By Pat Gower, El Gaucho, December 6, 1957
John M. Grant, secretary-manager of the Goleta Valley Chamber of Commerce, told Santa Barbara News-Press reporters this week that the resolution passed by the directors with reference to the 101 freeway made no mention of any specific route for the Ward Memorial Boulevard to the Santa Barbara College campus.
The results of the meeting would have held special significance to SBC students if action had been taken toward providing an access road to the college. The freeway, it seems, has taken priority over any proposed Ward route.
Grant submitted the following statement to the News-Press containing the resolution which will be sent to the California Highway Commission:
“Immediate freeway extension in the Goleta Valley has again been urged by the directors of the Goleta Valley Chamber of Commerce.”
No Action
“The chamber wants the 101 freeway with the original Patterson Avenue overpass.” The chamber took no action on the location of the Ward Memorial Access Road to the University of California, as was reported earlier to the News-Press.
“There is no money appropriated for the Ward Route, while funds are apparently available now to acquire right-of-ways for the freeway through the valley.”
“Furthermore, there is general dissatisfaction with the G-7 route being proposed by the Highway Commission, especially in so far as it or any Ward Road route is holding up work on the freeway.”
“The chamber resolution, seeking to separate the 101 freeway agreement from the Ward Road for the time being, is as follows:”
101 Work Speeded
“In the spirit of co-operation with all members of the Goleta Valley community, which includes the Farm Bureau, the University of California, local county government and others, be it resolved that this chamber requests State Sen. John J. Hollister Jr. and other interested parties to make every effort to speed the completion of 101 freeway from El Sueno to Ellwood; that this section of the 101 freeway be separated from the pending plans for the Ward Memorial Route; and that, above all, the freeway agreement contain the original Patterson Avenue overpass, rather than the proposed G-7 overpass, when the agreement is submitted to the County Board of Supervisors.”
“It was further resolved that copies of this resolution be sent to the individual members of the Highway Commission, the University of California Board of Regents and to Assemblyman James L. Holmes and State Sen. John J. Hollister Jr.”
