PR: Group Sues Over St. Francis

CITIZENS GROUP SUES FOR PROTECTION UNDER THE CITY’S ZONING LAWS & GENERAL PLAN

CLAIMS ST. FRANCIS PROJECT APPROVAL IS ILLEGAL & HARMS COMMUNITY

(Santa Barbara, CA) – A grassroots citizens group filed suit today in Santa Barbara Superior Court to force the City of Santa Barbara to uphold and enforce the City’s Zoning Laws and General Plan. The suit seeks to protect citizens, neighborhoods and the community as a whole from excessive development.

St. Francis Friends and Neighbors contends that the City violated Zoning Laws and its General Plan when it approved Cottage Hospital’s controversial plan to demolish St. Francis Hospital and build 115 condos. The City’s Zoning Laws allow no more than 73 units on the property. The vast majority of the 115 condos are intended for market-rate and upper middle-income buyers.

“This is an out-sized, out-of-scale housing project. It harms the community as a whole to have the City do zoning by decree and not by law,” states James Westby, President of St. Francis Friends and Neighbors. “When the City makes zoning decisions on a project by project basis, making up policy as they go along, nobody can depend on the law to protect our neighborhoods. This creative zoning results in multiple negative impacts on our environment.”

The contested approval violates the limits set by the Zoning Ordinance and exceeds the density allowed by the General Plan. According to the lawsuit, the City’s approval of the subdivisions, the density, and modifications are all actions that exceed the authority granted to the City Council. Therefore, it is contrary to the law.

“Neighborhood groups across the City view the St. Francis project as precedent-setting, and as the kind of mega-development that could affect them, too,” adds Westby. “We have widespread support from the adjacent neighborhoods, as well as citizens from all over town. The essence of Santa Barbara is at stake.”

The citizens group, after exhausting all avenues through the City’s approval process, has turned to the Courts for help. “We love our City and our neighborhoods,” Westby says, “All we are asking is that this project -- and all others -- be done in accordance with Zoning Laws and the General Plan. The laws were established to protect us all, and they must be followed.”