Photo: Access to Rancho Monte Alegre is on a bumpy private road north of the intersection of Foothill and Santa Monica Roads. The southern portion of the ranch is dedicated largely to crops.

The Carpinteria Valley Water District wants to build a 3 million-gallon storage tank and annex 2,150 acres of Rancho Monte Alegre. The storage tank will be set in the ground on 10-acres of the annexed land. The district is proposing to buy these 10 acres.

Why does Carpinteria need a new 3 million-gallon water storage tank? “It began in 1997,” said Charles Hamilton, general manager of the Carpinteria Valley Water District. “It was the result of the then water board having to pay for temporary storage. When the new storage tank is completed the cost of running wells will decrease by 50 percent.”

A new storage tank also will meet peak demands of summer and irrigation needs, he contends, while maintaining it won’t meet future growth needs.

According to Hamilton, the tank and annexation project — referred to as the Project—is made up of three parts. First, there is the 3 million-gallon water storage tank. Second is the annexation of Rancho Monte Alegre, and last are new water facilities at the ranch, including two 200,000-gallon water tanks, referred to as the upper and lower tanks.

In addition to the new storage tanks, road improvements and the installation of pipelines are part of the Project. There is a 16- to 24-foot wide paved road, which would require grading of a hillside and removal of some oak trees. A bridge would be built over Santa Monica Creek. Pipelines would need to be put down.

Where does Carpinteria get its water?
The Carpinteria Valley receives its water from three sources: from Lake Cachuma and the State Water Project (both imported water) and local groundwater or wells. Typically the percentage of Carpinteria’s water sources is split evenly between imported water and the groundwater sources. Though sometimes the imported water’s percentage hits two-thirds.

Imported water is piped to Carpinteria via the South Coast Conduit. Carpinteria is the last stop along the conduit, which travels under the San Marcos Pass and serves Goleta, Santa Barbara and Montecito. The water is stored in the Ortega and Carpinteria reservoirs.

Carpinteria has five wells—Lyons, El Carro, Smillie, High School and Headquarters. The water from the wells is pumped into the South Coast Conduit mixes with Cachuma water in the pipeline and some of it gets into the Carpinteria Reservoir. If the Project is completed, well water will be pumped directly into the 3 million-gallon reservoir.

“Being at the end [of the conduit] it’s important to have some independence. Goleta and Montecito take water off the conduit. And with recent growth, less water is available upstream. Earthquakes or anything can happen,” Hamilton gave another reason for the necessity of the Project.

Who doesn’t think the Project is a good idea?
Some folks think the Project is a bad idea because it sets the stage for future development and growth. The Carpinteria Valley Association (CVA) has filed a lawsuit against the water district claiming the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was not done properly. The EIR found no significant impacts by annexing the ranch and providing water, roads and other infrastructure, which would remove impediments to further growth. (The CVWD created the EIR and certified it.)

The CVA is a citizen action group that provides education and advocacy on issues related to land use planning, development and the environment. According to vice-president Vera Benson, membership is around 50 people, down from the high of 250 about 10 to 15 years ago.

In the suit, the CVA claims “The EIR fails to analyze the fact that the annexation of Rancho Monte Alegre to CVWD’s service area removes a significant impediment to future development in the area, a reliable supply of water.”

Benson of the CVA said, “The EIR is incorrect in not stating that this is not growth inducing. The 20-foot road with two shoulders is bigger than Foothill Road.

“I’m upset that the annexation might be decided at LAFCO (the meeting is scheduled for May 8). I think it should wait until after the court date (of the CVA vs CVWD hearing, tentatively scheduled for early July).”

LAFCO is the Local Agency Formation Commission. It is a regulatory agency with countywide jurisdiction, established by state law (Cortese-Knox Act) to discourage urban sprawl and to encourage orderly and efficient provision of services, such as water, sewer and fire protection. It is not a county department.

Hamilton, who used to be a CVA member, counters, “What the CVA people don’t accept is that the ranch has the ability to develop its own water resources. We’re not serving water to a place without water. We are providing infrastructure for our water.”

He contends the annexation will enable control of water resources. The proposed annexation area covers a large portion of the watershed area on which the district relies for groundwater replenishment. As long as the ranch remains outside of the district’s jurisdiction, the district has no opportunity for direct control of the ranch’s use of groundwater.

The Santa Barbara County Planning Commission found portions of the Project to be inconsistent with Local Coastal Plan Policies and Inland Policy. Specifically, the inconsistencies are the upper tank and the needed access road.

According to Chris Price of the Santa Barbara County Planning and Development department, “Those inconsistencies were the minimization of grading, hillside and watershed protection and protection of biological habitat. The county did not address growth inducing issues.”

What’s this going to cost and who’s paying?
The estimated cost of the Project is $5.1 million. The Project will be paid for with Certificate of Participation (COP) funds, i.e. district funds in hand. The district had secured a state loan but will not use it. The district will not pay for any of Rancho Monte Alegre’s cost of annexation or miscellaneous easements.

Current Status
The storage tank is going through the county permitting process. It needs a coastal development permit and a conditional use permit. On May 8 at 2 p.m., there will be a LAFCO hearing on the annexation. The hearing is at City Hall. No action has been taken on the two new water tanks or roads at Rancho Monte Alegre.

Rancho Monte Alegre
Rancho Monte Alegre is located north of Carpinteria in the foothills of the Santa Ynez Mountains. From Foothill and Santa Monica Roads it goes north to East Camino Cielo. Santa Monica Creek runs through the ranch and it contains parts of the Santa Monica, Franklin and Carpinteria creek watersheds. The ranch is 3,125 acres with nine homes and two barns on it.

It is almost surrounded by the Los Padres National Forest and has 39 legal parcels. The ranch is zoned agricultural and has avocado, lemon and olive orchards.

Rancho Monte Alegre is owned by a group and is currently on the market for $26,000,000.

Contacts

Carpinteria Valley Water District
Charles Hamilton
1301 Santa Ynez Ave.
P.O. Box 578
Carpinteria, CA 93014
684-2816
www.cvwd.net

Santa Barbara County Planning and Development
Chris Price
125 E. Anapamu St.
Santa Barbara, CA 93013
568-2000
www.countyofsb.org

LAFCO
Bob Braitman
105 E. Anapamu St. Room 406
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
563-3391
www.sblafco.org

Carpinteria Valley Association
P.O. Box 27
Carpinteria, CA 93014