Sound Wall Concerns
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   March 29, 2022

At last week’s Montecito Planning Commission hearing, the Commission was briefed on the Highway 101 Widening Project, which will eventually be in front of the Commission for conceptual review once the project application is deemed complete.  Project planner Nicole Lieu explained to the Commission that the final design of the project is still in flux […]

It’s the 2022 California Legislative Session, and They’re Churning Out More Housing Bills
By Sharon Byrne   |   March 22, 2022

Here they come! If you feel a little confused about what the state might be up to re housing, here’s a handy primer: 1. California officials said the state is 3.5 million units short of housing, a statistic used relentlessly to drive Senate Bills 9 and 10 last year, whose primary mission was to end […]

 

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Randall Road Debris Basin Moves Forward
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   March 22, 2022

This Saturday, March 19, Santa Barbara County Flood Control will take acquisition of 630 Randall Road, the final one-acre property to be acquired in which to build the Randall Road Debris Basin. After a lengthy delay, a recent ruling by the Ventura County Superior Court has given Flood Control the green light to continue building […]

Women’s Equal Pay Day
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   March 22, 2022

Tuesday, March 15 is known as Equal Pay Day, a public service awareness event to illustrate the gap between men’s and women’s wages. The National Committee on Pay Equity began recognizing this symbolic day in 1996, in an effort to bring awareness on how to solve wage inequity. The date of the event symbolizes how […]

Groundwater Awareness Week
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   March 22, 2022

Last week marked Groundwater Awareness Week, according to the National Ground Water Association, and The Groundwater Foundation. Groundwater Awareness Week was established in 1999 to highlight the responsible development, management, and use of groundwater and to celebrate local groundwater efforts across the country. According to Montecito Water District, groundwater is a critical component of California’s […]

TPRC Wins National Award for Ring Net Project But Work to Shield Montecito from Future Disaster Has Only Begun
By Jerry Roberts   |   March 22, 2022

In a bittersweet ceremony, Montecito’s The Project for Resilient Communities (TPRC) on Sunday received a prestigious national award for the private-public project that installed protective ring nets in canyons where deadly torrents surged down in the 1/9 disaster. Three leaders of the Virginia-based ReadyCommunities Partnership, which spotlights and supports efforts across the nation demonstrating “resiliency […]

Observatory Opens with Eye to the Sky
By Scott Craig   |   March 17, 2022

The Westmont Observatory opens to the public Friday, March 18, beginning at 7 pm and lasting several hours. Face coverings will be required at the event. Due to the pandemic, this is the first time in two years the observatory has been open to the public.  Westmont hosts a free, public viewing on the third […]

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  • Upcoming Road Closures
    By Sharon Byrne   |   March 17, 2022

    After a water main break this Tuesday, March 15, in the Bike Lane of North Jameson Lane at Loureyro Road, there was a lane closure set up at this location for most of the day. Here are some of the other road closures to be aware of:  Wednesday to Friday, March 16-18; 600 – 663 […]

    Montecito Association Meets
    By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   March 15, 2022

    At a quiet Montecito Association meeting earlier this week, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Lieutenant Butch Arnoldi reported on crime in Montecito over the last month.  There have been several residential burglaries including near the Polo Fields, on Romero Canyon, Tiburon Bay Lane, School House Lane, East Mountain Drive, and on Ortega Ridge. Lt. Arnoldi said […]

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    New Regulations to Reward Fire Risk Reduction
    By Sharon Byrne   |   March 15, 2022

    California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara announces new regulations to improve wildfire safety and drive down cost of insurance. Under the proposed regulations, which could be in effect by this summer, insurance companies would be required to factor consumers’ and businesses’ wildfire safety actions into their pricing of residential and commercial coverage. The new regulations also […]

    Harbor Restaurant Sells
    By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   March 15, 2022

    The Harbor Restaurant/Longboard’s Grill, one of Santa Barbara’s most recognizable waterfront dining destinations, sold last week, according to Hayes Commercial Group, which brokered both sides of the deal.  The iconic restaurants on Stearns Wharf have been operated by the Scott family along with longtime Santa Barbara restaurateur Dave Perry for more than four decades. The […]

    A Year Later: Hands Across Montecito The Model That Makes the Difference in Homelessness
    By Sharon Byrne   |   March 8, 2022

    In the spring of 2020, as the pandemic unfolded, Montecito neighbors started noticing a significant uptick in homeless individuals on Coast Village Road, traveling along the tracks, and encampments began mushrooming along the freeway. I contacted Luis Alvarado from Santa Barbara County’s Behavioral Wellness Homeless Outreach Team, and we started walking the tracks and outreaching. […]

    Cold Spring Project Moves Forward
    By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   March 8, 2022

    At a special board meeting earlier this week, the Cold Spring School Board voted 4-1 to approve moving forward with a short-term loan to help fund the school’s upcoming and long-awaited expansion project. The acquisition of the loan – and the financial position of the school in general – has been the subject of some […]

    MBAR Hears from 101 Team
    By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   March 8, 2022

    Members of the Highway 101 widening team through Montecito were in front of the Montecito Board of Architectural Review last week for the second time, reviewing aesthetic features of the project related to fencing, landscaping, and lighting. The project, which will widen the freeway to three lanes in each direction between Sycamore Creek in the […]

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