March 26, 2026
News Roundup
Overnight RV Camping Lot Proposed at East Beach
Other recent news: Costco is looking into the possibility of a Goleta gas station; a quartet of interesting homes; inside Montecito's Pig House; could Isla Vista become a city?; self-storage with social aspect coming downtown; the tree of the month. 14
March 19, 2026
March 12, 2026
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
Burning Questions
- Why Are the Railroad Tracks Being Expanded Along Padaro Lane?
- Will You Explain the Plan to Adapt the Waterfront for Climate Change?
- Why Did the Rosewood Miramar Beach Install Gates?
- 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?
Recent Comments
Very interesting. If Yardi is paying anywhere near $120M + $35M + $5.7M for almost 250k empty square feet, this is going to take a… — NuemanJ
I think some folks who would consider this is a windfall for Yardi may be overlooking two things: 1)The cost to Yardi to buyout AB's… — StanThompson
Just realizing I did not address your first point. The buildings on the property have been up for sale, and their value is also depressed… — SBradley
I think that the city's representation of this land as having ‘zero value’ is confusing because it sums together the value of 2 distinct things… — SBradley
No idea whether this is a good deal for Yardi or not. Paseo Nuevo has been available for sale since 2020 with no buyers -… — NuemanJ
I wish this same logic worked for Thrifty ice cream! According to the BLS inflation calculator, something that cost 5 cents in 1970 should cost… — Doug B
I'm unclear how bike lanes are related to maga. For that matter please explain how freeways and rail lines are remotely maga in a state… — Bettye Jones
Worth knowing about the Paseo Nuevo deal: the city is skipping the required competitive bidding process for this public land transfer by using the state-approved… — SBradley
This write up is such a biased take that sides with a handful of people. I imagine the people groaning about this project have a… — Yesenia G.
And if the anti's are worried about pollution, the answer is obvious. Electrify the entire LOSSAN Corridor. Cleaner, quieter, and allows for faster trains. And… — Judy's Older Brother