They can't even get the metro link linked!
Exactly this. I haven't heard any realistic alternatives yet.
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 at any time. We aren’t owed anything on that parcel. Those are wonderful businesses and I hope the development finds a way to incorporate them, but pretending the current arrangement is permanent doesn't help anyone, least of all those businesses. If it's really about saving them, then I hope you'll be there April 9th pushing for a way to include them in the plan. I heard the developers were telling people they were open to including the farm in the new plan, potentially.
Those tract homes are tacky and not good enough for precious Carpinteria. Carp deserves much better than those eye sores.
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 Tee Time, a popular local business.
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 we could rewind the clock, the hotel would get shot down again by the same people now fighting this. Something is going to get built, so what's the strategy, keep saying no until we lose the ability to say anything at all?
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 Builder’s Remedy rights if they turn out to be necessary. ”
Translation – if you folks don’t like a 200 unit development, wait till you see the 400 unit one we have waiting in the wings.
and:
If people want to reflexively oppose everything, then they may end up looking at something that looks like the 505 E. Los Olivos Street proposal, and saying “hey you know, that hotel they proposed was pretty nice.”
I’d definitely prefer a hotel with restaurant, farm, grounds, etc. than Orange County tract homes.
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/
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 Sacramento to do it for us. I'd rather have a say.
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 really on the table.
The big black pipe has never bothered me. Maybe because I've loved the SB harbor since the first time I saw it, that was the first week of October, 1977. I was in high school in Scottsdale, AZ and with some friends of mine we drove over to visit friends going to Westmont. Coming from AZ the drive though Montecito was magical. Then driving under the 101 and railroad crossing. . . . that was my first view of Santa Barbara. The bird refuge followed shortly by turning to the right and seeing the ocean. By the time we got down the harbor I was smitten. We parked where the bike path is today, and walked to John Dory's (Brophy Bros.). I can still smell the warm wet smell of the ocean. It was hot that week, kind of like it is today. Ever since that day I've loved the Santa Barbara harbor. So I don't mind the big black beautiful pipe. It functions to carry the sand (that is about to block the harbor entrance) down the coast. The beaches down the coast get sand, it's good all around.
Fully agree! I thought the hotel/farm/housing concept was a much better fit for that land. But when people oppose everything, something eventually gets crammed through.
Hotel concept was better than this
Bit of trivia about Trinity Church (at State and Micheltorena): Richard Diebenkorn, the abstract expressionist painter, was married there, in 1943 I think.
This was fun to scroll through...I used to work for Westmont and lived on Westmont Road for a time. I definitely miss the beauty (and weather!) of the area. I'm now far east closer to the Atlantic.
The bluffs project makes me depressed.
Totally agree. There is approximately 1.5 miles of shoreline that should be kept pristine, and instead we have that ugly pipe, the area around Sterns Warf that looks terrible (giant equipment marked "oil spill" in plain sight), the baby pool that has been abandoned with barbed wire fence around it. I could go on. How hard is it for a town that depends on tourists to keep that small strip of land attractive?
So, the ugly pipe has already been there several months. Maybe it will eventually disappear for a short time before it returns again? Is this really the best we can do? It totally trashed the aesthetic of the beachfront area
….it would be awesome if South Coast could do daily specials of Metropolous’s best offerings- okie dokie artichokie please!
I just want to say Thank You! to Eric and Wendy Schmidt. I too have wonderful memories of this place.
South coast is coming to the funk zone. We are so excited, especially after losing metropulis!
bring back the De Anza
I agree Rick It would be great to bring it back a real Montecito place casual, good food and does not cost an arm and a leg NO L a vibe Just local. Trish
Thanks for the follow up on the double tracking. It should be done, because if it were not, it would be the bottleneck on future expansion of the LOSSAN corridor.
In the perfect world, double tracked and electrified from SLO to SD. Ridership might pick up in a $5 a gallon world. Or $10......
Thanks, Donald......
