News Roundup

April 20, 2023

Trippy Playground Proposed for Dwight Murphy Field

Other recent news: County property tax revenue is up, but cannabis continues to underperform; Platform development inches forward; five more cruise ships this season; the Spirit of Fiesta is a guy for the first time; more info on the Los Carneros roundabout apartment complex; an effort to preserve old airplane hangars. 3

April 14, 2023

MarBorg’s Non-Curbside Rate Hike Is Coming to Santa Barbara

Other recent news: The Santa Barbara City Council can't make up its mind about State Street parklet fees; Carpinteria Salt Marsh trails and beach access closed till June; park turtles to be relocated; Santa Claus Lane upgrade moves forward; recap of the debate over the proposed hotel at 101 Garden Street; Carrizo Plain superbloom photos. 7

April 8, 2023

Oprah Winfrey’s Creek Construction Makes Downstream Neighbors Nervous

Other recent news: Santa Barbara County tightened the eviction code; city Planning Commission waffles on 101 Garden Street hotel; update on the county's ambulance services contract; library plaza should be done by October; Elings Park improvements; opposition to fish farms in the Santa Barbara Channel; 72-room hotel in Carpinteria moves forward. 8

March 31, 2023

A Move to Expand Use of Earl Warren Showgrounds

Other recent news: Santa Barbara County added more sites to list of potential housing; the political fight over ambulance and EMT services; Gibraltar Road closure could extend beyond a year; Maroon 5 to headline One805 benefit; Montecito Collective and Waterhouse Gallery open on Coast Village Road; actor Timothy Bottoms wrote a novel set on Stearns Wharf. 2

March 24, 2023

Santa Barbara Might Crack Down on Vacation Rentals

Other recent news: Hundreds of Isla Vista apartment residents getting kicked out; city council makes "renovictions" harder; Monopoly is working on a Santa Barbara edition; the tree of the month is the pink trumpet tree; Poppy boutique is closing. 3

March 19, 2023

The County’s Cannabis Situation Continues to Stink in New Ways

Other recent news: Santa Barbara Airport is working on a terminal expansion and more parking; Solvang lost $538,000 to phishing; Butterfly Beach water closure due to sewage spill; the recent buyer of Oprah Winfrey's Hedgerow property; the Grace Fisher Foundation Inclusive Arts Clubhouse has opened; new pickleball shop. 7

March 10, 2023

$500,000 Donation Made Toward Expanding the Arroyo Hondo Preserve

Other recent news: The Miramar resort parking lot could be developed for employee housing; the city of Santa Barbara wants more involvement in the proposed La Cumbre apartment complex; swim platform in the works off Montecito; 2023 Fiesta theme and parade route; the return of the Starr King Rummage Sale. 6

February 27, 2023

Developers Officially Submit Plans for Resort on the Carpinteria Bluffs

Other recent news: Locals flock to mountains to look at snow; big trees down in Shoreline Park and on E. Anapamu Street; elderly woman abducted outside Smart & Final; owners of four corner stores share their stories; the tree of the month is the black acacia. 5

February 17, 2023

An Effort to Preserve 48 More Acres of the Gaviota Coast

Other recent news: HBO will adapt "Empty Mansions" into a series; a step forward for the De La Guerra Plaza revamp; Santa Barbara County might partner with San Luis Obispo county on a desalination plant; Montecito fire chief announces retirement; final oil piers removed from Haskell's Beach; the Garden Street Dog. 2

February 10, 2023

The Lack of Sand at Local Beaches

Other recent news: Santa Barbara to allow slightly larger ADUs; Sunstone Cannabis Market to open on upper State Street; the California Coastal Commission dinged Santa Barbara County’s cannabis ordinance; county supervisor says he won't run for reelection; profile of Slo Curio Studio + Gallery; new Goleta Train Depot construction to start this year.