••• JC mentioned a while back that the pool area currently under construction at the Four Seasons Biltmore will include palapas, so I went for a look over the fence. There are indeed several palapas, along with a lot of palms.
••• Montecito’s East Valley Garage is under new ownership, and somewhat amazingly, it’s going to remain a garage rather than become another outpost of The Well. The new name is Sixteen Ten Montecito Garage. From a PR rep:
The garage has served generations of Montecito residents since 1919. Brian Milosavljevic, took ownership this month with a clear priority: preserve that legacy, keep the business independent and ensure every customer receives impeccable service. Brian’s connection to the shop began when he brought in his ’74 Bronco for an engine repair. That experience ultimately led to the opportunity to carry the business forward. The previous owner’s widow still lives on the property and works alongside Brian, maintaining a personal connection to the family’s legacy.
••• LOSSAN, the agency overseeing the railway from San Diego to San Luis Obispo, has organized a Zoom meeting on October 12 at 4 p.m. to discuss the potential shifting of the proposed second railway track from prime Padaro Lane to further west. (Here’s the info and I believe this link should work.) The agency has yet to release details about exactly where the new track might go.
••• StretchLab Montecito has closed.
••• The renaming of Calle Cesar Chavez is to be discussed at tomorrow’s city council meeting. From the council agenda report:
The Neighborhood Advisory Council forwarded the following: (1) Calle Sí Se Puede, as the primary recommendation; (2) Calle Dolores Huerta, as an alternate of equal weight; and (3) A name to be recommended by the Coastal Band of the Chumash Nation following outreach by the City, as an alternate of equal weight. The Council is not limited to the names forwarded by the NAC and may select another name, including restoring the corridor to Salsipuedes Street. […]
The phrase “Sí, se puede” was coined by Dolores Huerta in 1972 during a twenty-five day fast in Phoenix, Arizona, protesting state legislation that restricted farmworker organizing. It became the guiding motto of the United Farm Workers and has since been adopted widely across labor, immigrant rights, and civil rights movements.
Dolores Huerta co-founded the National Farm Workers Association in 1962 with César Chávez, the predecessor organization to the United Farm Workers. She served as lead negotiator for the 1970 Delano table grape contracts and directed the national boycott campaigns that preceded them.
[The Chumash suggested Limuw Street.] Limuw is the Chumash name for what is now called Santa Cruz Island and translates generally as “in the sea” or “in the ocean.” The word is associated with muwu, meaning ocean or a large body of water. […] According to a Chumash creation tradition documented by the National Park Service, Limuw is the birthplace of the Chumash people.
There’s nothing in the materials about how to pronounce Limuw.
••• Jess Conti Leather Goods opens at El Paseo on October 1.
••• “Along the Andrée Clark Bird Refuge, there are several plaques in front of trees honoring family members who have died,” emailed L. “But on a walk yesterday, we noticed at a least a dozen that had been removed. I’m hoping it wasn’t vandalism. Any ideas?” It is indeed vandalism, says Santa Barbara Beautiful, which runs the commemorative tree program. Of all the weird things to vandalize….
••• Commercial real estate agent Caitlin Hensel reports that Ageless Fitness—”created for seniors, perfect for everyone”—has moved around the corner to 1425 State Street (Micheltorena/Sola).
••• Opening October 1 at Seimandi & Leprieur: In Studio, “vibrant, large-scale paintings by Chicago-based artist Julie Anderson Mathias.” Below: “Horizon Detail.”
················
Sign up for the Siteline email newsletter and you’ll never miss a post.
T(ACK)Y Warner ruins everything he gets his hands on. So appropriate to have Palapas, a lazy river and a swim up bar a la CABO at the historic Biltmore. Do better MBAR et al.
Palapas do seem out of character for the property and climate. Love a swim up bar although they will need to keep the pool temp way up.
