Sandpiper Golf Course
7925 Hollister Avenue, Goleta, CA 93117
Assessor's Parcel Number (APN): 079-210-059
Case No(s). 22-0001-CDPH, 22-0009-DP-CUP, 22-0032-DRB

Posted Date: October 16, 2025

Sandpiper Golf Course Renovation and New Clubhouse Project: Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) and Notice of Environmental Hearing Officer (EHO) Meeting.

PUBLIC REVIEW OF THE DRAFT EIR: The DEIR is available for a 45-day public review period from October 16, 2025, to December 1, 2025.

The DEIR analyzes the impacts of the Project on the topics of Aesthetics, Air Quality, Biological Resources, Cultural Resources, Energy, Geology and Soils, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Hazards and Hazardous Materials, Hydrology and Water Quality, Land Use and Planning, Noise, Parks and Recreation, Public Services, Transportation and Circulation, Tribal Cultural Resources, and Utilities and Service Systems.  The DEIR also analyzes four alternatives to the Project.  CEQA Guidelines Appendix G checklist topics not evaluated by the DEIR include issue areas that were determined through the Notice of Preparation and DEIR scoping process to not have the potential to be significantly affected by the Project.  

The DEIR concludes that the Project would not result in any significant and unavoidable project-specific or cumulative impacts (Class I).  

The DEIR concludes that the Project would have potentially significant, but mitigable, impacts on the environment (Class II) in the areas of: Biological Resources, Cultural Resources, Geology and Soils, Hazards and Hazardous Materials, Hydrology and Water Quality, Land Use and Planning, Noise, Tribal Cultural Resources, and Utilities and Service Systems.

On November 6, 2025 at 5:00 pm, the Environmental Hearing Officer will conduct a hybrid meeting to solicit comments on the adequacy of the analysis of the environmental issue areas and alternatives to the Project studied within the DEIR.  The Environmental Hearing Officer meeting will be held in the Goleta Council Chambers located at 130 Cremona Drive, Goleta, CA.  Please refer to the Notice and Hearing Section below regarding how to participate virtually.

The EHO is not a decision-maker for this Project and will only receive comments regarding the adequacy of the environmental impact analysis included in the DEIR. The City Council will be the City’s decision-maker regarding the adequacy of the analysis within the DEIR and on the merits of this Project after receiving recommendations from the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC), the Design Review Board (DRB), and the Planning Commission.  No hearing dates before the HPC, the DRB, the Planning Commission or the City Council have been set at this time. Separate notices for these public hearings before these review bodies will be provided in the future. The project site is located in the Coastal Zone, therefore, review and action on the Project by the California Coastal Commission is also required and will occur at a future date. 

The public review and comment period for the DEIR is from October 16, 2025 through December 1, 2025. All letters should be addressed to Mary Chang, Supervising Planner, City of Goleta 130 Cremona Drive, Goleta, CA 93117 or via email to mchang@cityofgoleta.gov.  All comments must be received no later than 5:00 pm on December 1, 2025.  Please limit comments to environmental issues only.  When possible, please use email to submit public comments.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION SUMMARY: The primary components of the proposed Sandpiper Golf Course Renovation and New Clubhouse Project are summarized below: 

• Demolition of the existing golf course clubhouse and construction of a new, two-story clubhouse with a basement, and the construction of additional parking spaces. 
• Modifications to the existing 18-hole golf course. 
• Landscaping and irrigation improvements. 
• Replacement of existing maintenance facilities.
• Replacement of an existing comfort station (i.e., restroom). 
• Construction of the Rio Grande Coffee Shop adjacent to the historic Barnsdall Rio Grande Gas Station, and the adaptive reuse and restoration of the historic Barnsdall Rio Grande Gas Station to provide seating and bicycle amenities for the Rio Grande Coffee Shop.
• Incorporation of the new clubhouse and comfort station into the Sphere of Influence for the Goleta West Sanitary District (GWSD). 
• Hollister Avenue right-of-way (ROW) vacation from the City. 
• Dedication of a five-acre easement at Bell Canyon to a qualified land conservation entity; and improvements along Hollister Avenue, including revised project site entry points, a new public trail, undergrounding of electrical and utility lines, bus stop relocation, and curb and sidewalk improvements. 

Notice and Meeting:

Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) and Notice of Environmental Hearing Office Meeting.

