Coast Village Association Seeks to Form Improvement District
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   March 11, 2021

At a City Council hearing on Tuesday, March 2, the Council voted unanimously to approve an ordinance related to forming a Community Benefit District on Coast Village Road, an initiative set forth by the Coast Village Association Board of Directors. “This is just the beginning, the first starting block,” said CVA Board President Bob Ludwick, […]

Meet Dave Emerson, Interim Highway 101 Corridor Manager
By Nick Schou   |   February 4, 2021

Last time inthis ongoing series of profiles of the people leading the 101 Freeway widening project currently taking place in Carpinteria, Summerland, and Montecito, we introduced you to the project’s head honcho, Fred Luna, director of project delivery and construction for the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments. This month, we introduce readers to another […]

 

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New Bridge at San Ysidro Creek
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   February 4, 2021

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 […]

New ADU Revisions
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   January 21, 2021

Santa Barbara County Long Range Planning Staff is once again hard at work updating local ordinances pertaining to Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) that comply with state laws. We’ve been reporting on ADU laws since 2017, when Assembly Bill 2299 and Senate Bill 1069 reduced barriers, streamlined the approval process, and expanded the capacity to accommodate […]

Montecito Association Tackles Multiple Land Use Issues
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   January 14, 2021

The Montecito Association Land Use Committee met earlier this week, and took a look back at the major land use projects the committee worked on in 2020. “We recognized early on after the debris flow that there would be multiple large scale projects to tackle,” said MA Executive Director Sharon Byrne, adding that the projects […]

Imagining the Downtown of Tomorrow
By Zach Rosen   |   January 7, 2021

An earthquake a century ago shook Santa Barbara but united the city. Can today’s housing and economic crises coalesce to effect similar change? The retail closures of State Street and local housing crisis are familiar topics in the area and have been discussed for years. In 2017 the Santa Barbara chapter of the American Institute […]

101 Freeway Construction Holiday Update
By Nick Schou   |   December 31, 2020

Note to readers: This update covers the time period from Dec. 20, 2020 to Jan. 9, 2021. Crews will not work on Dec. 24, 25, 31, and Jan. 1 in observance of the holidays. Drive safe and enjoy the break! Closures: Northbound Highway 101 Sunday nights, 9:00 pm – 5:00 am, 1 lane: N Padaro […]

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  • Meet the Head Honcho for 101 Freeway Widening Project
    By Nick Schou   |   December 31, 2020

    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 […]

    Montecito Planning Commission Approves Plan to Keep Debris Nets Up For Next Three Years
    By Nick Schou   |   December 3, 2020

    In a unanimous vote last week, the Montecito Planning Commission extended the permits for several Swiss-built flexible steel debris nets that were installed above town after the tragic mudslides that occurred in the wake of the Thomas Fire nearly three years ago. Thanks to a multi-million-dollar fundraising effort by The Partnership for Resilient Communities (TPRC), […]

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    Going With the Flow
    By Leslie Westbrook   |   December 3, 2020

    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 […]

    Warning: Follow the Rules, Please!
    By Leslie Westbrook   |   December 3, 2020

    Even movie stars and the rich and famous need to play by the rules, so it should seem simple for the rest of us mere mortals. At a Summerland Architectural Board of Review meeting a few years back, the board approved a 26,000-square-foot house (by virtue of a variance on the 25-acre beachfront property) for […]

    101 Freeway Construction Update
    By Nick Schou   |   November 19, 2020

    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 […]

    Transportation, the 101, and Bears, Oh My!
    By Sharon Byrne   |   November 19, 2020

    The Montecito Association Transportation Committee deals with all things roads, bike paths, and pedestrian walkways in Montecito. At our October meeting, we got an update on the Highway 101 project, including the reasons why the backup was so bad when the Sheffield segment started. The state switched the construction schedule from night to day due […]

    At Long Last, the Apocalyptic 101 Freeway Widening Project is Upon Us
    By Nick Schou   |   November 12, 2020

    By the time you read this, the outcome of the U.S. presidential race may not be decided, but one thing will be certain: The much-anticipated 101 Freeway widening project, which will add two new lanes between Summerland and Santa Barbara over the next three years, will not only not be over, it will have already […]

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