Santa Barbara County Action Network recognizes individuals, businesses and organizations that work selflessly to protect our environment and the rights of our county’s residents. 

These awards bring attention to this good work and help raise funds we need to keep doing our part. 

We give the following awards:

From the County of Santa Barbara:

Board of Supervisor’s Rezone Developer Workshop
Tuesday, March 19, 2024 at 2 p.m.

The public is welcome to comment in person at the Betteravia Center or the Planning Commission Hearing Room in Santa Barbara. There will not be ability to comment via Zoom for this workshop.

The Board has released the agenda for their workshop. Owners/agents for some of the potential rezone sites will present the Board with their visions for development of housing and community amenities on their sites. 

SUSTAINABLE UNIVERSITY NOW (S.U.N.) FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST 
REGENTS of the UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA, & 
UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA, SANTA BARBARA 
TO ENFORCE CALIFORNIA’S PUBLIC RECORDS ACT REQUEST

On February 28, 2024, the SUN Coalition (Sustainable University Now), filed a petition pursuant to the California public records act and the California Constitution and complaint for declaratory and injunctive relief against the Regents of The University of California, and the University of California, Santa Barbara. The suit was filed in Santa Barbara County Superior Court. SUN is represented by the Mitchell M. Tsai Law Firm and the Law Office of Marc Chytilo.

This action derives from UCSB’s failure to provide SUN with information regarding UCSB’s failure to fully provide the student, faculty and staff housing promised in the 2010-2025 UCSB Long Range Development Plan (LRDP). UCSB committed to providing new housing for the 5,000 new students and approximately 1,800 new faculty and staff allowed by the 2010-2025 LRDP. To date, UCSB has added 5,000 additional students but only 1,500 beds, and fewer than 200 of the promised 1,800 units for faculty and staff.

SUN made numerous formal requests for information regarding these housing shortfalls and the campus’ plans to fulfill them. Because UCSB was unresponsive, on April 8, 2022 SUN submitted a Public Records Act request that has gone largely unanswered, despite numerous reminders and requests. SUN is filing this action today to get documents required to explain UCSB’s non-compliance with the LRDP commitments and the delays that have worsened the community’s housing crisis.

Dick Flacks, UCSB Emeritus Professor of Sociology, stated, “As the housing crisis intensified and campus population grew, UCSB refused to look any further than the unrealistic and ill-fated Munger Hall project, adding years of unnecessary delay to the construction of campus housing facilities that are so desperately needed. UCSB’s housing shortfall has also exacerbated the housing crisis being experienced in surrounding communities.”

Every year we recognize individuals or organizations that work to protect our environment and the rights of our county’s residents. These awards help encourage this good work to continue and to raise the funds we need to keep doing our part.