••• “Santa Barbara County Plans for Workforce Housing [….] Two Priority Sites Could Add Up to 160 Units of Workforce Housing Downtown.” One site, as previously disclosed, is the county probation building at 117 E. Carrillo Street (which Noozhawk and the Independent keep misidentifying as 123 E. Carrillo). “The county says that site can hold around 60 units, either low or moderate income. The county is also focusing on another site downtown: the County Engineering building [123 E. Anapamu Street, above], its Human Resources building [1226 Anacapa Street, below], and the administrative building’s parking lot [behind the two aforementioned buildings]. In April, the supervisors directed staff to determine the feasibility of building housing at this site—that feasibility research is still in progress. At the Planning Commission meeting, the county said the site could include 100 units.” —Independent
••• “Santa Maria farmworkers recount fear after reported ICE raid.” —KSBY
••• “Santa Barbara residents may have noticed a new fee on their water, sewer and trash bills, or other payments to the city. The city is charging a fee of $2.95 or 2.95% of the transaction amount—whichever is higher—for all credit card and debit card payments, Google Pay, and Apple Pay.” —Noozhawk
••• State senator Monique Limón “won election on Monday as the next leader of California’s state Senate.” —Newsmakers
••• “Four Santa Barbara County Rite Aid stores will close after the company filed for bankruptcy for the second time in two years. […] The four Santa Barbara County stores include: 199 N. Fairview Avenue in Goleta, 616 Alamo Pintado Road in Solvang, and 345 Town Center West and 2405 S. Broadway in Santa Maria. The Goleta location is set to close June 29, the Rite Aid on Town Center will close July 2 and the Broadway location will close July 5, according to store employees.” —Noozhawk
••• “Christmas N Carpinteria—Carpinteria’s year-round Christmas store on Santa Claus Lane—is closing.” It opened last September. —Coastal View News
••• Three Santa Barbara teachers have launched a bookmobile, All Booked Up, “specializing in romance and fantasy.” —Edhat
••• “A new digital tool—the Santa Barbara Public Art Map—offers an engaging look into the city’s collection of public murals and artworks […] with photos, locations, artist info, and clickable links to many of the artists’ websites.” —Independent
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I wonder why Mesa Rite Aid isn’t listed as closing? Their shelves have been bare for months and there’s a notice in the pharmacy telling people to move their prescriptions elsewhere.
I think it’s coming sooner than later – the pharmacy at Rite Aid Mesa location is closing on July 15th!
Re ICE scaring people: crime in Santa Maria news is as follows…
Key points about Santa Maria’s crime statistics in 2024:
Overall Crime: Part 1 crimes slightly increased from 2,763 in 2023 to 2,773 in 2024.
Motor Vehicle Theft: Showed a significant decrease from 751 in 2023 to 474 in 2024, according to News Channel 3-12.
Part 1 Crimes: Decreased by 30% during the first four months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, according to the City of Santa Maria. I’ll bet 2025 statistics will be an improvement!
Thankful for Santa Maria Police, Santa Barbara County Sheriffs and Federal ICE employees ( interesting to read their arrests, so many for bringing in counterfeit fashion!)
Christine! I’m just wondering…Do you wake up every day with a mission to be heinous? You comment on nearly every Siteline edition, and it’s always hostile and hate-filled. If you’re lucky enough to live in/near beautiful Santa Barbara, it’s astounding that you choose to devote so much time to being negative. Aren’t you exhausted?
I’m all for workforce housing, but I wonder where the County thinks their employees will park? There’s ~50 people on the waitlist for a parking pass, and hundreds who aren’t eligible or don’t see the point in entering such a lot list.