The Montecito Association is opposed to the project as proposed. Montecito surrounds Coast Village Road on all sides and the community is opposed to the project.(and had the story poles been up more than 2 days, you'd be hearing even more dissent).

The issues are:

1. Traffic: this 5 way intersection is already tremendously congested and in gridlock in the early morning and 3:00 to 5:30 in the afternoon...despite the applicant's traffic consultant's opinion, it will get worse with this project;
2. Height: The limit is 35 feet in Montecito and this 40 foot project will totally obliterate the wonderful mountain views at this "Gateway to Montecito" site AND totally shadow the adjacent home to the North;
3. Zoning Change Required: The current residential zoning buffer on the North side of the site is there for a reason so that commercial structures don't back to the home;
4. The Set Back Modifications: It is patently unfair to the homeowners immediately to the North to invade what already is a modest set-back;
5. Water: The project will use 500% more water than the gas station and the Montecito Water District has recently proclaimed an Emergency Water Shortage;
6. Other 3 story buildings: The applicant cleverly showed pictures of many 3 story buildings. What they failed to say is that with the exception of two buildings(which are not very visible because of huge setbacks), all of their examples are on the South side which topography drops down severely so that only one story shows on the road. Coast Village Road is noted for its predominately one story charming buildings. This 40 ft. three story building at the entrance to the commercial district is definitely Precedent setting and will lead to more of its kind, destroying the very reason people visit the area.

Some people say the project is an improvement over the gas station. I disagree. The gas station has been there for 50 years and actually adds to the feel of a "village"(if you visit Carmel's Ocean Avenue shopping area, you will see a gas station and it is very much in keeping with the "village feel" of that area). Equally true, the elimination of the gas station in the upper Montecito Village on E. Valley and replacement with a large commercial building would change the whole "village feel" of that commercial area. This appeal should be granted and the applicant should be directed to make the project conform to the site: 2 stories and honor the present set-backs and zoning.

Sincerely,
Richard Thielscher

It saddens me to think that yet another oversized project that is antithetical to the spirit of Montecito and Santa Barbara made it through the planning commission. Each such building that goes up is an irrevocable step in the destruction of a remarkably beautiful city - and an unnecessary step.

I urge you to vote against this project when you hear the appeal filed by the save coast village road organization on July 15. There has been a tremendous outcry by the citizenry about the canyonization of Chapala street downtown, and it would be unconscionable to approve a project that would set a precedent for the canyonization of coast village road. thank you for your consideration.

Unfortunately I will be out of town in July for the meeting.

Dear Das,
I would like to express my objection to the proposed structure which would replace the Union 76 Gas Station on the corner of Coast Village Road and Olive Mill.

It is simply out of scale with the community, it is large and exploitively obnoxious.

Montecito is a wonderful place to live, in part, because the structures are reflective of a low density country ambiance. This new trend of larger and glitzier is representative of what I would term "Afluenza." In other words a bad side-effect of the exploitation of Montecito's affluence.

What a tragedy it would be to exit 101 at Olive Mill and the first thing you would see of Montecito would be a "Mc Santa Barbara Style" three story which looks just like every other building in the overbuilt suburbs of West Los Angeles -- I moved here 20 years ago to get away from this type of zoning-gone-wild and now it is proposed here!

There is far more to the style of Santa Barbara then design alone -- a sense of proportion and scale are imperative. We who live here own the Mountain View from this corner as a part of our collective commons and heritage. To stick in this mixed use over-scaled three story behemoth would be reprehensible. The traffic on Coast Village is already to high, and with the South Bound exit on to 101 at Hot Springs closing adding this white elephant will be the end of any semblance of relaxed luxury in south Montecito.

I do not understand why owner of this land had any reason to expect that the county would rewrite the zoning code to allow this type of high density land use right on the entrance corner into Montecito.