Perhaps folks on the take, afraid of litigation, or afraid to lose advertising revenue. You will not find a single piece of critical commentary of Ty or his design choices, in any local publication, this website included. Which is a shame, bc it’s not to late to (possibly) influence the design
While I may not have made much of Warner’s design choices—what is there to say at this point, anyway?—I have covered his many properties and projects with an honesty not found elsewhere.That’s likely why none of the properties has ever run an ad on Siteline. It’s certainly their prerogative, and I’m willing to pay that price—but as a result, I don’t think it’s fair to Iump Siteline in with other media outlets.
Fair enough. Don’t mean to lump Siteline in with the others, but would love to hear the unfiltered take
Maybe we should wait to see the finished project. With continual changes who knows how it will turn out. I know Beanie Baby money is flowing into SB. Thats a lot of work for trades and associated.
How can you possibly say he “ruins everything he touches?” Take a tour of the San Ysidro Ranch. It was just voted, deservedly, the “best hotel in the US”. It is exquisite. I cannot imagine anything being any more beautiful, tasteful, appropriate and comfortable. Let’s take a deep breath and see how it turns out.
SYR is indeed beautiful and was beautiful before Ty bought, as were all his other properties. He really hasn’t made too many changes at the ranch and I think that’s a good thing. Let’s hope his conversion of the timeless Plow & Angel into a cheap bordello is the last of it.
Regarding its “best hotel in the US” distinction, I’m pretty sure Forbes is pay to play
That is just totally incorrect. I worked at the ranch before and after he purchased it. He rebuilt and remodeled every single cottage, both restaurants and improved the grounds and landscaping. There were run down and janky things going on at the “old” ranch, including the wine cellar being, literally, a plywood shed with no temperature control. It is is now an underground state of the art wine cellar.
You are absolutely correct. The Ranch was badly deteriorated, the plumbing failing, the electrical system hopelessly lacking and run down and neglected. If it looks the same, it is because he made sure the feeling and authenticity were kept intact. He hired the best people to restore and retain all of the charm. He also restored the Coral Casino to its former beauty and charm with Peter Marino. It had been very badly remodeled by Marriott, and was literally falling apart when he bought the Biltmore. Every time it rained, there were 70 buckets around catching leaks; and the light tower was li lisiting precariously. He spent $165 million just to restore the Coral Casino to its original design for the most part. I am part of the people in Montecito who are very grateful for what he has done in this community.
“Cheap bordello” is correct. Please bring back the old Plow and Angel !
I’ve had many lovely fireside dinners in the original . Never go now.
DITTO! Beyond tacky
Every day I walk by the Biltmore and every day it gets tackier. Can’t believe anyone thought this was a good idea. Wouldn’t be surprised if after it’s done or nearly so, they realize their error and scrap it all and start over. The project that never ends. Thanks Erik for keeping us in the loop on so many interesting developments, we appreciate you.
Funny how everyone think they knows it better than actual designers, design boards and real architects
Why don’t you let people decide what they do with their own property? they pay the bills. The biltmore is
Not a public building, it’s still just a private owned hotel as far as i know…
I generally agree with the comments but I still hope that this look works. I think Erik was right to hold back comments for now. There’s no reason to weigh in every time on every thing that happens, which gets exhausting to read. Some of us are just looking for information and we will form our own opinions.
The Biltmore is kind of its own neighborhood, so perhaps the property can kind of set a theme that we are able to buy into. Admittedly, there are some risks being taken. The Coral Casino, the only other prominent building in the vicinity, kind of looks vintage California club complete with a lighthouse. Not so tropical. So we’ll see if the themes are not too disparate that they cannot mind meld us. I also agree people should be allowed latitude with their property – up to a point. Where the public is involved in the design, i.e. the views from the street, it seems that something appropriate and fitting for the neighbor is not too much ask. Now, as I said, this will be the neighborhood. Let’s hope it it makes us smile when complete. Tropical motifs can do this as they remind us of a simpler place and time, of relaxing, living in the moment and best of all taking a break from our hectic lives. And it doesn’t do this, may it slowly grow on us…
The city council selected Limuw. It’s pronounced just like “Limuw the Emu” ads on TV. I guess it’s better than Si Se Puede.
I’m in favor of more places in SB recognizing the Chumash heritage, happy to hear that’s being considered for Calle Cesar Chavez!