Supervisor Capps holds a listening session on housing and safety after a cliff fall

Santa Barbara County Second District Supervisor Laura Capps hosted a listening session on housing and safety in Isla Vista at the Isla Vista Community Center on Monday, April 29, in light of the recent cliff fatalities.

Capps delivered the listening session under the lights of 29-year-old UC Santa Barbara graduate Jacob Parker fall Parker was from San Diego, California and was in town for the All Gaucho Reunion weekend.

He is the second person to die in a fatal cliff accident this academic year, joining 19-year-old Santa Barbara City College student Benjamin Schurmer of Ojai, California, who died in September. Both fell from 1.20 meter high balcony fences. In the last 20 years, cliffs have killed 14 people on Isla Vista.

Capps began the meeting at 5 p.m. and held a moment of silence for the victims of the cliff. She introduced the discussion by emphasizing that she wanted students to be involved in the discussion about developing cliff-proofing plans.

“The more I learn … the more we learn, the more we can act,” Capps said.

As part of her eight-point safety plan, Capps wants to increase the height of fences on cliffside properties from 4 feet to 6 feet, as well as more lighting, permanent public restrooms, effective signage and, in collaboration with their families, a memorial to the residents Victims of creating cliffs and UCSB students.

According to a vote by the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors in November, the minimum height of fences on the bluffs is 6 feet. Additionally, waiving permit fees created a financial incentive for property owners to raise fences. Still, Capps said many properties have yet to apply for permits.

During the discussion, participants raised points about long-term solutions to cliff erosion, erratic behavior of college students, and the balance between enforcing safe solutions and not interfering with ocean views. Around 20 people took part in the meeting.

One participant highlighted that the most popular accommodations, the coastal residences on Del Playa Drive, were the least safe. “We’re crammed together like sardines,” they said. They pointed out that while increasing the height of the fence was a solution, it was only temporary due to erosion on the cliffs. In response, Capps said part of her work on the board is to increase housing in Isla Vista.

Henry Sarria, a longtime Isla Vista resident, recommended adopting a policy to report unsafe behavior on balconies, such as jumping over fences. Capps said there is a Google Form for this, in addition to reporting home health concerns such as mold.

“Some people really want to jump that fence,” Sarria said. “No parent should have to outlive their child,” he later added.

Spencer Brandt, director of the Isla Vista Community Services District (IVCSD), added that IVCSD offers free rental housing placement Services for tenants and landlords to find solutions with a district mediator.

Matthew Strzepek, a Goleta resident, expressed an issue with increasing the height of the fence, saying it blocks ocean views and contributes to the overall urbanization of Isla Vista. He highlighted how Lookout Park, which has a six-foot-tall fence with black netting running along it, blocks views of the ocean.

“We’re becoming a little bit like all these other college campuses. It has become very cold and dreary, almost like a concrete jungle,” said Strzepek.

The introduction of six-foot fences in Santa Barbara’s parks, particularly Estero Park, helped set a precedent as a county, Capps said. She said increasing the height of the fence on Del Playa Drive “would have made the death preventable.”

Parker’s close friend Jack Javier suggested building a fence with spokes or some other design element that would make climbing avoidable while allowing visibility.

“I don’t care,” Javier said of concerns about the ocean view. “All of Jake’s family and friends are now traumatized.”

Another close friend of Parker, Joaquín Pérez, said property owners “choose” which residency issues they address. He also lived in a 6700 residence. Pérez recalled that his neighbors repeatedly violated property rules, such as having a platform that rose above the height of the fence, and that it took several days for action to be taken.

“It’s not as simple as self-control,” Pérez said in response to Strzepek’s proposal to maintain the status quo of four-foot-tall fences

IVCSD Executive Director Jonathan Abboud said that despite higher fence heights, there are eight different access points to the beach.

“You have to design based on human behavior,” said Abboud.

One participant said they used to jump over fences on the cliffside properties to urinate off the cliffs. He only became aware of the danger of the action when he learned of Schurmer’s death.

“Damned if you don’t take every step you can,” he said.

The meeting ended at 6:00 p.m. Capps encouraged attendees to contact her office and utilize resources such as the Santa Barbara Tenants Union, an anonymous building complaint sponsored by the county form and another circular form for other complaints.

A version of this article appeared on page 5 of the May 2, 2024 issue of Daily Nexus.

Lizzy Rager

Lizzy Rager (she/her) is the Assistant News Editor for the 2024-25 school year. She can be reached at [email protected]