Plaque marks open space at Ellwood Mesa

BY COLBY FRAZIER
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

The 137 acre Sperling Preserve on Ellwood Mesa will remain open space forever and a new, brass and sandstone donor marker erected there and officially unveiled yesterday will remind all who visit the popular site that anything is possible.
“Nothing is impossible and this is what we’re celebrating,” said Hannah-Beth Jackson, who was an Assembly member for the 35th district when the preserve was secured by the Trust for Public Land in Jan. 2004. “This is an example of the little engine that could. What it takes is a community of people who say anything is possible.”


The decades-long battle to slip the pristine, ocean front bluff from the hands of developers ended up as a success and culminated with an ambitious, cooperative effort between politicians, developers, the public and the Trust.
The effort came to a head during a relentless donation drive that yielded $20 million in less than one year.
The thing that was clear watching the small group who gathered to see the donor marker unveiled yesterday, was that the people in high places, such as Jackson who helped secure $12 million in state funding for the purchase, and the joggers, surfers, housewives and students who passed tin cans around parties for change, all played a part in securing and preserving Ellwood.
Current 35th district Assemblyman Pedro Nava was on hand and told the crowd about his time on California Coastal Commission, where he helped thwart a development project planned for Ellwood years ago. At that time, Nava said the commission told the County of Santa Barbara to place a road that was planned to be plowed directly through the the bluff through one of the county’s nearby parks.
Nava said that gave the residents and the Trust for Public Land four years to plan their attack.
“It was a bad idea,” Nava said of that development plan. “This is a wonderful, wonderful day for all of those here who put future generations first.”
Bob Comstock, owner of Comstock Homes, who owned the property and played a large role in working out the Trust for Public Land’s acquisition of the bluff, was also on hand yesterday.
Comstock said the transaction was much more complex than he could have imagined.
“It’s been a very educating journey to see this where it is today,” Comstock said.
He said he took a walk at the preserve on Wednesday and paused to watch a set of blue whales just off the coast.
As the sun beat down on those in attendance, and joggers passed by, Jackson took a look around, turned toward Comstock and said, “It’s probably as satisfying as seeing $20 million in your bank account.”
Comstock smiled slightly but didn’t immediately get back to her.
After the blue tarp was lifted from the donor marker, the group gathered around and gazed in admiration at the landmark, which Carla Frisk, a spokeswoman for the Trust estimated cost tens-of-thousands-of-dollars.
John Iwerks, who constructed the hulking stone and bronze marker, said it took him years to complete.
On the top of the marker, a shrunken down, but to scale image of the Ellwood Mesa rises from the surface of the bronze ocean.
Panels on the front and sides of the marker list the names of those who donated to the preservation effort and showcases brief historical facts.
A quote on one of the bronze plates says: “One Monarch Butterfly weighs less than a gram, but the collective weight of thousands has transformed this community.” The quote is attributed to Gordy Slack.
“The panels just say what they’re supposed to say,” Frisk said. “It just feels really good to me.”
Iwerks said he used topographic maps to design the top plate that shows the bluff. He said he painstakingly created the bluff mold with foam core, which took several different attempts.
Yesterday, the bronze plates were tarnished green and red. Frisk said before they were placed in mortar, they were solid green and a couple of days ago when she visited the preserve the were solid red.
Like the wide-opened Ellwood Mesa itself, Iwerks said the bronze will change over time.
“It’s sort of a living thing that’s still out here,” Iwerks said.