••• From a press release on Yahoo Finance (via Edible Santa Barbara): “Pacifica Hotels, the largest owner and operator of boutique hotels along the Pacific Coast, unveils the latest addition to its portfolio with the debut of Hotel Virginia Santa Barbara, Tapestry Collection by Hilton.” It’s the one on W. Haley, between State and Chapala. “Hotel Virginia Santa Barbara opens its doors after an extensive remodel and rebrand.” The pillow on the bench kills me. Are you supposed to lie there?
••• “Santa Barbara Airport update draws noise complaints,” reports KEYT. “The Santa Barbara Airport is working on a noise study and a public meeting will be held in the fall.” And from Noozhawk: “The city has a voluntary noise abatement program, but the flight patterns over the ocean are not always followed by pilots.”
••• “The Santa Barbara City Council appointed Kelly Ann Gordon as the city’s new police chief during a special meeting on Tuesday. Gordon, who most recently worked as chief of the Monterey Park Police Department in Los Angeles County, will start the job on Sept. 19.” —Noozhawk
••• “Citing UCSB’s chronic failures to address the acute housing needs generated by the campus’s growing student population, the Santa Barbara County supervisors voted 5-0 in closed session Tuesday to sue the university. Technically, the lawsuit alleges the campus violated the terms of a 2010 agreement known as the Long Range Development Plan if and when its student enrollment exceeded 25,000. County housing planners contend that number has been exceeded and that efforts to get UCSB officials to explain how and where they intend to build the requisite housing have gone for naught.” —Independent
••• “Santa Barbara has installed a new traffic signal at the intersection of Chapala and Arrellaga streets.” —Noozhawk
••• “California state lawmakers voted early Wednesday morning to keep the Diablo Canyon uclear power plant running. After an overwhelming majority vote, The plant will keep running till 2030 instead of 2025.” —KSBY
••• “The Santa Barbara County Elections Office has released the semi-official candidates list for all the city council, school board and special district seats on the November ballot. […] The state will release an official list later this week including on-ballot races—to be decided by voters—and off-ballot races, where only one qualified candidate applied and will win the seat in an uncontested election.” —Noozhawk
••• “Play It Again Sports Moves Across the Parking Lot in Turnpike Shopping Center.” —Noozhawk
••• “After 34 years, locally owned Fashion Eyes closes next month in downtown Santa Barbara.” It’s on State between De La Guerra and Ortega. —KEYT
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I have been here so long, I remember when the Hotel Virginia was a flop house.
LOVE the brick wall.