Westmont College, located in high-end residential area of Montecito, CA., won a ruling in Superior Court on Tuesday, December 18th, 2007 to allow the expansion of its master plan. In the first stage, the plan calls for 165,000 sqft. of new building starting with The Adams Center for the visual arts, The Winter Hall for science and mathematics, a residence hall and a chapel. Over the coming 20 years, current plans call for an additional 200,000 sqft. of building. Construction of the first stage is scheduled to start in November 2008. Scott Craig, spokesman for the Westmont College said, "I think this is a huge victory for students in future years. It will allow them to live in residential halls comparable to other liberal arts colleges and will enhance their learning experiences."
Since the plan was made public, there has been much objection in the small town of Montecito, home to some of the highest priced residential real estate in the country. Many Montecito locals contend that the scale of the building is not aligned with the "harmony and balance" of Montecito as a neighborhood. Many locals biggest complaints are about what this level of construction over the coming years will do to traffic flow on the small Montecito streets.
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