Neighbors demand environmental review as Santa Barbara planners consider soil remediation at 3139 Sea Cliff

The Single Family Design Board on March 10 held a concept review of a proposed soil remediation project at 3139 Sea Cliff that would excavate and export approximately 2,225 cubic yards of pesticide-contaminated soil and remove several trees, then backfill and hydroseed disturbed areas.

Board members, staff and the applicant emphasized that the hearing was a design concept review and not a final decision on the remediation plan or environmental approvals. Barbara Burkhardt, project planner for the City of Santa Barbara, told the board that the project would adhere to a remedial action plan approved by the Santa Barbara County Environmental Health Services Site Mitigation Unit and would require a permit to operate from the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District. "The Air Pollution Control District did rely on environmental health services. However, environmental health services did review the issue thoroughly," Burkhardt said, adding that the city has not completed its own environmental review because the application remains incomplete.

Why it matters: The site has a documented history of pesticide use and several neighbors and community members pressed the board for an environmental impact report (EIR) and…