TALKING POINTS/ PUBLIC COMMENT

Naples Revised Draft EIR Available

WHAT:          The Santa Barbara County Department of Planning & Development has released a Revised Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the proposed Santa Barbara Ranch project at Naples on the Gaviota Coast. The County must accept and respond to comments from the public as to the adequacy of the Revised Draft EIR.
 
WHEN:         The Revised Draft EIR is available now. Written comments on the Revised Draft EIR are due January 23, 2008.  
 
WHERE:      The Revised Draft EIR is available at http://sbcountyplanning.org/projects/03DVP-00041/index.cfm
 

Submit written comments to
Tom Figg
123 East Anapamu St.
Santa Barbara, CA 93101

 

Background

Naples, on the Gaviota Coast, is home to unique natural resources, abundant biodiversity, and historic agricultural uses.  A proposed development now threatens to destroy these resources and mar scenic views of our coast.  The Revised Draft EIR calls out three Class I, significant and unavoidable impacts from the proposed development: loss of biological resources, loss of scenic viewsheds, and numerous inconsistencies with state and local land use policies.  The potential for more than 140 homes represents a staggering leap-frog expansion of urban limits.  Because it is situated at the southern gateway to Gaviota, which has traditionally been protected as beyond the “Urban Limit Line” of Western Goleta, Naples will either provide the precedent for or an open space barrier to sprawl.  Please review and comment on the Revised Draft EIR, attend the December 10 public hearing, and send the message that Gaviota is worth saving.

Schedule for the Draft Environmental Impact Report:

~ January 23, 2007 – End of Public Written Comment Period on Revised Draft EIR

PLEASE SUBMIT A LETTER TODAY!!

TALKING POINTS