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Article taken from The
Santa Barbara Independent voices Naples Development Project
Hits the Field July 20, 2006 Game On Naples is in play. The first game in what will be a very long series is scheduled for Thursday, July 27, at 6:30 p.m. At that time, the staff of the county Planning Commission will host an open meeting at its clubhouse (105 E. Anapamu St., first floor) to hear public comments on the draft environmental impact report (EIR) for the Santa Barbara Ranch Project, commonly known as Naples. The game was invented more than 100 years ago, when a land speculator thought that the Gaviota Coast would be a wonderful place to build hundreds of houses. So he drew lines on a map and called it a town. He quickly struck out, but the map became the game plan for future generations of speculators. As in most things modern, the game has become very complex, so complex that it takes a 1,000-page EIR to describe just what it is and analyze some of its impacts. Here’s the abbreviated description of the playing field and some of the rules of the game: The developer, a seasoned Orange County player, proposes to build between 54 and 73 homes on his turf and maybe that of his neighbor’s. These houses will average 5,800 square feet, not including the garage, pool, pool house, patio, decks, driveway, cabana, and the obligatory 800-square-foot guesthouse. The general architectural theme is one of Tuscan elegance, and the developer assures us on his Web site that his projects “reflect both our awe of natural beauty and our appreciation for the distinctive design, enduring luxury, and timeless architectural value that estate-caliber homebuyers esteem.” Most games have a quirk or two. Tennis, instead of counting 1, 2, 3, scores at intervals of 15. Baseball has the balk, a well-defined inelegance. Naples has LCP 2-13. This section of the county’s Local Coastal Plan states that the county must attempt to transfer the old Naples lots to an urban area, if feasible. The EIR has a Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) study that finds that it is feasible to transfer at least some of the lots. The study develops a methodology for determining the value of these lots, but overstates the value of building entitlements that actually may not exist. In essence, it takes the developer’s dream and says it is real and gives it a value that is surreal. This puts the home team, you and me, at a great disadvantage, because if development is to be transferred from Naples, we will be running uphill to find the gobs of money to pay for inflated values created by the developer’s dream—or scheme. The main objective of the game Monopoly at Naples is to build Park Place on the ocean bluff. Money is minted by building mansions on the coast; exclusivity is the paper on which the money is printed. Nine 450-feet wide lots are projected to be developed on 120 oceanfront acres. However, the coast trail is also proposed to be built across the same acreage. The first objective in building the state-sanctioned coastal trail is to “provide a continuous trail as close to the ocean as possible.” The fourth objective? “The location and design of the Coastal Trail … is respectful of the rights of private landowners.” Reasonable rules, but ignored by the developer’s plan to route the trail near the freeway, crossing to the north of the 101 as it passes through Dos Pueblos Ranch. Several reasonable solutions exist, but a fair umpire will be needed to enforce the rules. Every game has winners and losers. Assuming the county lets the developer build, build, build, the developer has hit a home run with three on, scored a hat trick, and is 12-under over 72 holes. The county also wins big-time. It’s a complicated part of the history of this game, but suffice it to say that the county has a gun at its head; they lost a lawsuit that orders them to recognize the developer’s rights or suffer the consequences of a “takings” claim. It’s hard to imagine a game played fairly when the umpire will be executed if the visiting team loses. And who loses? Just pinch yourself. Big-time sports attract big-time crowds. The beginning of this series, Naples vs. Us, is as big-time a land-use contest as this county has ever seen. But it’s more important than a game; it’s about the quality of our life in Santa Barbara County, about leaving something of our natural heritage for those who follow us. It’s about money, power, and governance. It’s a big deal. Join me and your neighbors for an evening of democracy and involvement. Information on Naples can be found at savenaples.org.
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