ELECTRONIC PARTICIPATION: Please register in advance for the EHO hearing on Thursday, November 6, 2025, at 5:00 pm via the link below: 

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_NuPyF2FWS7i09qulfpF8sQ

Webinar ID: 829 2370 6350

Comments on the DEIR and questions regarding the project and/or review process can be directed to Mary Chang, Supervising Planner at mchang@cityofgoleta.gov or by phone at 805-961-7567.

Documents:

• Notice of Availability of DEIR and Environmental Hearing Officer Hearing
• Project Plans
• Environmental Hearing Officer Agenda for November 6, 2025 at 5:00 pm
• Sandpiper Presentation for EHO Hearing 

Draft EIR:

Volume I- Sandpiper Golf Course Renovation and New Clubhouse Project (see below for individual listings)

Volume II - Appendices (see below for individual listings)

Draft EIR by Chapter (Volume I)

• 0 Executive Summary
• 1 Introduction
• 2 Project Description
• 3 Environmental Setting
• 4 Environmental Impact Analysis
• 4.1 Aesthetics
• 4.10 Land Use and Planning
• 4.11 Noise
• 4.12 Parks and Recreation
• 4.13 Public Services

Appendices (Volume II)

• Appendix A_NOP and NOP Comments
• Appendix B_Architectural Drawings
• Appendix B_Civil Drawings
• Appendix B_Fire Protection Plan
• Appendix B_Irrigation Drawings
• Appendix B_Landscape and Golf Course Layout Drawings
• Appendix B_Landscape Plans
• Appendix B_Lighting Plan
• Appendix B_ Photometric Drawings
• Appendix C_AQGGHG Technical Memorandum
• Appendix D_Biological Resources Technical Reports
• Appendix E_Cultural Resources Technical Report
• Appendix F_Geological Technical Report
• Appendix G_Hydrologic Technical Report
• Appendix H_Paleo Resources Inventory Letter Report
• Appendix I_Hazardous Materials Technical Reports
• Appendix J_Coastal Hazards Analysis Technical Memo
• Appendix K_Preliminary Water Service Determination
• Appendix L_Bluff Retreat Evaluation Report
• Appendix M_Noise Remodeling Calculations
• Appendix N_Updated Traffic, Parking, and VMT Study
• Appendix O_Preliminary Water Demand Analysis
• Appendix P_Bicycle Path Plans
• Appendix Q_Supplemental Letter to March 2025 BRA

Sandpiper Golf Course
7925 Hollister Avenue, Goleta, CA 93117
Assessor's Parcel Number (APN): 079-210-059
Case No(s). 22-0001-CDPH, 22-0009-DP-CUP, 22-0032-DRB

Posted Date:  December 23, 2024

Sandpiper Golf Course Renovation and New Clubhouse Notice of Availability of Preparation for Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR):

The proposed DEIR will address the following key issue areas listed in CEQA Guidelines Appendix G Checklist which are:

Aesthetics                                                 Air Quality
Biological Resources                                Cultural Resources
Energy                                                      Geology/Soils
Greenhouse Gas Emissions                      Hazards & Hazardous Materials
Hydrology/Water Quality                         Land Use Planning
Noise                                                        Public Services
Transportation                                         Tribal Cultural Resources
                                                                 Utilities and Service Systems

In addition, the DEIR will consider the following issues which are anticipated to have a less than significant finding:

Agriculture and Forestry Resources                     Wildfire
Mineral Resources                                                 Population/Housing
Parks and Recreation

The public comment period for the Notice of Preparation (NOP) begins December 26, 2024 and will end on  January 27, 2025  (30 days).

 All comments must be received no later than January 27, 2025 at 4:00 P.M.  Please limit comments to environmental issues.  When possible, please use email (mchang@cityofgoleta.org) to submit public comment.

 Project Description:

The proposal generally includes but is not limited to:

1. The demolition of an existing 9,305 square foot (sf) clubhouse and restaurant and parking lot and replacing it with a new, 37,179 sf, three-level clubhouse and restaurant (2 stories above ground and basement).  The restaurant would provide 95 seats indoors and 138 seats on an outdoor dining terrace, an increase of 101 seats compared to the existing restaurant. The club house restaurant would be open to the public for dining and events;
   
   
2. Modifications to and routing enhancements of the existing 18-hole golf course, including replacing the existing golf course turf with drought tolerant landscaping design (reduction of approximately 50 percent of irrigated turf);
   
