I am writing to express my deep disappointment that well over 400 trees, most of them native coast live oak trees, have been chopped down to make way for the San Marcos Ranch and Tatum Multifamily housing projects in the Goleta Valley. This loss, on top of the tremendous loss to the landscape industry with the closing of San Marcos Growers nursery , is a steep price to pay for market-rate and affordable housing in our area.
The county rezoned the San Marcos property (at 4960 Hollister Ave. and 125 S. San Marcos Rd) from agricultural to residential to comply with the state mandate to build more housing. Along with the Tatum property (at 4750 Hollister Ave.), a total of 1,473 units will be built. Under state housing law, both projects are exempt from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review and qualify as “use by right.” The county’s ability to modify the project scope or require additional environmental review was extremely limited.
It is shocking that the developer of the Tatum project had permission to sacrifice such a massive number of coast live oaks growing within a natural, mixed-age oak woodland plant community. The Tatum project will also be allowed to encroach within the 25-foot native woodland buffer next to the oak woodland.