August 2004

Update on Hacienda Vieja Project

Developer has been asked to modify the project: At a meeting of the Planning Commission on 28 July, the Planning Commission asked some extremely pertinent and important questions concerning the Hacienda Vieja project. After more than two hours of comment and deliberation, they voted to continue discussions on the project. The applicant was asked to come back to the Commission with alternatives to the four unit development; specifically, fewer, smaller units and a design that would be less visible from More Mesa. As part of considerations of public views, one of the commissioners suggested that the second stories be eliminated. The project will be heard again by the Commission on the 25th of August.

To reiterate our position …

MMPC believes that, in order to protect both the environment, as well as the aesthetic qualities of More Mesa:

  • No additional two-story structures abutting More Mesa should be permitted
  • The size of one story houses should be consistent with other developments in the neighborhood, and certainly no larger than Las Brisas (3610 square feet maximum).

For additional information on the current status of the Hacienda Vieja project, or suggestions about how you can help minimize impact on More Mesa, please contact us via the Contact Page.

“More Mesa Friendly Plants” for Your Garden
Last month we introduced a section on invasive plants. This month we present the “flip” side of invasive plants; a section for those interested in using native plants in the garden.

The research for this section was prompted by inquiries from homeowners who live on the periphery of More Mesa. They asked that we suggest plantings that would be consistent with the environmentally sensitive nature of the area. The information on planting natives, which can be found starting from this page, as well as information on invasive plants at this page, was compiled by our webmaster, Lynn Watson.

Similar Posts

  • March 2005

    NEWSLETTER Our four page, full color Newsletter update on conditions, on and around More Mesa and the activities of the MMPC, has been mailed. After only a few days, we already have had extremely positive feedback on this new publication. If you have signed on to our list of supporters and have not received the…

  • January 2016

    Our beautiful More Mesa looks bleak indeed! We need rain more than we have needed in almost 15 years! And, although we received a little rain exactly a year ago, the long awaited 2016 El Niño pattern shift has finally happened, to deliver rain for this season. Recent predictions based on anomalous elevated equatorial sea surface…

  • October 2015

    White-tailed Kites Have the Last Word! In the March News of this website we reported that there was evidence of potential nesting for the White-tailed Kite. This was welcome news as our famous signature raptor, a bird that historically lives and breeds in profusion on More Mesa had not produced a single chick for at least three years….

  • April 2016

    Mother Nature Does Her Thing, Even with a Record Breaking Drought In spite of what is shaping up as yet another drought year, More Mesa is green and blooming. In one short walk we spotted Poppies, California Brittlebush, Blue-eyed Grass, Redmaids, Owl’s Clover and Miniature Lupine. Many of these were in profusion and all a…

  • December 2007

    As the year comes to a close, we would like to share some highlights of MMPC’s work in 2007: More Mesa was offered for sale in early January, at an asking price of $110 Million.  There seem to be no serious buyers at this time. However, if the developable area on the 265 acre property…

  • June 2004

    Concert For The Coast The Concert for the Coast, jointly sponsored by the Isla Vista Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation and the Shoreline Preservation Fund, was held on 15 May in Isla Vista. The objective of this yearly event is to raise awareness of local issues. This year, preservation of More Mesa was highlighted, both…