Tag archives: Miramar

Words to Live By
By Richard Mineards   |   May 20, 2025

Montecito actor Rob Lowe is at work on his third book. The working title for his next tome is What Do I Know? A Guide to Living which he hopes will land him in the self-help section at the bookstore. “It’s my truisms, what I found to work, what I found to not work, what […]

Mother’s Day Specialty Orchids, Restaurants and More
By Joanne A Calitri   |   May 6, 2025

Like your mom or grandmother says, early birds get the worms! It’s time to set up your reservations for flowers, restaurant, spa offerings, and more!  Here’s our local delights for our Mother’s Day: San Ysidro Ranch The San Ysidro Ranch is serving a festive Mother’s Day brunch, Sunday, May 11, from 10 am to 2 […]

Miramar Expansion Appeal at the CCC
By Tiana Molony   |   April 22, 2025

In a unanimous vote on Thursday, April 10, the California Coastal Commission (CCC) rejected appeals – from Unite Here Local 11 and Heal the Ocean – to the Rosewood Miramar housing project. The project includes 26 affordable housing units for employees, eight market-rate units, and about 12 new shops. It already received unanimous approval from […]

California Coastal Commission Meeting
By Montecito Journal   |   April 15, 2025

The California Coastal Commission will be meeting at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Hotel from Wednesday, April 9, to Friday, April 11. Among the packed agenda, several key local issues will be heard on Thursday, April 10, including a Cease & Desist Order, Restorative Order, and an Administrative Penalty to Sable Offshore Corp. regarding the […]

Annual Easter & Passover Calendar
By Joanne A Calitri   |   April 15, 2025

It’s Spring and the time of year for Easter services, visits with the Easter Bunny, Easter Egg Hunts, and at Chabad Montecito, a Community Pesach Seder. Here is the quick guide for our readers! Chabad of Montecito  Community Pesach Seder on Saturday, April 12. Event starts at 7 pm with Hors D’oeuvres; 7:30 pm, Seder […]

Drinks of a Higher Dimension
By Richard Mineards   |   April 8, 2025

To the clubby Manor Bar at Rick Caruso’s Rosewood Miramar Hotel for the launch of its new creative and colorful cocktail collection. Tables now feature 3D miniatures, featuring small books listing cocktail ingredients and new glassware made in Italy, with the 12 spirited works including Journey to the Center of the Earth, and my favorite […]

Rosewood Miramar Goes to the Board of Supervisors
By Tiana Molony   |   December 24, 2024

Over one year ago, the Rosewood Miramar went before the Montecito Association Land Use Committee to share its expansion plans. From one county meeting to the next, Miramar owner Rick Caruso and his team presented numerous iterations of the plan, each time receiving feedback from county officials, neighbors, and other community members who voiced opinions, […]

Lots of Lights
By Richard Mineards   |   December 17, 2024

La Arcada, the charming thoroughfare off State Street, had its 29th annual Christmas Walk with carolers in Dickensian costume, a real snow machine and free popcorn for 1,000 guests. Youngsters were even able to send letters to Santa Claus with typewriters in the Crafter’s Library which, given their age, was probably the first time they’d […]

An Activist CPC Grabs the Reins: Miramar & Cannabis
By Jeff Giordano   |   November 26, 2024

As we await our new D1 Supervisor Roy Lee, the County Planning Commission (CPC) has taken what some might argue is an activist approach to certain significant issues facing our County, including the Miramar Project and our Cannabis Ordinance. Allow me to explain: The Montecito Planning Commission lost their oversight of the Miramar based on […]

A Message from Supervisor Capps
By Montecito Journal   |   November 19, 2024

Santa Barbara County is a place where we value inclusivity, compassion, and support for all residents, regardless of gender, faith, ethnicity or political affiliation. There is still more that unites us; we are stronger together.  Beginning today, we will be even more vigilant to ensure the safety of all people, especially the most vulnerable. Immigrants […]

