So Not Worth It

As in years past, and in continued partnership with Santa Barbara County and the City of Goleta, UC Santa Barbara has put into place myriad regulations and policies for the first full weekend of April.

The restrictions are meant to ensure the safety of students and the broader community during the annual event known as Deltopia. This year the weekend coincides with Spring Insight, a campus-wide open house for admitted and prospective students.

Alternative events are again a central component of UCSB’s successful, student-driven push to refocus the weekend away from the street party and onto safe, locals-only activities. The Associated Students organization will host its third annual “The Warmup,” an always-anticipated concert at the Thunderdome Saturday night. Friday night activities include pizza, music and rollerskating at the RecCen and a “First Friday” celebration in Isla Vista.

“The last two years have really demonstrated the impact of a shift in the culture in Isla Vista,” said Debbie Fleming, UCSB’s assistant vice chancellor for student affairs. “It is more and more a given that students will not invite out-of-town friends to visit and will keep their own celebrations low-key and private.”

A no-guest policy will be in place for all UCSB residence halls and apartments, both on campus and in Isla Vista, from 12 p.m. Friday, April 7 through 12 p.m. Sunday, April 9. All halls and apartments will see increased staffing — and an increased presence by Community Service Organization (CSO) officers. No visitor parking passes will be available in UCSB-run apartment communities.

Expanded parking lot patrols will include the ticketing and towing of all vehicles lacking an approved permit. There will be checkpoints in place Saturday, April 8, at various UCSB housing complexes to prevent unauthorized parking.

Checkpoints also will be in place on all roads entering campus on Friday and Saturday afternoon and evening, and unauthorized vehicles will be denied access. 

Parking on campus will be restricted Friday, April 7, to Sunday, April 9, 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 including Spring Insight. Permits purchased via dispensers will expire at 11:59 p.m. Friday, April 7, and 11:59 p.m. Saturday, April 8. Unauthorized vehicles parked on campus overnight are subject to a $300 citation fine and impound at the owner’s expense. 

Visitors attending Spring Insight and other campus-sponsored activities can park near their respective events held at Campbell Hall, Pollock Theater, the Recreation Center, Caesar Uyesaka Stadium, or other campus venues until that venue is closed for the evening.

Some parking lots will be restricted or closed entirely to support campus events or law enforcement. The lots will reopen Sunday, April 9. 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. Some streets in Isla Vista will be barricaded and vehicular traffic prohibited.

Additional parking restrictions will be in place for certain blocks in Isla Vista and in Goleta neighborhoods around UCSB. Beaches in Isla Vista also will be closed.

The UCSB Police Department will have about 70 officers helping to patrol the campus and Isla Vista throughout the weekend. In addition, uniformed officers will conduct a sobriety and driver’s license checkpoint Friday, April 7, starting at 7 p.m. and continuing for approximately 8 hours, at an undisclosed location in the UCSB/Goleta area.

The county festival music ordinance will be in effect Friday, April 7, to Monday, April 10. Between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., amplified music of any kind is prohibited at Isla Vista residences. Music that can be heard by 500 or more people may be a violation of permitting requirements.

Student program UCIV will once again send volunteers into Isla Vista throughout the weekend to act as liaisons between the community and law enforcement by providing information about available resources; notifying residents who may be in violation of ordinances; and serving as safe escorts.

“UCSB student leaders are taking their own initiative to ensure a safe and local event for Deltopia through efforts like UCIV, which are are now also being rolled out on other weekends as well,” said Fleming. “Many different efforts and the great collaboration between students, the campus, law enforcement and surrounding communities have been essential to that culture shift. Now we want to ensure positive momentum into the future.”