"The Castle"

Fire Safety

Over the years there have been several instances of Castle guests smoking and starting small fires on the property. Skyforest is a heavily wooded area. Inviting hundreds of guests to events in this neighborhood would seriously increase the risk of a large fire.

Ingress/Egress

This section of Skyforest has only 1 point of entry - Sycamore Drive. This is a narrow road. The proposed parking lot has space for 75 cars which would be a significant increase to the number of cars currently used here.

In the event of an emergency, our ability to leave the area will be seriously impeded by event guests. Fire crews will also find it much more difficult to access the area on such a narrow road with so much oncoming traffic.

Water Infrastructure

Skyforest residents are served by a small municipal water company that serves about 170 homes. The Castle is already the second largest user of water in the area, after SkyPark.

Expanding the Castle's commercial operations would put an even greater strain on our infrastructure, increasing the frequency of repairs and the related cost, which is shared by a relatively small number of homes.

Water Pressure

Large events will drain water from the holding tanks that service this area at a greater than normal rate. This will adversely affect the water pressure in our system, which will in turn affect the ability of fire crews to put out fires which we believe are more likely given the increased number of people.

Water Runoff/Mudslides

There are several significant flow lanes that run through this property - natural channels along which rain and snowmelt flow downhill. Previous construction projects at the Castle have already disturbed these flow lanes.

Paving over tens of thousands of square feet of forest floor and removing 35 large trees will only exacerbate this problem, potentially causing more damage to neighboring properties.

Wildlife Disturbances

The parking lot will require paving over almost 35,000 square feet (0.79 acres) of forest floor and cutting down 35 trees, some over 50ft tall. This will have a permanent impact on the wildlife in this area.

An independent arborist has evaluated the site and, in his professional opinion, the damage will extend beyond just those 35 trees. According to him, the root systems of trees at the Castle and adjacent properties are intertwined. Cutting the roots of trees along the property line, as proposed, will likely result in the death of trees on adjacent properties.

Noise Pollution

The neighborhood is already disturbed by noisy events at the Castle. Residents on adjacent properties have told us that on nights when Castle events are held, they can't use certain bedrooms because the noise makes sleep impossible!

If approved, this expansion of Castle operations will make the problem much worse. In particular, homes on Sycamore Drive will hear much more noise from the venue if 35 trees are cut down, as these currently provide some sound proofing from events.

Traffic & Air Pollution

We estimate that an additional 75 cars will more than double the number of cars in the area. In the past, Castle guests have been caught speeding along Sycamore Drive.

The additional traffic not only poses a safety risk to pedestrians and animals, it will increase air pollution in the area significantly.

Light Pollution

The parking lot will need to be adequately lit until all guests have left the venue. In the past, events at the Castle have lasted until the early hours of the morning, meaning increased light pollution while nearby residents are trying to sleep.

Structural Damage

According to an independent arborist, severing the roots of trees along the property line, as proposed, will likely kill trees in adjacent properties due to intertwined root systems. According to his report, the roots stabilizing a neighboring sequoia tree could be affected, which may lead to it falling and causing damage to the adjacent property.

What has the Castle been used for in the past?

Since the current owners purchased the property, it has only been used as a commercial space. The property is listed on VRBO and AirBnB as a Short Term Rental property. They regularly host parties and weddings, which have caused significant disturbance to the neighborhood in the form of noise late at night, increased traffic on residential streets, and unruly guests who have caused fire hazards.

The Castle has negatively impacted the neighborhood in other ways too. Past development on the property, such as the attempted construction of an additional driveway to the house, has had an adverse impact on water run off, causing debris and mud to build up on adjacent properties after storms and heavy snowfall.

What do the owners want to use the Castle for now?

Based on discussions with the County, and from the current site plan, the owners are looking to use the Castle for at least 3 things:

1. Continue using it as a Short Term Rental. This requires an STR permit.
2. Use it as a commercial meeting and events space, including weddings. This requires a Conditional Use Permit.
3. Use it as location for film shoots. This requires a filming permit.

If commercial venues are allowed in residential areas, why are residents pushing back?

Residents are opposing the project because the Conditional Use Permit has not been approved yet, and there is still time for our objections to be factored into the County's decision. And there are significant objections!

The County will conduct its own review of the application, but we're not taking any chances. For years, the Castle has been causing significant disruption to the neighborhood. Several formal complaints have been logged with the County, but this application is a significant expansion of their commercial operations and we anticipate even worse disruptions if it is approved.

In short, this project is vehemently opposed by residents. We are coordinating our response to give us the best possible chance of preserving the peace and safety of our homes.

What will the environmental impact be?

The County has not yet conducted an environmental impact report but we expect the impact to be significant:

• 35 trees will be cut down.
• The parking lot covers areas of the forest frequently used by local wildlife including birds, squirrels, coyotes, deer, bobcats, and bears.
• The parking lot will need to be adequately lit until the early hours of morning when events finish, creating light pollution.
• The parking lot will cover tens of thousands of square feet of forest ground, which will affect water run off.

How can I help residents fight back against this commercial development?

You can email the County and voice your objections to this project. Here are the details:

• The County Planner in charge of this project is Elena Barragan. You can email her at elena.barragan@lus.sbcounty.gov.
• In your email you should quote the project number: PROJ-2022-00207.
• If you live in Skyforest and have been affected by the Castle in the past, you can include personal anecdotes in your email - noise, fires, unruly guests, cars speeding etc.
• Even more helpful is if you have evidence - photos, screenshots of texts with the owners, videos, voicemails - anything that could corroborate stories of how this commercial property has had a negative impact on you or your property.