March 12, 2026
News Roundup
First Look at the Development Proposed for the Carpinteria Bluffs
Other recent news: No deadline extensions for cannabis odor scrubbers; what's next for the armory building on Canon Perdido Street; Santa Barbara might raise the property transfer tax; just one monarch butterfly spotted at Ellwood Mesa; short-term vacation rental ordinance moves forward; federal government continues to push for Sable Offshore; One805Live! performers announced. 13
February 26, 2026
The Threat of New Offshore Drilling
Other recent news: Unedited video of last week's ICE altercation; more on Santa Barbara Airport's flooding problems; insinuations about a former Montecito resident who knew Jeffrey Epstein; portion of Maria Ygnacio Bike Path closed for repairs; the tree of the month. 1
February 19, 2026
ICE Agents Caught Lying to Oxnard Police
Other recent news: 72-room hotel approved in Carpinteria; Open Air Bicycles update; half of Carpinteria cannabis farms miss the scrubber deadline; the widening of Mission Creek; Cottage Health's partnership with a local high school; downtown building nominated for the National Register of Historic Places. 4
February 12, 2026
Santa Barbara Bans Single-Use Plastic Foodware at Restaurants
Other recent news: The accidental deaths of a noteworthy couple; Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum will close; residents to vote on making a Paseo Nuevo deal more palatable to the developer; action on overtime abuse at the county sheriff's office; the Frog Wall's owner on the recent changes there; Carpinteria is shutting down an elementary school; public input on Gaviota state parks. 3
February 5, 2026
The Draft Plan for State Street Is Complicated
Other recent news: Could Anacapa and Chapala be made two-way?; county sales tax increase tabled; a step forward for Sandpiper Golf Club; Rincon Designs will return to Carpinteria; Naples compound approved; Austrian soccer team to train here; 6,500-acre ranch between Ventura and Ojai preserved from development; the tree of the month. 18
January 28, 2026
ICE Agents Pepper-Spray Citizens in Santa Barbara and Carpinteria
Other recent news: Rivian to open a dealership near the airport; California sues over oil pipeline jurisdiction; East Beach has reopened; Carpinteria looks to tighten e-bike regulations; Arroyo Quemado Trail closed for storm repairs; update on cannabis shops in Los Alamos and Noleta; La Conchita remains under year-round evacuation warning. 7
January 22, 2026
Downtown Film Center on Track to Open in Two Weeks
Other recent news: Final approval for five-story apartment building on W. De La Guerra; Santa Barbara County executive officer to retire; more on the overtime shenanigans at the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office; step forward for the Goleta Valley Library; new theater company in town; Goleta to host a World Cup contender. 4
January 15, 2026
Santa Barbara Passed a Temporary Rent Freeze
Other recent news: A local man's tale of being deported by ICE; 72-hour "festival ban" for Deltopia weekend; Santa Barbara Airport's efforts to cope with flooding; another attempt to allow drilling on public land; Santa Barbara Dojo opened in Goleta; the Montecito Inn is redecorating again; changes to commuter train service; Highway 1 fully reopen in Big Sur; tours of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing; a fascinating ad. 7
January 8, 2026
Who’s Running for Mayor of Santa Barbara
Other recent news: Super-heavy rocket launches in consideration at Vandenberg; the craziest real estate video ever; emergency rent freeze in the works; Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi bought an estate in Montecito; more flights from Santa Barbara Airport to four cities; new-ish architectural guidebook; no construction yet at the Goleta Valley Library. 17
December 26, 2025
Sable Offshore Circumvents State Authority
Other recent news: No major problems from recent storms, aside from Santa Barbara Airport runway flooding; exploiting overtime at the County Sheriff's office; La Casa de Maria update; East Beach sewage spill; work starts on Goleta multi-use path; the tree of the month. 10
Burning Questions
- How Long Will This Big Pipe Be at East Beach?
- Is Cabrillo Boulevard Going to Be Widened Under Highway 101?
- Was There a Fisherman Inn in Downtown Santa Barbara?
- What Are Those Old Buildings at the Corner of Castillo and Montecito Streets?
- When Will the Coast Village Road Medians Be Completed?
- What’s This Scaffold Structure on Las Positas Road?
- Why Does Street Striping Take So Long to Happen?
Recent Comments
Exactly this. I haven't heard any realistic alternatives yet. — BrR
The land is privately owned and zoned for development. What operates on it today exists at the discretion of the owners, and that can change… — BrR
Those tract homes are tacky and not good enough for precious Carpinteria. Carp deserves much better than those eye sores. — KK
It’s not vacant parcel: it’s a beautiful co-op organic farm, Farm Cart Organics, that feeds our community, and a farm school, Carpinteria Children’s Farm, and… — Sarah
Respectfully, there was never a version of development on this site that Carpinteria was going to welcome with open arms. That's the problem. Even if… — EM
My comment on your post here last June: https://www.sitelinesb.com/nearly-200-housing-units-proposed-for-the-carpinteria-bluffs/ “the developer is saying it’ll use the density bonus to accommodate the housing instead—and retain the… — SkyG
I’d definitely prefer a hotel with restaurant, farm, grounds, etc. than Orange County tract homes. — BW
For anyone curious, the "farm resort" initially proposed—and intensely resisted by Carpinteria residents—is described in this post: https://www.sitelinesb.com/99-room-farm-resort-proposed-for-the-carpinteria-bluffs/ — Erik Torkells
The state is going to force housing on communities that don't plan for it. Carpinteria can either shape what gets built here or wait for… — BrR
Genuinely curious what outcome you'd prefer. The land is privately owned and zoned for development. If not this, then what? Leaving it vacant forever isn't… — EM