Anonymous
By Andrea Estrada, UC Santa Barbara
As in years past, and in continued partnership with Santa Barbara County, the City of Goleta and the Isla Vista Community Services District, UC Santa Barbara has put in place myriad regulations and policies for the first weekend of April.
The restrictions are meant to ensure the safety of students and of the broader community during the annual event formerly known as Deltopia.
Also as in years past, a number of restrictions will be in effect on campus, in Isla Vista and in the neighboring community. No overnight visitors will be allowed in any university-owned housing. In addition, the campus will be closed to overnight visitor parking Friday, April 2, through Sunday, April 4. Only vehicles with valid permits will be allowed to park on campus. The restrictions will cease between 7:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. to allow for normal business operations. Daily permits will expire at midnight Friday and Saturday, April 2 and 3.
Expanded parking lot patrols will include the ticketing and towing of all vehicles lacking approved permits. Campus checkpoints will be set up beginning at 5 p.m. Friday, April 2, and will continue as needed throughout the weekend.
“We are focused on education and mitigating risk,” said Katya Armistead, assistant vice chancellor and dean of student life. “We want to make sure students know and have access to important safety guidelines around COVID-19, including the risks of gathering and not wearing face coverings.”
Parking on campus will be restricted Friday, April 2, to Sunday, April 4, from 5 p.m. each night to 7:30 a.m. each morning. Daytime parking is available only to vehicles displaying valid permits for authorized UCSB events. Permits issued via dispensers will expire at midnight Friday and Saturday, April 2 and 4. Unauthorized vehicles parked on campus overnight are subject to a $300 citation fine and impound at the owner’s expense.
A number of campus parking locations are subject to closure and access will be limited to support enhanced safety and security measures.
Traffic in and around campus may also be impacted. At the discretion of law enforcement, access to El Colegio Road and/or Isla Vista may be closed for safety reasons and proof of residency may be required to enter.
Complete information about parking restrictions and campus checkpoints is available at Transportation & Parking Services.
Additional parking restrictions will be in place for certain blocks in Isla Vista and in Goleta neighborhoods around UC Santa Barbara, and in parking lots in retail areas of Goleta, such as Camino Real Marketplace, Girsh Park, University Village Plaza, Hollister Village, the Target center, Fairview Center and Calle Real Center. Cars parked in violation will be towed.
Also, in continued cooperation with Santa Barbara County and the City of Goleta, UC Santa Barbara will close campus beaches April 2-4 and April 9-11.
The county festival music ordinance will be in effect Friday, April 2, through Monday, April 5. Between the hours of 6 p.m. and 7 a.m., amplified music of any kind is prohibited at Isla Vista residences. Live or recorded music loud enough to be heard outside a residence can result in a fine of $500.
“In addition to our safety campaign this year, and coupled with our two alternative events — the Recreation Center’s Stay and Play Saturday afternoon and A.S. Program Board’s Saturday evening concert — we will be offering the April_3_inIV Challenge, which will give students an opportunity to receive a $25 DoorDash gift card to use while staying at home,” Armistead said.
ISLA VISTA COUNTY BEACHES CLOSED APRIL 2-4; APRIL 9-11, 2021
Source: County of Santa Barbara
The Santa Barbara County Community Services Department has announced that the beaches at Isla Vista will be closed due to the potential for a “Floatopia” event on Friday, April 2 through Sunday, April 4, and Friday April 9 through Sunday, April 11, 2021. The closure is being declared to prevent a re-occurrence of the conditions that resulted from the 2009 Floatopia. The Santa Barbara County Code (Section 26-11) authorizes the Community Services Department to close any County recreation area including beaches.
Following the Floatopia event of 2009, the beaches at Isla Vista were left strewn with trash and debris, including human waste. This large-scale event with thousands of participants had no provision for the health and well-being of the public, including no facilities for human sanitation or refuse collection. The County of Santa Barbara, therefore acted to close the Isla Vista beaches for similar events since 2010.
The Floatopia event planned for April 2-4 and April 9-11, 2021 is not a sanctioned event and there are no approved permits issued. As such, the County Community Services Department will declare the Isla Vista beaches closed to public entry to protect public health and safety and to protect the beach from excessive waste and litter. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office will enforce the closure.