   
3. Landscaping and irrigation improvements;
   
   
4. Demolition, repair, upgrade, and/or modernization of the existing maintenance buildings, trailers, and sheds. This includes replacing the existing 7,555 sf maintenance facility with a slightly smaller 7,476 sf maintenance facility consisting of two structures;
   
   
5.  Replacement of an existing comfort station;
   
   
6. Construction of a 695 sf café adjacent to the existing historic Barnsdall Rio Grande Gas Station;
   
   
7. Adaptive reuse and restoration of the historic Barnsdall Rio Grande Gas Station to provide seating and bicycle amenities for the Rio Grande Coffee Shop;
   
   
8. Restoring portions of Devereaux Creek to its natural condition and flow;
   
   
9. Undergrounding the existing overhead powerlines adjacent to Hollister Avenue;
   
   
10. Making trail and landscape improvements along the site’s Hollister Avenue frontage;
    
    
11. Making several coastal access improvements including easements/dedications along Sandpiper’s beach and roadway frontages;
    
    
12. Dedication of a portion of Bell Canyon as a conservation easement;
    
    
13. Updating the General Plan Figure 4-1 regarding environmental sensitive habitat based on a site- specific habitat assessment;
    
    
14. Requesting a Sphere of Influence change for Goleta West Sanitation District (SWSD) to connect some facilities to GWSD system; and
    
    
15. Requesting the City to vacate 22,007 sf of Right-of- Way along a portion of the site’s frontage for continued use as golf course private parking lot pursuant to sections 8300 et. seq of the Streets and Highways Code.

The majority of the new clubhouse would not exceed the OS/AR Zone’s 25-foot height limit; however, a minor portion of the main roof structure would have a maximum height of 29 feet and the passenger elevator structure would have a maximum architectural projection height of 33 feet.

The proposed project would redesign the parking areas to support the golf course and associated uses to provide a total of 165 on-site parking spaces.  There would be 141 spaces associated with the club house area, 10 spaces for the maintenance facility, and 14 spaces for the Rio Grande Coffee Shop.  Grading would require approximately 86,500 cubic yards of soil cut, and 56,000 cubic yards of soil fill. After compaction and shrinking, the remaining soil (30,500 CY) would be distributed around graded areas to achieve the proposed golf course design. No net import or export of cut or fill would occur.

Existing access to the project site is provided by three driveways: one leading to the clubhouse and golf course, another to the maintenance yard, and a third to the Barnsdall Rio Grande Gas Station. The proposed project would reconfigure and add new access points, resulting in five driveways, as described below:

• A new, 20-foot wide ingress driveway with a 16-foot entry and barrier curbs would provide primary access to the clubhouse and golf course. This driveway would be located on the south side of the Hollister Avenue/Cathedral Oaks Road intersection and would connect to the clubhouse parking lot from the east.
• The clubhouse’s existing 24-foot wide ingress/egress driveway would be reconfigured to serve as secondary access to the clubhouse and golf course, located on the south side of Hollister Avenue to the west of the clubhouse, connecting to the clubhouse parking lot from the west.
• A new 24-foot wide concrete service and parking entrance, situated on the south side of Hollister Avenue to the west of the secondary access driveway, would provide access to the western parking lot and basement loading dock.
• The existing 24-foot wide ingress/egress driveway made of asphalt concrete pavement, accessible via Hollister Avenue, would be repaved and continue to provide access to the maintenance facility.
• A new 24-foot wide ingress/egress driveway made of asphalt concrete pavement, accessible via Hollister Avenue, would provide right in/right out access to the Rio Grande Coffee Shop.

Location:

The project is located at 7925 Hollister Avenue, Goleta CA 93117.  The Assessor’s Parcel Number for the site is 079-210-059.  The site is located in the Coastal Zone and is designated as Open Space Active Recreation in the General Plan and on the zoning map.

Notice and Environmental Hearing Officer Meeting:

The Environmental Hearing Officer took comment from the public and Responsibility Agencies on the scope of anticipated topics to be studied within the Draft EIR as outlined in the Notice of NOP Availability on January 15, 2025, at 5:00pm.

Video of Environmental Hearing (starts at 6 minutes 18 seconds in)

Staff Contact:
Mary Chang, Supervising Planner
mchang@cityofgoleta.org
805-961-7567 

To sign up for updates on the Sandpiper Golf Course renovation and new club house, click here.
or you can register by topic The topic is also listed if someone goes to http://tinyurl.com/goletasubscriptions,

Documents:

• Notice of NOP Availability and EHO Meeting
• Agenda
• Project Description
• State NOP form