California Supreme Court to Hear Residents at Sandpiper Case Against City of Goleta; Suit Asking for $36 Million in Damages to Be Heard Next Year.

SAN FRANCISCO -- The California Supreme Court today granted the appeal by Oly Chadmar Sandpiper Partnership in its case against the City of Goleta. The case is expected to be heard by the Supreme Court sometime in 2005.

On property zoned for 175 homes, the Residences at Sandpiper was approved for just 109 homes, including 20 percent affordable, by the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors in January 2002. An appeal by the Environmental Defense Center was dropped and the approval was upheld by the California Coastal Commission later in 2002.

The Sandpiper project was approved for property located between the 101 Freeway, Hollister Avenue, the Bacara Resort parking lot and a proposed freeway off-ramp, and across the street from the Sandpiper Golf Course.

Following the county approvals, the City of Goleta was formally incorporated. This sent the final map approval to the new city, rather than the county. As a rule, approving a final map, such as the Sandpiper map, is an action that is procedural and routine in cities and counties throughout California.

The City of Goleta processed the Sandpiper partnership's application for ten months, and required the Sandpiper partnership to spend nearly $2 million in fees before the City of Goleta denied the final map in 2003, leading to the $36 million lawsuit by the property owners.

The Santa Barbara County Superior Court ruled in favor of the partnership, stating the City of Goleta overstepped in denying Sandpiper's final map.

Following the strong decision by the Superior Court, the City of Goleta appealed and was successful at the appeals court in Ventura, leading to the Supreme Court appeal. City records show the City has spent nearly $1 million dollars in taxpayer money to date to defend this case.