Community Post: The U Plan SB Saga

David Pritchett sent the following in:
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Writing of the blogs and maybe community-access TV taking over the debate, like NewsRoom, here is another. Now that the 4 public "workshop" meetings are done as Round One of the public outreach for Plan Santa Barbara 2030 General Plan Update, what do readers think and where should this process go from here?? For cynical, veteran City Watchers, the whole suite of meetings did leave a bit of an impression that all those good ideas recorded on the big sheets of paper indeed would disappear and a dissatisfying, unambitious plan would result in a year, with overly dismissive reasons why the Big Ideas were not included. Time will tell; here is the first installment in the U Plan SB saga.

Goleta Housing Plan Rejected by State

Much was made of the 55% inclusionary rule for afforadable housing, which Jack Hawxhurst championed in both creatng Goleta's General Plan but also in his erstwhile campaign for reelection. According to a Martha Sadler article at The Independent, the State did not specifically reject the rule but they also had the benefit of knowing it will likely be changed by April 16th when the new council votes on general plan amendments. Let's hope the rule stays within the more reasonable 25-30% as the opposing candidates promised during the election and no less. Hawxhurst dreamed big but not realistic -- Goleta needs a high but attainable goal and my vote is for 30%.