Save Goleta Beach Park

Updated Feb. 5, 2018

Multiple developments are now on-going at GBP, with a summary for your information:

Montecito Mud

1- The County Supervisors approved a new Coastal Development Permit application to be submitted to the CCC (Staff) asking for a 10-year permit for the mid-park revetment installed in 2016 that currently had an Emergency Permit through Dec 2017. They also decided to include stronger language relative to triggers that would be tougher than the 2015 language. The new triggers are to focus on beach width and eco-system conditions to be determined by further discussions with the County and State Staffs. In November, the Application was denied by the CCC Staff and returned to the County for required revisions. Our understanding is that the County Staff has until late Spring to resubmit. However, notwithstanding, the sentiment of both parties is to have tighter restrictions that, if violated, will then trigger "managed retreat" starting at the far west end of the park (i.e. remove the Lot 7 Parking area) and require a new utility corridor closer to the existing bike path. Further, additional trigger violations would continue east of Lot 7, that essentially begins losing park acreage and recreational facilities.

2- As publically noticed, GBP has been the dumping ground for mudslide material resulting from the terrible Montecito mudslides in January. While the emergency permits from State and Federal agencies were received based on the conditions that this material would also contribute as a beach nourishment benefit, the results have not borne much fruit. The tens of thousands of cubic yards that are being shoveled into the bay is unfortunately not of the same quality of sediment required for any of the Beach Nourishment Projects approved in any CCC permit since the 1980's. And the bacterial levels of the material being dumped daily are substantially higher than state and federal regulations. Please go to the County website. There are multiple consequences, the least of which has been the closure of our beach and most of the Goleta Bay. Marine Scientists from UCSB Bren Center are doing DNA forensics on the fecal material for a better determination of the dangers to human and marine life (and their initial studies indicate that there is very little human bacteria). In addition, Project Clean Water, and Heal the Ocean, are doing parallel testing to also provide a fuller definition of the material being dumped, and can be found on their respective websites.

3 - The Goleta Bay Sand-Dwelling Kelp Restoration Project is seeing tremendous success with results from their Phase 1 study which can be found on their website (https://kelpproject.com). Through the permit holder of record, BEACON (www.beacon.ca.gov), they hope to secure permits in the near future to allow for replacing the kelp forests in the historical footprint in the Goleta Bay with the goal of allowing Mother Nature to provide natural sand accretion for wider beaches between UCSB and the Goleta Park.

We will keep you informed of the progress through 2018.

Michael Rattray/Ed de la Torre

(Special thanks to Glenn Avolio for website management)

Friends of Goleta Beach Park

Blog

Detective Work at Goleta Beach: Examining Montecito Mud

Detective Work at Goleta Beach: Examining Montecito Mud
By Friends of Goleta Beach Park on Nov 28, 2018 in

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Michael Rattray: Geotextile Solution Provides Valuable Protection for Goleta Beach Park

Michael Rattray: Geotextile Solution Provides Valuable Protection for Goleta Beach Park
By Friends of Goleta Beach Park on Nov 28, 2018 in

Last Thursday, the California Coastal Commission voted 7-4 for retaining an emergency eco-friendly protection measure designed and constructed by Santa Barbara Countyfor unprotected areas of Goleta Beach Park.

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Letter to CCC May 26, 2016

By Friends of Goleta Beach Park on Nov 28, 2018 in

Friends of Goleta Beach Park (herein Friends…) fully supports the County of Santa Barbara recommendations for an amendment to the Coastal Permit CDP 4-14-0687 for retaining the revetment measures designed and constructed under the Emergency Coastal Development Permit 4-16-0027.

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