Tag archives: construction

At this month’s Montecito Association Land Use & Transportation Committee meeting, the group heard from Carla Leal of Cox Communications, who reported on new gas-powered generators being installed in Montecito. The project, which aims to install 49 generators throughout the Montecito area, stemmed from a decision issued by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) earlier […]

Kirsten Ayars, rep for the Highway 101 widening project, reported on Tuesday at the Montecito Association Land Use and Transportation Committee that recent attempts at deterring the double crested cormorants in the construction area at Sheffield Drive have been negatively affecting neighbors, and that plans have shifted in order to deter the birds while not […]

I visited a project on Hill Road this week after receiving complaints from neighbors. As soon as I saw it, my heart sank. This is a second story ADU (accessory dwelling unit) that will decimate views and is built right to the edge of the driveway easement. Neighbors report it was piecemealed in permitting, so […]

Closures on Northbound Highway 101 Monday night, Mar. 1, 8:00 pm – 5:00 am, 1 lane:  N. Padaro Ln. to Sheffield Dr., on- and off-ramps at Evans Ave, Ortega Hill Rd, Sheffield Dr. Mon. – Wed. daytime, Feb. 22 – 24, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm, on-ramp at Linden Ave. Southbound Highway 101 Mon. night, […]

Three years after a January 9, 2018 debris flow half-buried Paul Madsen’s home, the Montecito resident who lives on Posilipo Lane adjacent to the Rosewood Miramar Beach has finally dug himself out of the mud. Excavation work that has been underway for the past few weeks is scheduled to wrap up later this week. According […]

Nearly three years to the day after the 1/9 Debris Flow that damaged or destroyed over 600 homes as well as debilitated Montecito infrastructure, the Santa Barbara County Public Works Department made a significant step in the rebuilding process with the replacement of the East Mountain Drive Bridge over San Ysidro Creek. The bridge, which […]

Assuming that Montecito makes it through the next few years without any major wildfires, floods, mudslides, earthquakes, or tsunamis (okay, so that last potential natural disaster seems about as likely as a meteor strike), then the biggest story that will affect everyone in town for the foreseeable future is the 101 Freeway widening project. With […]

As he approaches retirement, Bruce Giffin, one of Santa Barbara’s top developers, ponders his legacy Construction is known for being a tough business. Competition is high, margins are low, cash flow swings in both directions and a shortage of skilled workers makes the industry all the more precarious. As he approaches his 35th anniversary in the […]

Have you noticed how the Highway 101 traffic flow has changed with the construction work now in full swing? Heading north from the Padaro Lane onramp through Summerland, most of the traffic was traveling in the right lane – due to the white cement barriers, which do make the fast lane scarily hairy! There are […]

Now that the 101 Freeway widening project is finally upon us, the Journal will be regularly updating you on all the details of ramp closures and other construction news to help you better navigate the traffic. Here is what to expect on the 101 between Carpinteria and Montecito for the following week. Keep in mind […]

At this month’s Montecito Association Land Use Committee meeting, Bucket Brigade founder Abe Powell and Montecito Trails Foundation president Ashlee Mayfield presented an update on the network of community trails that the two groups are committed to building and maintaining. “Trail repair was a top priority in a poll we took following the debris flow. […]

Next Thursday, January 9, the roundabout slated for the intersection of San Ysidro Road and North Jameson Lane will be in front of the Montecito Board of Architectural Review for conceptual review. This is the first public hearing on the project design at the County level, after Santa Barbara County’s Deputy Director of Transportation Chris Sneddon and […]

Flaggers and construction crews will be on Coast Village Road throughout the rest of the week, installing conduit and electrical lines across the crosswalk on the 1150 block of the street. “We know it is a nuisance to local businesses,” said Coast Village Association board president Bob Ludwick, “But we also know it’s important to […]

Caltrans reported earlier this week that the Montecito Creek Bridge at Parra Grande and Highway 192 is slated to open mid-December, nearly three months later than originally planned. Caltrans Public Information Officer Jim Shivers tells us the reason that the Montecito Creek Bridge is the last to be opened to traffic is due to a […]

Knowing where your property ends and where roads begin can be confusing. The Montecito Association has received some calls about easements and encroachments and realized it might be a good idea to write about roads, bridges, and other related topics. Road right-of-way is dedicated when property maps are created to allow space for the County, […]

Paving work began on Coast Village Circle earlier this week; the beginning of a two-month long restoration project to rehabilitate the road following the 1/9 Debris Flow in January 2018. The Debris Flow caused major damage to the roadway on Coast Village Circle due to flooding and the presence of heavy equipment; the project will […]

Montecito Union School students headed back to class this week, arriving to a campus that underwent several updates over the summer. MUS superintendent Dr. Anthony Ranii sat down with us earlier this week to talk about campus upgrades, enrollment numbers, and what’s new for the 2019/20 school year.  The day after school let out for […]