Naples Approved 3-2

Great, another development for rich people like all those snobs in Montecito and private beach access like all those snobs in Hope Ranch. Is anyone dismayed that Santa Barbara is becoming more like, well, Santa Barbara?

Centeno is a drama queen. He is private property rights all the way and anyone who believed he'd vote otherwise was duped.

i first paddled from haskell's to naples point in 1962. now, even though they stole haskell's and now naples, they will never take my memories. i will miss the lack humanity up that way when the out of towners buy their new mansions.
it's amasing that we ruin everything we love.

Sad, sad, sad. I agree with the comments of rc251. I can't complain about this ruling enough on so many levels, but what can us 'poor folk' do but fall victim to the whims of the wealthy developers? Less beach access for "us" and more private beaches for "them." Damn them. Oh, and Santa Barbara REALLY needs more mansions and private communities? Uh huh. So much for thinking green; just build bigger homes rarely occupied by perhaps one or two part-time residents. This whole plan stinks, but it's obviously money in someone's pockets. Oh, and bye bye pristine, unspoiled coast because California needs more erosion of our coast, too.

The thing is, a lot of people complain about this, say that Santa Barbara is becoming more like Orange County, say that Santa Barbara is moving in the wrong direction, etc. But when you really step back and look at this, the development at Naples is quintessential Santa Barbara. The entirety of the South Coast was once beautiful, pristine open land. While some of it was built up with middle class higher density housing, a significant portion of it is dotted with low density mansions for the elite, taking public beaches and making them private, and ruining beach views and the beautiful landscape that once existed here.

I know many are upset about a private community with private beach access, but isn't that what Santa Barbara has become a long time ago? Personally, if anything were too be built at Naples, I would have wished for high density housing north of the 101 freeway and that's it. But none of you guys would go for that either.

In any case, I think the whole "keep Santa Barbara beautiful" ship has sailed a long time ago. The land was developed a long time ago, and it's somewhat hypocritical of many of you to criticize this development when your house also helped in diminishing the beauty of the South Coast. And with the development of communities like Montecito and Hope Ranch, it's become clear that Santa Barbara is a private resort town, too good for us common folk who just want to take a stroll on her beaches.

OH! I'm so surprised!

NOT!

Again...legislators do NOT care what we think; they do for themselves and developers and hand us the bill in the form of loss of habitat, higher taxes, and decreased quality of life for all.

When will we learn that making nice and asking these people to listen to us is an exercise in futility.

They do NOT CARE!

Well Low density housing (mansions) are green friendly. Like you said low impact, part time residents. Sounds like the eco system wins to me. The land is well maintained by LOCAL landscapers and provides jobs while helping maintain the "higher desity housing residents" who populate and pollute your beauitful coastline.

Why dont you go yell at IV 's new developements for Grad Student housing, More students to pollute the area.. Thousands more people in SB versus 72 mansions * about 2 people per mansion= 144 people... which is less than building of which tens were built.

I agree with rc251 that the "the keep Santa Barbara Beautiful ship sailed long ago" but not because of mansions for Naples, Montecito or Hope Ranch.

Look at what used to be "neighborhoods" in the city. Where there were once single family homes with yards where the kids could play, rainwater could soak in, and plants could be grown, there are now condominiums and paving covering nearly every square inch of the lot.

This of course means instead of one family's worth of cars (let's say two or three - one for dad, one for mom and probably one driving teen) we now have 8, 10, 12 or more cars heading out onto the streets.

Then there are the monstrosities on Chapala Street - cramming even more people and their cars into the mix. And all this has been happening not because of those evil pro-growth North County Supervisors, but our supposed anti-growth, save the environment, City Council and Planning Department.

So much of what Santa Barbara fought for - set-backs, height limitations, preservation and keeping mountain and ocean views - is rapidly being lost.

It is ironic that in the 1970's they warned us of what would happen if the pro-growrth, business, real estate and developer interests took over the city. Well the nightmare they described for us is here but the goblins have turned out to be the very people and mindset that were supposed to save and protect us.

This a sham. fully. The same way the Bacarra got put in. A 3-2 vote. So this means ONE supervisor decided the fate of Naples. It is laughable. Willie Chambelin got that dreaded Bacarra put in. Yes the area is absolutely losing it's soul. All I can hope now is the Coastal Comission pulls it s head out and does something about to protect beach access or we can get a boat,launch from G beach to go surf Naples!! Osgood: "I can't believe it wasn't unanamous" What a tool. Shows you how out of touch the guy is with locals. And why should he be? It is not like he is building houses for any of us.

Out of touch with the community is absolutely right.

I heard the promise of public beach access a while back. We'll see.

The thing is, you can argue all day whether he's an evil, but he's just building something that there is a demand for. While many of us loathe private communities and private beach access, there are also plenty of people who love it. And you can look no further than Santa Barbara to find thousands of these people already. I just wish all the effort to stop much smarter projects like Bishop Ranch was used here.

