Goleta Restricts Parking For Halloween Weekend

Halloween partiers in Isla Vista will have to find somewhere else to park as Goleta will shut down some streets to people not living there.

This year, Goleta will start to issue permits to residents in areas with prime parking that in years past has been convenient for out-of-towners.

Permits will be given to residents living in between the boundaries of Cannon Green Drive to Storke Road and from the corner of Hollister Avenue and Storke Road down to the Isla Vista border.

After much debate at the Goleta City Council meeting Tuesday night, the council decided against a blanket no parking zone and voted on permits instead.

“If you get a couple of permits, you can park on the street. Those who don’t have a permit will get cited and towed,” said Roger Aceves, a city council member.

The three-day Halloween weekend is expected to draw 40,000 to 50,000 people to the small college town.

“Goleta is the entry way to Isla Vista, whether you like it or not, it’s the gateway to Isla Vista,” said Mark Linehan, the owner of the Calle Real Marketplace shopping center.

Some residents in the parking restricted areas said in the years past, people who park on the Goleta streets and walk to Isla Vista have been a nuisance.

“Well we did have some people that came back late at night. We had beer bottles in the street and people yelling. You don’t know if you’re car’s going to get damaged or your house or what they’re up to,” said Greg Grunewald, a Goleta resident.

But others think the permits are a big inconvenience.

“Frankly from my perspective, what this does is make it nearly impossible for this little guy to have a Halloween party in a few years,” said Jonathan Getty talking about his 4-year-old son. “Because I have to somehow find permits for all of my friends who are here.”

Over at UC Santa Barbara, parking lots and structures will also be restricted. Only UCSB and Santa Barbara City College students can park on campus if they buy a special permit. Everyone else isn’t allowed to use the university lots.

“Our philosophy over on campus us, let’s make this as inhospitable as possible to discouage people from coming to our community and engaging in unsafe behaviors that impact our students. Kirstin Deschler, the director of UCSB Governmental Relations.

The City of Goleta will decide over the next few weeks how to get the permits to residents before Halloween.