CPC Unanimously Approves Miramar Plan
By Tiana Molony   |   November 12, 2024

On November 1st, the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission unanimously approved Rosewood Miramar’s mixed-used housing development plan.  Initially a vocal opponent of the plan, All Saints-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church ultimately reached a compromise with the Miramar, which involved reducing the scope of the project. “I stand before you today to say that All Saints withdraws any […]

Don’t Suffer the Same Fate
By Montecito Journal   |   November 5, 2024

I’ve lived in Pacific Palisades for 22 years, and lived through Caruso’s redevelopment of our downtown area into a modern shopping mall. He was clever in his approach – buying up and closing down local businesses for years so that when the time came to present his plans, much of our community supported it, because […]

Clarification on Recusal from MPC Hearing
By Sandy Stahl   |   November 5, 2024

I’d like to clarify a couple of points regarding my recusal from last Friday’s MPC hearing. I did give an ex parte declaration at the beginning of the meeting as is required. I gave some specific names and also at the end said that I had also spoken with a great many neighbors, especially some […]

MPC Recusal: Miramar and the 18 Pages Heard Around the Room
By Tiana Molony   |   October 29, 2024

The October 18th Montecito Planning Commission (MPC) meeting, scheduled for the purposes of discussing the Rosewood Miramar’s proposed expansion for mixed-use housing, abruptly ended when Commissioner Sandy Stahl recused herself halfway through, causing the commission to lose its required quorum.  The mixed-use housing development plan being considered, in advance of next week’s scheduled County Planning […]

Dark Day at the MPC
By Bob Hazard   |   October 29, 2024

Friday, October 18 was a dark day for those who care about the principles of integrity and fairness in Montecito. This was the day the Montecito Planning Commission utterly failed in its mission to faithfully abide by its legal and ethical obligations in representing our community. Their unfinished hearing amounted to a self-inflicted wound that […]

What’s Really and Accurately Up with the Miramar Beach Resort? A Rebuttal to Bob Hazard’s One-Sided and Inaccurate Article
By Harry Rabin   |   October 29, 2024

Mr. Hazard, let’s begin with your 1st point (MJ Vol. 30_40, October 3-10, 2024) that the Rosewood expansion will provide “Workforce Housing for Employees.” Yes, affordable Housing is GREAT but only when it’s available to the community at large, not for self-serving interests taking advantage of a poorly written bill; SB-330. So 26 affordable housing […]

Appointed Ambassador for Project Zero
By Joanne A Calitri   |   October 29, 2024

In a major collaborative effort to bring its work in marine conservation to our town, Project Zero has appointed MICHELIN Chef Massimo Falsini as an Ambassador. Massimo is the Chef-Partner of Caruso’s Restaurant at the Rosewood Miramar Beach. He has proven to be a dedicated environmentalist, taking that commitment into his kitchens with sustainable sourcing […]

MPC Befuddlement
By Montecito Journal   |   October 29, 2024

Befuddled. I rarely use this word, but found it the most appropriate to describe what I witnessed at the MPC meeting regarding the Miramar project. Talk about Amateur Hour(s).  There are a lot a great people in Montecito, who earned their place, with pure intent, and who want nothing more than to preserve the beauty […]

On Board with Guy Walker
By Montecito Journal   |   October 22, 2024

I give my strongest possible endorsement to Guy Walker for County Board of Education, for the Trustee Area including most of the Santa Ynez Valley, Vandenberg Village, Los Alamos, and Guadalupe. Guy has worked hard for many years as a volunteer in the field of education and understands the challenges and opportunities our students face. […]

Miramar at the CPC: Caruso, the Community, and County Planning Commission Weigh in on Expansion Plans
By Tiana Molony   |   October 22, 2024

On October 9, the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission (CPC) heard the Rosewood Miramar’s Mixed-Use Housing Development plan, which includes affordable housing for Miramar staff, new retail shops, a cafe, and luxury housing split between the existing East and West parking lots. The hearing emerged after Caruso’s team sent a letter to the CPC citing […]