The Isla Vista Master Plan may be a step closer to implementation, thanks to a decision made Tuesday afternoon by the County Board of Supervisors.

Third District Supervisor Brooks Firestone said the board unanimously decided to transfer control of the Isla Vista Master Plan to the County Executive Office and away from the county Redevelopment Agency (RDA) on July 1, after the plan is completed. Under the executive office’s proposal, county Assistant Executive Officer Terri Maus-Nisich would assume control of the plan’s implementation and would work closely with RDA Project Manager Jamie Goldstein to execute the master plan improvements.

Firestone said he thinks the transfer would place a person more experienced in project implementation, rather than planning, in control of the execution of the master plan. He also said he thinks the new position will help improve the productivity of the project.

“There’s been an evolution in the plan recently as it moves toward its last few months of planning,” Firestone said. “The Redevelopment Agency has purchased a lot of open space successfully and has been very successful in developing plans. Now we’re moving into the plan’s implementation phase.”

No one at the meeting voiced opposition to the board’s decision, and Firestone said he has received support from both the university and from Craig Geyer, chair of the Isla Vista Project Area/General Plan Advisory Committee – the group of community members working with the Redevelopment Agency to develop the Master Plan. Neither Geyer nor UCSB Government Relations Director Gerry Hesse, who represented the university at the meeting, was available for comment.