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Article taken from the The
Santa Barbara Independent voices Out of Sight by Mike Lunsford, president, Gaviota Coast Conservancy. Most people believe the Gaviota Coast deserves protection. The county’s General Plan, Local Coastal Plan, and zoning ordinances have been its primary protection for many years. These policies were strengthened in the early 1970s when the community reacted to the Board of Supervisors' approval of 1,700 homes at El Capitan. Led by Selma Rubin, outraged citizens launched a successful referendum to undo the county’s actions. The General Plan includes a clear, unambiguous policy that requires that structures in rural areas be sited so they do not silhouette against the blue sky when seen from public viewing places. The policy was designed to protect the rural, scenic character of areas like the Gaviota Coast. The proposed Ballantyne house violates this policy. The General Plan is a tried-and-true, constitutionally correct way for a community to shape land uses and protect its character. Randy Welty and Lynn Ballantyne have defied the General Plan. There are other places on their 17-acre Farren Road property where the house could be sited to avoid the General Plan inconsistencies. But they just won't take no for an answer and have bullied their way through the review process, forcing the county to let them go to the Board of Architectural Review. When that body refused to approve their project, they appealed. In a politically charged 3-2 vote, the Planning Commission approved the house, despite the General Plan violation. The Gaviota Coast Conservancy appealed this action to the Board of Supervisors. This is not about whether the owners should be allowed to build on this property. No one objects to that. This is about whether they should be expected to play by the rules, rules that protect the Gaviota Coast. The Ballantyne project is a test case for whether or not this Board of Supervisors will enforce the General Plan and protect the Gaviota Coast’s scenic quality. If they don’t, the Gaviota Coast is in more trouble than we thought. —Mike Lunsford, president, Gaviota Coast Conservancy.
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