Santa Barbara County Planning Commission
123 E. Anapamu Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Dear Honorable Commissioners:

On behalf of the Highway 217 Review Committee at the University of California - Santa Barbara, we are submitting the following documents to you, relevant to your July 19, 2000, agenda item #2, dealing with the Goleta Old Town Infrastructure Improvements Program (GOTIIP):

1. A May 3, 2000, letter from Ms. Grace Credo, Internal President of the UCSB Graduate Students Association (GSA) to Supervisor Susan Rose, outlining GSA opposition to stoplights on Highway 217. The Supervisors received similar letters from the UCSB Staff Assembly and UCSB (Faculty) Academic Senate indicating complete campus solidarity in opposition to proposed stoplights on Highway 217.

2. Letters dated June 15, 2000, from Scott Cooper, Chair and Professor, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, and Chair, Highway 217 Review Committee, to County Supervisors Gail Marshall and Susan Rose.

3. Comments presented by Harry Nelson, Professor of Physics and Member, Highway 217 Review Committee, at the June 20, 2000, Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors' Meeting.

4. A cover letter, dated July 5, 2000, from Harry Nelson to Supervisor Naomi Schwartz clarifying UCSB's historical stance on the Highway 217 issues. This cover letter accompanied a complete chronology of documents pertaining to UCSB's stance on the Goleta Old Town Revitalization Plan and the proposed changes to Highway 217 prepared by Robert Kuntz, Assistant Chancellor, Budget and Planning, UCSB. We can provide you with the complete chronology if you would like these documents.

5. Public comments made by Tye Simpson, Director, Physical and Environmental Planning, UCSB, at the July 6, 2000, meeting of the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) Transportation Technical Advisory Committee (TTAC) meeting.

6. An editorial written by Harry Nelson and Scott Cooper, which will appear in next Thursday's (July 20, 2000) issue of the Santa Barbara Independent.

We hope that you will find these documents enlightening. These documents show that UCSB has consistently, uniformly, and strongly opposed the County's plans for stoplights on Highway 217 because of safety, health, efficiency, congestion, and long-term maintenance concerns. Furthermore, UCSB is very concerned about the proposed changes to Highway 217 because they will increase UCSB's isolation and interfere with UCSB's connections to the South Coast.

The University does support most elements of the Goleta Old Town Revitalization Plan, including improved access to southern areas of Goleta Old Town, but strongly believes that there are Highway 217 design solutions which serve Goleta Old Town without impeding traffic flows or compromising traveler safety on Highway 217. UCSB faculty, staff, and consultants are working with County staff and consultants on such a win-win solution.

We strongly urge the Planning Commission to recommend that the County drop any plans for stoplights on Highway 217, because such plans constitute a disservice to the citizens of Santa Barbara County, including those citizens visiting, studying, or working at UCSB. Instead, we urge the Commission to recommend that County staff be directed to work with the University on designs which are acceptable to all stakeholders.

Sincerely,


Professor Scott D. Cooper, Chair
UCSB Highway 217 Review Committee
On behalf of the Highway 217 Review Committee


cc: Chancellor Henry T. Yang
Members Highway 217 Review Committee