I think it was 3 sups not 1 that approved the less dense project over the cluster**** project

Last week I parked in some metered parking at UCSB to unload some items for my advisor. Some of the things had shifted, so I had to open my back passenger side door to move them so that I could reach them from the back of the car. As I was loading things onto a cart, a woman came up behind me and said, "Excuse me," in a very irritated tone. I realized that my passenger side door was still open, and figured I must be in her way, so I quickly went to shut it. She still looked irritated, so I said, "I'm sorry, I'd forgotten my car door was open." As I continued to load the cart, she began examining where my car door had *touched* her spotless Lexus/Mercedes/luxury sedan thing. Then she said, "You F---ed up my car." This was patently ridiculous, so I said calmly, "No, I did not F--- up your car." She said, "Yes you did. It's brand new." I mumbled, "Well, if you're ever planning on parking it. . ." She said "I would expect you to at least be civilized." I explained that I was trying to be, and that a simple "please" and "thank you" (not to mention not cussing people out) wouldn't hurt for her either. This was lost on her. She glared at me and then nearly careened into the bike path when she was trying to exit the parking lot.

I am SO looking forward to more people like this moving into town once the Naples houses get built. It's really a travesty that we currently have such a mansion shortage in this town. This town is also currently lacking all the "culture" that the residents of mansions like this would provide.

I have a similar story with a better ending. Kayaking with my 3 year old this summer down at the harbor. I had parked earlier and upon returning from our adventure, a Mercedes AMG crossover POS (probably over $100k car that gets crappy mileage) parked about 12 inches from my car. Plates said Newport beach. While squeezing into car for carseat, my 3 year old got swinging the door open confused with shutting it. Oh darn. So you can only imagine my dismay??? Between my 3 year old's door flailing and the seagulls having their way with this persons rig as they also parked right under eucalyptus, pavement white with guano, they may have been a little disappointed upon their return. I was sure to leave my 3 year olds buisness card.

Moral of the story: What comes around goes around.

rennergizer: You are completely oversimplifying the situation by saying it was the less dense vs. the cluster project (although that may not have been your intention, I realize). Those actually were not the only two choices, although that's what the developer wanted us (and the supervisors) to believe. Fortunately, it is/was much more complex (and option-filled) than that....

It's not too late and there is still much to do! Go to www.gaviotaaction.org and legally document your use of the land to access the beach. That would be a big help for when we get to the stage of dealing with the Coastal Commission.

Everyone, please get involved and volunteer your time- we need your participation and it is NOT TO LATE to influence the scope of this project and encourage a more mindful and community beneficial development.

I can not grasp the 3rd grade logic around here. You people assume that if someone drives a nice car, or lives in a nice home, they obviously must be an a** hole. What a Joke! Surely it is not possible to care about other people and care about the environment if you drive a lexus, mercedes, bmw, etc... That would be impossible. Has anyone ever driven by naples in the past 20 years, there are more homes there right now than anywhere between else between hollister ranch and elwood, yet this land is now considered pristine? I have lived in SB my entire life and if we are going to have more building, I would rather see more luxury homes than condo's or town homes. Would you rather live in carmel, or salinas?

If everyone opposing naples has the same logic as some of these posters, no wonder they didn't win their argument.

I drive a fairly nice car. I guess that makes me an a**hole, too, according to someone's logic. I do agree that some who drive nice cars can be true tools, but really, anyone can be an a**hole. Just like you don't have to live in the 'hood to be involved in drugs. Anyhoo, the point is that yes, it is sad to see Naples go bye bye, but change is, as "they" say, inevitable. Obviously, Santa Barbara is "the place" for the well-heeled mansion-demanding crowd who might be luxury car driving a**holes. I'm just waiting to see how the public's access to the beach will be impacted. You know, kinda like how Bacara bargained/promised to keep Haskell's open to the public but in recent attempts tried to go back on that promise. The poor little man will wait and see what *really* happens...

I never said that all people who drive nice cars are a**holes. I understand that some people might own them for business reasons, etc. But, as Jesus said, "It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the house of God." (I am a pantheist Quaker and not a religious zealot, by the way.) People who care about other people and about the environment use at least some of their time and money toward the communal good. They do not build houses directly above seal rookeries and disrupt one of the few remaining wildlife coastal areas left in southern California. They do not spend 100K on a gas-guzzling vehicle, ignoring that people are starving in the world, that our education is in shambles, and that their children will have a compromised lifestyle if they don't curve their self-centered over-consumption. The whole problem with southern California (and some other places too) is that it's too-often characterized by the mentality of "I can build wherever I want and drive whatever I want as long as I'm willing to pay for it, and scr*w anyone who interferes with my 'rights.'" People with less money -- and some of us have made choices to pursue careers that would help people rather than making us rich -- still have the right to ocean access, clean air, clean water, and a future where we're not cleaning up these people's messes. It's not that all people in southern California are like this, but too often these are the people who can purchase the most political clout. Anyone who's driven through Newport lately, where everything is perfectly manicured but fenced and gated, can see what this mentality will bring to our town if we allow it to go unchecked.

"People who drive nice cars are aholes." $%@#$%/? Now where was that blanket statement ever introduced as a part of the arguement? It should be "people who twist arguments with blanket statements are aholes." out of context, etc. Very much like our existing political system.