Isla Vistans made noise Wednesday at a county Planning Commission hearing and convinced Santa Barbara officials not to move forward with an update to the community’s Master Plan, in part because parking is too crammed, especially when the surf is up.
Testimonies denounced a study completed by county staff that found parking in the college town became easier from 2004 to 2013 — due to red curb removal, additional MTD bus routes, and a ride sharing program, among other reasons. The report stated just 78 percent of parking is utilized; a 15 percent vacancy rate is considered sufficient.
“I’m not sure where that 15 percent parking is at, but we’re not finding it,” said Pegeen Soutar, a long-term resident who chairs the Isla Vista Recreation and Parks Board. Another speaker added Del Playa Drive and Sabado Tarde Road are especially jammed for spots. Drivers wind up parking their cars on dirt, one critic noted, and finding other “inventive workarounds.” Other residents said parking availability varies from one end of town, hugging the UCSB campus, to the other, bordering Devereux. A student representative said rental properties charge as much as $300 for tenants to park in lots, and many students choose to park on the street instead.