In October 1988, the Board of Supervisors voted to return the
project to the applicant, suggesting that it be scaled down.
Revised plans showed a 16,000 square-foot building, called Phase
Two, with a 1,200 square foot addition to the present building
and 61 parking spaces to be built on Perfect Park as part of
Phase One. Both phases were later turned down by the County's
planning commission, because of the traffic impacts and because
the commissioners felt a trade for the Estero property was a
much better idea.
In
expressing the commission's unanimous opposition to the project,
Commissioner Michael Bennett stated: "For many years, the
community has expressed its wish that it (Perfect Park) be held
in open space as some kind of park . . . . I'm very uncomfortable
taking this last centerpiece of open space in Isla Vista and
putting anything on it, whether it be a church or a shopping
center . . . . If the community is unwilling to come up to the
line and say yes--we're going to compensate, we're going to
trade in a way satisfactory (to the church)--then I would consider
it (the church project)."
But
on appeal, the County Board of Supervisors on November 21, 1988
voted unanimously to approve Phase One of the project (including
the 61 parking spaces in Perfect Park), and most expressed strong
approval of Phase Two, although they delayed final consideration
of the second phase until a later date.
Much to many observer's disgust, the Supervisors, under the
leadership of Bill Wallace, approved both phases of the project
being constructed without a full environmental impact report.
The Committee to Save Perfect Park
Most observers were flabbergasted by the approval. Wasn't this
the new Board of Supervisors that had five "environmentalists"
on it? Is this that Wallace had hoped for in his twelve years
on the board? And why was Wallace supporting the project? And
without an EIR, which would have forced the church to consider
a trade with the Park District?
As the chilling news spread through town, a committee of residents
formed, calling themselves "The Committee to Save Perfect
Park." They quickly set about gathering signatures on a
petition opposing the project, for presentation to the Supervisors
when they met again in December to finalize their approval.
Close to 2,000 signatures were gathered, plus the Associated
Students Legislative Council voted 13-2 in January to support
the efforts of the committee.
Just as importantly, the committee asked and received .the assistance
of the Environmental Defense Center, a public-interest law firm
in Santa Barbara whose efforts have held up the development
of a Hyatt Hotel on the shoreline west of Goleta for several
years. Although the Supervisors eventually approved the project
in January 1990, the EDC and a citizen's group are still (as
of this writing) considering suing the County for failure to
have an EIR done on the project.
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