Santa Barbara County’s forced re-zoning to comply with California’s demand for increased housing is, as always, disproportionate in Isla Vista where developers submitted plans for eight- and three-story buildings in the downtown area, each with no parking. These are just two of several high-rise buildings slated for Isla Vista along with a plethora of ADUs (accessory dwelling units). Our town is undergoing “builders need” redevelopment by proxy.
Historically, the county uses I.V. as a dumping ground for projects nobody else wants. I.V., for example, has two homeless housing complexes — one where residents are enjoying housing for life, courtesy of the Housing Authority of Santa Barbara County (HASBARCO) and the other a converted sorority on El Colegio Road. Isla Vista is at the forefront for low-income housing in the county.
There are limits to using Isla Vista to assuage the county’s social shortcomings. Street parking in Isla Vista is at 106 percent capacity per the latest study. Those spaces will decline further once California’s new red curb requirement for crosswalks is implemented.