By Dorrie Vedder, El Gaucho, December 13, 1960
Final plans are in the process of being approved by the airport commission followed by the Santa Barbara City Council for the installation of a boat marina and facilities, to be converted from the slough adjacent to the University campus. With final approval will come immediate financial aid to begin work on the project.
The area in question consists of the southwest quarter of the Santa Barbara Municipal Airport, along the approach to the UCSB campus.
265 Acres
Developers John Bretton and George W. Cappell state that the proposed plan consists of 265 acres which would have approximately the following divisions: 95 acres for a boat-slip marina, providing space for over 2,300 boats; 93 acres for parking and roadways; 45 acres for commercial establishments; 11 acres for university use; and 7 acres for a park, the remaining acres to be combined with another area in the development of a golf course.
The 11 acres restricted to university use is purposeless at the present time. The biology department would like to have as much of this area as possible to carry on biological research. But as of now, this land has not been delegated to any department.
$8 Million
The proposed project would take about two and a half years to complete and would cost about 8 million dollars.
An inland waterway would extend west toward another proposed yacht harbor west of the Devereaux School area. This area is being developed by a group of valley realtors headed by Charles A. Beguhl.
1,500-Car Parking
Preliminary plans for the Devereaux marina include moorings for over 800 boats, a large yacht club, apartments, 150 homesites, a hotel, a small boat launching ramp and dock, and parking for over 1,500 cars. Activity connected with this semi-private boat harbor has seemingly been on the decline recently.
Also proposed is a 35-foot minimum clearance bridge to be constructed over the Goleta Slough which would connect Ward Highway with the university and Isla Vista.
Crowd of 1,500
One problem which could conceivably arise from the addition of such a Marina is that of traffic. With 1,500 student drivers, numerous boat owners, Isla Vista residents, and Santa Barbara travelers all on the road, congestion would be greatly increased. Mr. Sommermeyer of Engineering Planners, Inc., which has been awarded the contract for the Goleta Slough, states that if the lease agreement is approved as it now stands, traffic problems could be nearly eliminated.
Another problem would be lack of available research space for the biology department, which makes great use of the present slough area. Along with this would go a great decrease in natural wildlife, especially birds.
1,000-Meter Course
Advantages, however, would include a greater number of local facilities for the ever-increasing sport of boating, elimination of a so-called “problem area,” and the establishment of a 1,000-meter rowing course which would profit the university by making UCSB one of the few colleges on the Pacific Coast with a crew team.
Both advantages and disadvantages of the proposed boat Marina will be further discussed in the next issue.
