Goleta to close Sperling Parking Lot at Ellwood Mesa for Fourth of July weekend

GOLETA, Calif. - The City of Goleta announced that it has decided to close Sperling Parking Lot at Ellwood Mesa over the Fourth of July weekend following the County Public Health Officer order to close all beaches for the holiday.

City Manager Michelle Greene signed the emergency order on Thursday. It will take effect at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, July 3 and will end on Monday, July 6 at 6 a.m.

The City said law enforcement is being asked to increase patrol in the area.

This parking lot closure follows similar orders around the Santa Barbara area for COVID-19. These include the closure of Campus Point and Sands Beach parking lots at UC Santa Barbara and the closure of the Goleta Beach parking lot by Santa Barbara County.

However, the City said this order does not encompass the Haskells Beach parking lot due to the Ritz Carlton-Bacara being the property owner of the parking lot.

“The landscape for this upcoming weekend has changed in the past few days as more and more counties have decided to close their beaches. This raised significant concern for the impacts to our local community,” said Santa Barbara County Health Officer Dr. Henning Ansorg.

Ellwood Mesa is located on the 7700 block of Hollister Avenue.