Flash notice:
On September 20th, 2011, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors approved sending Goleta Beach 2.0 on it’s path to a full E.I.R. as explained below. This plan triggers the decimation of Goleta Beach Park as we know and love it. The Friends of Goleta Beach Park continue efforts to save and protect our precious park.
This plan will result in the elimination of 20% of the parking spaces in the park, relocation of three buried utility lines, and the removal of 950 feet of buried structural protection along the seaward front of the park. This protection has been in place for years and has prevented any loss of park area due to the recent El Nino storms. This plan is estimated to cost an additional $3.5 million on top of the ~$5.0 already invested.
The Friends of Goleta Beach Park believe that our county supervisors should approve only a plan that utilizes eco-friendly protective measures as safeguards against the known damages that severe winter storms can cause. We urge you to study the facts, data, and publications on our science and data, as well as the images link to see what erosion damage occurred prior to protection being installed.
Thank You again for your support
Our Mission...
Goleta Beach Park is one of the crown jewels in our County that’s visited by 1.5 million visitors a year. It’s easily accessible, and offers free parking, beautiful grass park, family picnic areas, and multiple recreational facilities for year round enjoyment. But the California Coastal Commission is mandating a new philosophy called “managed retreat” which is basically install no protections to save our park in the event of a significant El Nino storm. And now our Santa Barbara County supervisors are considering a plan, Goleta Beach 2.0, to remove buried rock backstops that have been in place for years to prevent such disasters and have saved our park from further grass loss several times in the recent past.
The Friends of Goleta Beach Park believe that our County Supervisors should approve all existing rock backstops andhave them permitted as a permanent safeguard against the known damages that these storms create. We urge you to study the facts, data, and publications on our web site for further details and clarifications. We hope you will join us as new Friends of Goleta Beach Park and will stand up against this terrible plan that will do nothing to preserve and save our Park as we know it.
An overview of the major points in Goleta 2.0 and our recommendations:
1. Remove 900' of rocks on western side of park and relocate 170 parking slots to some remote location (TBD)
Recommendation: scientific evidence does not support any reason for removal of rock revetment which would necessitate the elimination of peak parking slots during holidays and summer season. But the most important fact is that if our rocks were removed that we will have significant GRASS LOSS which will reduce our park enjoyment.
2. Relocate all utility lines in the western side of the park
Recommendation: because there is no reason settled science to remove the rocks that are already protecting these utilities, then the millions of dollars to move them is eliminated
3. Extend central park rock revetment to protect sewer outflow vault
Recommendation: we absolutly agree and have already recommended a combination of canary palms with eco-friendly soft protection measures (geo-textile bags, cobble stones, etc) on the landward side of the High High Tide line. We chose canary palms because of the 70 years of protection that these same trees have afforded the Refugio State Beach that is fairly consistent in topagraphy and coastline mapping. The same El Nino storms that have ravaged our Goleta Beach Park also hits the Refugio beach with the same intensity. These three dozen (plus) palms have proven themselves through the test of time. And by adding the additional soft revetment, would only be a stronger buffer.
4. Multiple recreational improvements to park and beach enjoyment
Recommendation: we endorse all improvements
5. Elimination of 150 west end parking spaces (20% of total in the park).
Recommendation: this draconian measure is not required when keeping the existing rock revetment, or a equivalent substitution alternative as suggested in the central park. Asking 150 families, visitors of our Park to park offsite for a public recreational area is without precedence.
To Contact your Supervisor, here is information on the South County representatives:
Salud Carbajal 1st District 805.568.2186
SupervisorCarbajal@sbcbos1.org
Janet Wolf 2nd District 805.568.2191
Doreen Farr 3rd District 805.568.2192