Newsletter: December 7

BIG CHANGES
Proposed 66-room hotel entails demolishing the Press Room: two years ago, SIMA began the process for a large apartment building fronting State and Ortega—and then pulled the plug when the city council agitated for more affordable housing. The solution? Make it a hotel.

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HOT PROPERTY
While the real estate market has pretty much ground to a halt since Thanksgiving, there have still been a few notable sales, including a Padaro Lane mansion for $30 million, a Summerland three-bedroom with lots of views; houses from 1890 and 1930 on the same San Roque street; and a funky fixer/teardown on Mission Canyon Road. See what sold—and for how much.

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CHAPTER TWO
Longtime favorite Toma is under new ownership: After 20 years, Tom and Vicki Dolan are retiring, handing over the reins to a new pair of owner-operators who have no plans to mess with the tuna cones.

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FAVORITE THINGS
Next up in the Shop Local Gift Guide: Montecito Mercantile and Diani Living—and of course both stores have far more than whatever happened to catch my eye. So get out there and browse!

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