The State Street Plan Is Moving Forward

••• “After years of debate, the Santa Barbara City Council voted 6-1 on Tuesday night to support the vision in the State Street Master Plan [summarized here], but it took out the hours specifying when vehicles will be allowed access to the downtown corridor.” That’s to be determined later. —Noozhawk

••• The San Ysidro Ranch finally acknowledged that it has been working on a botanical garden at the northern end of its property. “The new garden plans are technically a permit revision, not a new project, and are still under review with the County of Santa Barbara. Approval will not require a hearing or a formal public comment period. […] The new plans show a range of native and non-native plants and trees with different garden sections, man-made ponds, and places to sit. […] The county has not yet approved the permit revisions, but some evidence suggests that work has already started on the gardens.” Ya think? I’ve been reporting on this for five years. “What’s going to be the purpose of this garden?’ [local David Everett] said. ‘Is it going to be used for parties? Is it going to be used for weddings? Is it going to be used for music? And will that affect the canyon, which has always been so serene and so quiet?’ San Ysidro Ranch did not respond to requests for comment.” —Independent

••• Former Santa Barbara City Councilman Jason Dominguez told the Santa Barbara News-Press that he’ll be joining the race for Kristen Sneddon’s seat (District 4) on the city council.

••• “The race for auditor-controller will come down to two longtime Santa Barbara County employees, one who currently runs the office and another who formerly worked for her. Betsy Schaffer, the current auditor-controller, is being challenged by Kyle Slattery in the June 2 election [….] Four of the five supervisors have endorsed Schaffer’s opponent.” —Noozhawk

••• “Thousands of jellyfish-like creatures known as by-the-wind sailors, or Velella velella, can be seen floating off Santa Barbara’s coast and washing up on beaches across the county and the state. Usually seen around May through July, these animals are an important part of the food chain, eaten by ocean sunfish and sea turtles.” —Independent

••• “Chabad of Santa Barbara will get a new synagogue building and improvements to its Goleta location, with construction expected to start by December. The Goleta Design Review Board unanimously approved the design last week for the new one-story, 7,407-square-foot building and site improvements at 6045 Stow Canyon Road, west of N. Fairview Avenue.” —Noozhawk

••• “The settlement for a federal lawsuit filed by SpaceX against the California Coastal Commission includes the agency providing a written apology for political bias and agreeing that the company does not need a state permit for launch activities at Vandenberg Space Force Base.” SpaceX is owned by a man who famously has no sense of decorum, and yet somehow he also values a written apology…? —Noozhawk

••• The tree of the month is the Brazilian coral tree. “In the mid-1930s, Brazilian Coral Tree was first introduced into Santa Barbara when one was planted in Orpet Park. Surprisingly, it still remains a relatively rare tree in our community—probably because of its large size at maturity, which renders it unsuitable for most residential landscapes. Nevertheless, it is still used in spacious parks and commercial landscapes, where it is appreciated for its fast growth, gorgeous flowers, and dense canopy of leaves.” —Edhat (photo by David Gress, courtesy Santa Barbara Beautiful)

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