On June 11, the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission approved plans to use land and facilities, owned by outgoing 3rd District Supervisor Brooks Firestone, for a special events center.
The commission voted 4-0-1, with Firestone-appointed 3rd District Planning Commissioner C.J. Jackson abstaining, to send the proposed rezoning and events center permit on to the Board of Supervisors with recommendations for final approval.
If approved, the proposed permit would allow 32 “charitable or commercial” events on the property each year. The land is located near the intersection of Foxen Canyon and Zaca Station roads in Los Olivos. Two of the events could be attended by up to 1,500 people, while the other 30 events would be limited to 250 people.
On the property under consideration, there’s a barn and a restroom facility, as well as a 10.5-acre vineyard and 34 acres of open space known as “the meadow.” According to a staff report on the project, no new construction has been proposed.
To date, one-time permits granted by the county have allowed several events to be hosted on the property, such as the annual Vintners’ Festival.
“For the last 30 years, the meadow has been used for all sorts of events: bike races, auctions, fundraising, weddings, funerals—you name it,” Firestone Farming Co. owner Adam Firestone said, adding that the new permit would prevent the company from continually requesting one-time permits from the county.
Also, the long-term permit would allow Firestone Farming Co. to charge fees for weddings and other events.
However, not everyone present at the planning commission meeting approved of the proposal.
Several people and organizations, including the Santa Ynez Valley Alliance and Women’s Environmental Watch, raised concerns over what they saw as potential problem issues, such as increased traffic and the impact of the event center on the community’s agricultural integrity.
“I agree with a lot of the concerns they raised on the project. They just want to make sure that [local farmland is preserved],” Firestone told the Sun. “But I think we’ve crafted something that’s pretty reasonable. The site has proven itself as a workable location in the past. It’s close to the freeway and in a more rural place.”
After hearing the complaints, the commission made a few last-minute adjustments to its recommendations, but ultimately sided with the staff report, which found that the events “will not impact ongoing agriculture” or compromise “the rural and scenic character of the area.”
This article appears in Jun 19-26, 2008.