece of the lengthy review process. But for smaller projects, it is one of the few opportunities developers have to get feedback from industry professionals and the public. The plan emerged earlier this year to accommodate residents in the Santa Maria Valley who must trek to Santa Barbara -- often several times -- to gain approval for simple building projects like a second addition to a home. When 3rd District Supervisor Brooks Firestone pushed for a similar panel for the Santa Ynez Valley and Gaviota, South Coast environmentalists tore into the change -- rejecting the plan to separate Gaviota from the rest of the South Coast. Former planning commissioner Lansing Duncan called it a "Balkanization of the review process for short-term political gain."
A dozen others also protested, saying the South Coast constitutes one planning area. Some accused the five-member board's North County majority of supporting development along the coast. "North County interests of the present board finds the (panel) to be an impediment to their development agenda," said Phil McKenna. Mr. Firestone rejected that the change would result in massive development as some fear. "The (new panel) will do a very good job preserving the coast," he said. The plan drew additional fire because it would allow planning commissioners to sit on the new panels. Speakers said that could create a conflict of interest if projects opposed by the design panel go to the the Planning Commission on appeal. "This is a poor structural arrangement that will leave the county open to legal challenges," said Naomi Kovacs, executive director of the Citizens Planning Association. Mr. Firestone suggested changing the ordinance to allow South Coast colleagues to appoint one member of the Solvang-based panel, but he shelved that plan when 4th District Supervisor Joni Gray said her district deserved the same benefit. "The Gaviota coast beaches are North County beaches," said Ms. Gray, an Orcutt native who recalled family trips to Gaviota State Beach. "We don't have anywhere else to go." e-mail: bmcmanigal@newspress.com |