SUPERVISORS PAVE OVER AG LAND FOR 'SINGLE-FAMILY' MANSIONS! SHOCKER!

It appears the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, in their infinite wisdom and boundless commitment to, uh, something, has once again decided that 'agriculture' is just a fancy word for 'future subdivision.' This week's thrilling episode, as detailed in the County's opaque agenda items, features the exciting transformation of a perfectly good 10-acre plot of farmland in the Second District into a dense wonderland of 'single-family' homes on 20,000 square foot lots. Because when you think 'Goleta Valley,' you definitely think 'more traffic and less open space,' right?

Naturally, they rubber-stamped a 'Mitigated Negative Declaration,' which, for the uninitiated, is bureaucrat-speak for 'we found some minor issues but promised ourselves we'd handle them later, pinky swear.' This allows them to sidestep a full-blown Environmental Impact Report, saving developers precious time and money, at the low, low cost of any remaining rural character our county might possess. It’s a testament to planning that 'comprehensive' now means 'comprehensively paving over everything green.'

One has to wonder which well-connected developer managed to whisper sweet nothings into the Supervisors' ears to make this agricultural-to-residential alchemy happen so smoothly. While the official paperwork is drier than a forgotten cracker, the real story, as always, is about following the money. Rest assured, the local dailies will dutifully report 'County Approves Housing Project,' completely missing the part where 'housing project' actually means 'another chunk of countryside swallowed by sprawl,' enriching a select few while ordinary taxpayers are left to ponder the ever-expanding traffic jams.