Despite protests from council member Jonny Wallis and community members regarding what they saw as lack of public involvement, the Goleta City Council on Monday voted 4-1 to go through with plans to initiate changes to the General Plan.

“I am so disappointed in this council,” said Cecelia Brown, a Goleta resident and county planning commissioner, referring to eight policies added to the original list of 13 policies recommended by city staff for consideration. “How does one prepare to address the council on all these changes?”

City staff added the eight additional policies to the list for review because of potential conflicts with other policies that are also on the list to change, Advance Planning Manager Anne Wells explained. The list of all 21 policies recommended for review and amendment had been available to the public since July 27.

Of the eight seemingly last-minute suggestions, seven deal with issues like setback policies with regards to environmental resources, traffic mitigations and design and development issues. The remaining one, dealing with hazards in the airport’s landing and takeoff path, is the only one that was not triggered by conflicts with previously initiated amendments; it was brought up by a project brought to the city by the applicants for the Costco gas station.

The rest of the 21 proposed amendments include added flexibility in the design of new homes, an easing of permit requirements for special-needs housing and the creation of an affordable housing overlay zone suggested by the Goleta Housing Leadership Council.

Other proposed changes include the provision for time-shares, fractional ownerships and hotel condominiums, suggested by Bacara Resort & Spa; expansion of the seven-lane maximum at street intersections, suggested by the Goleta Valley Chamber of Commerce; and flexibility to wetland fills in the Coastal Zone per the Coastal Act, put forth by the city.

Members of the business community and housing advocates, commended the council for their work.

“I’d like to commend staff, and I’d like to commend council for working so diligently,” said Bill Medel, representing Ty Warner Hotels and Sandpiper Golf Course. Sandpiper is currently seeking changes to bluff setback policies in order to carry out improvements to the golf course.

The initiation of these proposed changes does not mean that the city intends to put them into immediate effect, Chase said. Rather, they will be further studied and put to the public in workshops that will begin next month. Staff will then come back with either more recommendations, or rejection. The Planning Commission also has to weigh in on the proposals, he said.

“Out of the workshops and study will come the ultimate schedule,” Chase said.

Simple items that don’t need extensive environmental review could be finalized by the end of the year, while the more complex changes will likely come up again for final decision by next summer.

The public workshops to follow up on the General Plan proposed amendments will be on two consecutive Saturdays – Sept. 15 and 22 – from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at City Hall. More information on the proposed amendments is available at the city’s website: www.cityofgoleta.org.