The California Coastal Commission last month unanimously approved a proposal by UC Santa Barbara to build affordable, work-force housing for faculty members on a 26-acre parcel of land owned by the university and known as its North Campus.

The commission also unanimously approved UCSB’s planned Sierra Madre family housing project on a separate, but nearby, 15-acre parcel adjacent to Storke Road in Goleta.

The two projects, which total 323 units, are related to an overarching plan developed by the university in concert with Santa Barbara County and the City of Goleta to dedicate an expanse of land on the coast for open space. The Ellwood Devereux Open Space Plan provides for more than 650 acres on a 2.25-mile stretch of coastline to be preserved and made available for public use. Under the plan, the university shifted proposed housing away from its approximately 70-acre South Parcel, which will be dedicated open space, to the North Parcel (see maps).

Chancellor Henry Yang headed a group of campus officials and faculty members who made presentations to the commission in Huntington Beach. He said that while providing affordable housing for faculty, staff, and students was a priority for UCSB, “we also recognize that access to coastal natural resources is a major priority for all who live in our beautiful region. The proposal to preserve coastal land, which we were partners in developing, offers tremendous potential benefit to the region’s population, while helping our campus meet its housing goals. Preserving this magnificent stretch of coast will be a legacy that we all can be proud of.”

Following the meeting, Yang said that the university had “worked diligently over a great many months to reach agreement with the Coastal Commission staff on our planned housing, and we are extremely pleased and grateful that the commissioners granted their approval.”

Donna Carpenter, vice chancellor, administrative services, said that over the past four years the university had consulted and worked closely with environmental advocates, city and county officials, the campus’s neighbors, and other constituents as the housing proposals evolved to address various issues and concerns.

“The faculty housing project on the North Campus began as a plan for a total of 236 units, and what has been approved is a plan for 172 units,” Carpenter explained. “This fact alone illustrates how we modified our plans to address environmental issues as well as concerns raised by neighbors in the community. We feel strongly that this is a very good housing plan.”

The Sierra Madre Family Housing Project will contain another 151 units.

Members of the commission commended the university for how it adapted its plans. Calling UCSB “a great asset” for the region, Patrick Kruer, vice chair of the commission, said, “It’s rare to see a chancellor come before us to argue for a project with such public benefit.”

Commissioner Larry Clark called UCSB’s plans “a win/win for the people of California. This has been a long journey of collaboration to make this a balanced project.”

Clark also acknowledged the concerns raised by Goleta community members who reside in neighborhoods adjacent to the planned faculty housing project and who spoke in opposition to it at the meeting. Clark urged the university “to reach out more to your neighbors and enhance your communication with them.”

Last week, Chancellor Yang said: “We will continue to work with the County of Santa Barbara, the City of Goleta, and the members of our community to address concerns and resolve the issues that remain. We will strive to be good neighbors, and we thank everyone who is involved with or affected by the project for their patience, understanding, and support.”

He also noted that the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Faculty and Staff Housing, chaired by Academic Senate Chair Joel Michaelsen, is now working on guidelines for how the new housing will be allocated. He said the administration would work with the committee and consult with the campus community on these guidelines.

The housing will be built in phases, with construction on the first phase expected to begin in 2008.