Category: Uncategorized

This month’s news brings you excerpts of a recent MMPC press release.

South Coast residents face many challenges protecting our environment and quality of life, including traffic congestion, provision of affordable housing and protection of agricultural land and open space. Protection of irreplaceable agricultural land and critical open space is often the most hotly debated of these issues. Residents’ passion for open space protection is exemplified by successful efforts to protect coastal areas; i.e., Ellwood Mesa-Devereux Slough, Wilcox property, Carpinteria Bluffs and the debate over how to protect the Gaviota Coast. Among these coastal treasures, perhaps the most significant and threatened unprotected land is the 300 acres of stunning bluff top open space on More Mesa.

Located in the east Goleta Valley west of Hope Ranch and 2 miles east of Goleta Beach, this incredible open space has survived several past development efforts. However, the irreplaceable values of open space are threatened by the potential for development of 70 mansions onsite and by encroaching development of “McMansions” on surrounding properties.

How or whether to save More Mesa from potential development and how to address the environmental and visual impacts created by encroaching development will come into focus over the next four years. First, the “visioning process” currently underway in for the eastern Goleta Valley could change the Goleta Community Plan’s land use plan and policies which guide development on More Mesa and the surrounding properties. In addition, a new Second District Supervisor will be elected in November. The convergence of the election of a new County Supervisor for the District encompassing More Mesa and the emergence of a new or amended community plan create both opportunity for protection of More Mesa or increase the danger presented by new development.

The visioning process presents the community with an opportunity to foster protection of More Mesa and its resources through creation of new polices to protect public views, strengthen habitat protection, limit McMansion style development and encourage the County to actively pursue purchase of More Mesa. If championed by the Goleta Visioning Committee and a new Second District Supervisor, the protection of More Mesa could take its place alongside environmental victories such as the protection of the Ellwood Mesa. However, a divided Visioning Committee and a new Supervisor unsympathetic or hostile to protection of More Mesa could sow the seeds for a calamitous environmental defeat such as the development of critical coastal open spaces at Haskell’s Beach and Hammonds Meadow.

Citizens interested in the protection of More Mesa and its resources would do well to carefully follow the visioning process and to clearly understand the views of the candidates seeking the Second Supervisorial District seat regarding protection of More Mesa. The Visioning Committee and the new Second District Supervisor may well hold the fate of this critical coastal open space in their hands.

White-tailed kite over northwestern More Mesa, March 20, 2006

A note from the Board!
Some of you may already be aware that I have been selected to be part of a committee tasked with conceiving a vision for the Eastern Goleta Valley (Second District) 20 years from now. The expectation is that this committee’s recommendations will eventually become a framework for the Goleta Community Plan update. Speaking as a member of the Board of the More Mesa Preservation Coalition (MMPC), I believe that environmental and open space issues are major considerations for our area. Consequently, these topics should become a significant part of the Community Plan.

In keeping with this belief, MMPC is soliciting comments from our supporters, as well as other members of the community, on topics such as open space, wetlands, vernal pools, habitats, creeks, watersheds, parks, trails and visual and aesthetic resources. This is your chance to let Santa Barbara County know your vision for the Goleta Valley of 2020! Voice your opinions by contacting us via the Contact page. Your comments will be forwarded to the committee and integrated into its discussions.

We live in a truly beautiful place. Thanks so much for caring about it.

Gulls on More Mesa beach in the evening, February 20th, 2006. 

Many warm new-year wishes from all of us at the More Mesa Preservation Coalition!

We sincerely hope that 2006 brings health, happiness and peace to all of you.

• Many folks are already thinking SPRING  and about new garden plantings for areas surrounding their homes. We would like to suggest that More Mesa lovers give serious consideration to using native plants; for both their beauty, and their contribution to our natural environment. Extensive information on native plants and their importance to our area, may be found on this web site at here.
• On a more general environmental note, we are happy to pass along the information that our local recycling company, Marborg, is now taking all plastics from #1 to #7!

Recent rains have already made their impact on More Mesa, it’s green, its muddy and wonderful to visit!!

Northern Harrier flying over an overcast More Mesa. This was one of two Harriers on the 2005 CBC.

Once again it has been a very busy year for the More Mesa Preservation Coalition

• In March we published a Newsletter describing our activities in the past three years, and current threats to More Mesa . primarily from development around its edges. More than 1,000 Newsletters have been distributed to members of the community.
• The More Mesa usage survey has been ongoing through most of the past year. Statistics have already been analyzed for the 230 responses we have collected thus far.
• As a result of community interest and outreach activities (Earth Day, EDC TGIF event and contacts with various associations) our supporter data base has grown to more 700 entries.
• Finally, many hundreds of hours were spent in the task of insuring appropriate development on the edges of More Mesa. During this process, we became state-wide “path finders” by highlighting the issue of inappropriately large houses despoiling the Coast to members of the California Coastal Commission. Although we did not prevail during the final Coastal Commission hearing on the Hacienda Vieja project, we believe we were heard and are making a difference. MMPC is convinced that insuring appropriate development around the edges of More Mesa is essential to our ultimate goal . to preserve More Mesa forever!

Celebrate the season in a most glorious way … visit More Mesa! It will recharge and rejuvenate your spirit. Our warmest holiday wishes to all of you.

Coastal Commission Appeal Not Upheld
The Coastal Commission heard MMPC’s full appeal of the Hacienda Vieja Project on 16 November. Unhappily we did not prevail, and the project was approved, 7-4. While additional conditioning was placed on the wetland, kite related issues, and landscaping, the two-story houses remain as part of the development. However, we can hold our heads high as we move forward toward our goal of preserving More Mesa. As a group, we have achieved a laudable measure of success in the course of our 19 month involvement with this development. Specifically:

• the initial design, consisting of four two-story houses was reduced to two two-story houses, and two one-story houses
• all four houses were reduced approximately 10% in size
• heights were lowered
• the wetland has been taken out of the hands of the homeowners association, and will be bonded and monitored to insure it is restored and maintained properly.

Our sincerest thanks to all of you who have written dozens and dozens of support letters and sat through more than 40 hours of meetings with Planning and Development, the Planning Commission, the Board of Supervisors and the Coastal Commission. Without all of your efforts, our voices would never have been heard at all!

Myrtle Warbler, More Mesa