Debate ongoing for Bacara

RYAN FAUGHNDER
DAILY SOUND CORRESPONDENT

The grueling debate over the Bacara Resort and Spa’s plan for development and its potential effects on beach access took one more step toward resolution at last night’s Goleta City Council meeting. The resort had proposed the council initiate several amendments that would change the General Plan in a way that would affect public use of Haskell’s Beach.
Council voted to allow further discussion of the resort’s proposed creation of a public access route along the entire Goleta shoreline as well an additional “vertical access point” that would compensate for “relocation” of existing access.

Councilmember Eric Onnen suggested that the proposed amendments were a step in the right direction.
“We will settle for nothing less than better than what we have today,” he said. “[Bacara] has presented a way to improve public access, so I’m seizing the opportunity.”
Council denied a request to examine an amendment that would limit public use of the beach only to the hours between sunrise and sunset. Without the amendment, citizens will have access to the beach at all hours.
Many members of community showed up to voice their concerns about this particular issue. A representative of the Chumash Native American tribe said that nighttime access allows people to disturb and loot Chumash artifacts that exist in the area.
“They’ve taken human skulls out of there,” he said. “And it’s getting worse. You can’t let that happen anymore.”
Several of Bacara’s proposed amendments, if passed, might have given the development project more flexibility to operate. Council rejected a proposal to consider relaxing the noise restrictions in the general plan.
However, they did approve a motion to evaluate whether or not certain undeveloped areas along the coastline officially qualify for Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Designations (ESHAs). Council voted to propose a scientific evaluation of the areas in question.
Representing City staff, Steve Chase said that the evaluation would provide an intelligent basis on which to make these difficult decisions.
“Let’s get it done” and go about it “in a fact-based way,” he said.