The 131-year-old Fairview Gardens farmhouse is linked to the deep historic and agricultural heritage of the Goleta Valley, but the farmland surrounding it has been inactive for four years. The Center for Urban Agriculture at Fairview Gardens, the nonprofit running the farm, proposes a renovation of the urban farm and farmhouse, as well as new activities.
The farmhouse needs a new foundation and repairs to its walls, roof, and fireplace, with the intention that the building will hold educational programs, staff housing, and public events at a new flexible-use café and a teaching-staging kitchen. The events would occur year-round and include youth and adult educational programs, farm-to-table dinners, and fundraisers. The café, though a public one, would prioritize on-site participants. Measures to manage traffic and parking are part of the proposal.
The various land uses proposed at the 13-acre farm are: a service barn, nine farm-employee housing units, a rebuilt farmstand, a restroom structure, education pavilion, service sheds, and outdoor gathering spaces. Water concerns are addressed through a proposal to restore a seasonal creek, stormwater pollution, and drainage plans. The new development includes a request to use land across the eastern portion of the city’s library property, a neighbor to Fairview Gardens.