••• From CalMatters: “A bill proposed Monday night, just days before the end of the legislative session, would punch a very small hole in that landmark law [weakening the California Environmental Quality Act in regard to new apartment construction] that appears to apply to just one proposed apartment building in California—in the district represented by the incoming leader of the state Senate.
Senate Bill 158 would subject any project within a city of more than 85,000 but fewer than 95,000 people and within a county of between 440,000 and 455,000 people to the state’s environmental review law. That only describes one place in California, according to 2020 Census data: Santa Barbara, a city represented by Sen. Monique Limón. […]
The legislation further narrows the exemption to any project that abuts a wetland, a creek and a state registered historical landmark. It also carves out projects larger than four acres and those that have made use of a particular state law known as the ‘builder’s remedy,’ which allows developers to bypass local approval processes if a city is out of compliance with state housing planning law.
On social media, Jordan Grimes with the Bay Area nonprofit Greenbelt Alliance and a frequent poster on land use disputes, noted that all those provisions appear to describe a single 270-unit, eight-story building proposed for a site behind Santa Barbara’s historic mission.” Crying foul, the developers of 505 E. Los Olivos Street intend to sue. (The graphic at top, by local architects opposed to the project, is intended to show only the general shape of the buildings.)
••• “A proposed change in an ordinance will allow the City of Santa Barbara to buy and use new parking systems. […] The City’s Downtown Parking Lots can then use a pay-on-foot system, similar to the system used in the Waterfront parking lots, […] where the driver goes to a posted machine and enters in the number of hours they plan to be parked, then pay with a credit card.” One more reason to park on the street. —KEYT
••• “The Earl Warren Showgrounds plans an ambitious and grand redesign of the state-owned facility [….] The staff has released a proposed master plan that shows a reimagining of the site as a vibrant community campus and regional hub. The plan calls for a new 6,000-seat arena, seven acres of park and green space, five acres of multi-use sports and recreation fields, a new 60,000-square-foot events center with three separate rooms, and 100,000 square feet of flexible-use courts for pickleball and other activities. Another 8.3 acres would be used for various events that are flexible [….] The plan is to seek local, state and private funding to pay for the project. Earl Warren would remain open throughout the redevelopment.” —Noozhawk
••• “The developers of San Marcos Ranch, a 956-unit housing project in the Eastern Goleta Valley, have received zoning approval from Santa Barbara County and plan to start construction later this year. […] The project, at 125 S. San Marcos Road, will include 236 affordable units [….] Construction on the project is scheduled to begin in October. The developers say the apartments should be ready for new tenants to move in by late 2027.” Love the use of the word “ranch.” —Noozhawk
••• “A new pedestrian signal has been installed on Las Positas Road at Stanley Drive [….] The new full-sized light system is much more than just a blinking alert light you might see elsewhere. It has a combination of several yellow and red lights. Sometimes they will be flashing and sometimes they will be solid lights.” —KEYT
••• Santa Barbara’s “new lawn replacement and rainwater garden rebate program offers cash payments to customers who replace their water-thirsty lawns with water-wise gardens that can capture and filter stormwater. […] The program is not retroactive, so interested homeowners must apply before making any changes to their landscaping. The city requires advance approval and a meeting with staff before work begins.” —KSBY
················
Sign up for the Siteline email newsletter and you’ll never miss a post.
that rendering! jfc!
I truly hope that development behind the mission never comes to fruition, what an absolute eyesore
Great news! Be sure to express your support to Senator Limón. You can drop her a quick message on her website. Thank you Senator!
It’s amazing the speed these folks seem to have – like the White House fixing the border, it is simply fantastic how now elected officials CAN do miracles when they put the “elbow grease” on the squeak! Let’s hope Ms Limon is as successful as the Border Patrol with stopping the incoming of #megapartment
Agreed. Speed comes with focus. With the city’s strict building codes, it’s astounding that this design has gained any traction.
Any idea what happened with SB City constructing a pedestrian island originally at Las Positas then tore it up?
Someone ran into it. Poor visibility at that spot due to the flat road at the top of the incline. That’s why they went with crossing lights like a stop light.
A massive structure in a fire prone area with pretty much one way out. A blue print for death and disaster.
Cal Matters reported on the bill with a little bit of shade implying it’s a bunch of rich Santa Barbarian NIMBYs who don’t want that development behind the mission…wrong. It’s also us working locals! I am all for more low income housing – I’ve qualified for it before – but this building is a hideous monstrosity that shouldn’t exist. In this era of “black and white/extreme” thinking and debate, we need to understand multiple things can be true at the same time. Truth: we need more housing. Truth: this building is awful in many ways. We need to find a solution, but it isn’t this project.
Thank you Senator Limón for standing up for REAL Santa Barbarians who don’t want this! We aren’t a bunch of rich celebrities; we’re real people who live and work here and recognize a bad project when we see one.
It’s amazing places like Earl Warren showgrounds want to do a massive remodel and spend so much money. These all seem like top signals where people are blowing so much money on construction everywhere and then the rug just gets pulled out under everyone. Also, shocking for the city to be so broke yet to have construction going on everywhere. Makes no sense.
But they are working on passing a bill that a six story apartment building can be built on any SR one light within a half a mile of a bus stop. That just continues to degrade all common sense so you’re single family home next-door can demo and build a six story apartment building. Ridiculous.
Senate Bill 79, authored by San Francisco Democrat Sen. Scott Wiener, would “upzone” neighborhoods immediately surrounding train, light rail and subway stations in many of the state’s most populous metro areas. That means apartment developers will be able to construct residential buildings — some as tall as 75 feet — regardless of what local zoning maps, elected officials or density-averse neighbors say.
Not sure it’s this exact bill, but the guys name from San Francisco is appropriate. I mean, instead of shoving more people in areas that are fully… Full. Hate to say it but start developing the coast line to solving. Of course you won’t open areas but we don’t want to live on top of each other to preserve these areas. So sorry.