••• The bike lane on the north side of Santa Claus Lane has come a long way. On one hand, yay for safety. On the other hand, might it not be a little bit of a bummer to bike between parked cars and a chain-link fence?
••• Tomorrow’s meeting of the city’s Architectural Board of Review includes a new two-story, five-unit residential building to replace the existing one at 34 Los Patos Way (behind the Magic Castle Cabaret building). The design is by Tom Ochsner and I think it would make for an exciting addition to the street.
••• Two items of note from the Montecito Association‘s recent update: 1) the organization is looking at a ban (or other restrictions) on gas-powered leaf blowers; and 2) the push continues to remove the row of eucalyptus trees along Birnam Wood’s East Valley Road border. The plan is to plant oaks instead, which would be much less interesting, but at least it’s something—if you need a reminder of what a valuable role trees play in making Montecito so beautiful, take a drive through the denuded Hot Springs/Highway 101 interchange.
••• Disclosure returns to the Santa Barbara Bowl on April 7 and 8—the duo’s third appearances in five years.
••• Press release from the county’s Public Works Department:
Due to the recent storms, Santa Barbara County will close parts of Goleta Beach County Park beginning approximately January 26, 2026. An updated schedule with closure information and dates will be updated at the County Parks Department website when operational plans are further developed. […] The Winter 2026 beach operations involve sediment from the Goleta Slough watersheds only. The flood-control channels surrounding the Santa Barbara Airport, Old Town Goleta, and parts of the Eastern Goleta Valley have accumulated excess sediment due to winter storms. The channels and basins are designed to capture sediment and floodwaters to protect the community; however, the sediment must be removed to regain flood control protection. Goleta Beach is the designated transport site for the sediment to be re-purposed and placed along the shoreline to increase beach width and buffer the Park from wave impacts. […] Work will continue until the storm response is complete and could occur 10 hours a day, seven days a week if necessary. Operations are estimated to continue through March 2026 but may be accelerated or delayed depending on inclement weather.
••• Anyone else notice this text in a recent Vandenberg launch alert? It sounds like something out of Starship Troopers—and totally ignores how VSFB also pumps SpaceX’s commercial satellites into space at a rate that alarms astronomers.
As a vital hub for space access and advanced air and space testing, Vandenberg SFB plays a critical role in strengthening America’s national security through Assured Access to Space. In addition to the base’s active Spaceport, Vandenberg Guardians and Airmen enable essential missions such as nuclear deterrence, homeland defense, global command and control of space assets, orbital tracking, and training the next generation of space Guardians and nuclear Airmen.
••• Up now at Marcia Burtt Gallery: Field Studies, a group show about fields. Below: “Summer Meadow,” a very pretty watercolor by Susan Petty.
••• Last week, I hiked all the way up San Ysidro Trail—something I’ve long wanted to do, but the trail only reopened (after repairs from storm damage) last fall. Highly recommended! I started out around 7:15 a.m. and was glad I did, as the upper half is exposed to the sun. (Bring water.) It took me 90 minutes to reach Camino Cielo, but I hauled ass, stopping only to take a few photos of the plank bridge so I could publicly thank whoever put it there, San Ysidro waterfall, and the scenery/view. At the top, you get the thrill of seeing the backcountry and, at least this time of year, a chance to take a shadow selfie showing off your impressive hands. Next on the list: a long walk on Camino Cielo…. P.S. A round of applause for the Montecito Trails Foundation‘s hard work keeping the trails in such great shape.
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Beautiful watercolor!
I’ve been working as a gardener in Montecito and SB since Ronald Reagan was president. And as a working gardener I voted for the gas leaf blower ban by the city of SB. Having worked at San Ysidro Ranch, The Biltmore, and El Encanto I always used a blower on the lowest setting so I didn’t bother the guests by noise or dust. I think I’m the exemption.
This proposed ban will do nothing, as the residents of Santa Barbara know. Even back in the day when residents would call the cops on someone using an illegal blower, the cops wouldn’t write a ticket unless they saw the poor sap using the blower, or the reporting party filed a report. I know this because I was the poor sap on several occasions. And guess what? I never paid fine. I showed up to court four times and every time either the reporting party of the cop that wrote the ticket didn’t show. Case dismissed.
If the Montecito Association wants to do something they should go after the homeowners, the property owners that allow their gardeners to use leaf blowers on ear splitting volumes. And they could start with Oprah W., speaking for myself.
I work next door to her and every Friday morning from 9 to 12 there are three or four gas leaf blowers going full blast. How about we start at the top? Then work down to the poor saps that honestly, don’t even have a clue how annoying their use of leaf blowers is. . . .
Well said Dan. A nice addendom to the ban would be to require the user to NOT wear hearing protective devices or wear a mask.
A simple solution to noisy gasoline powered leaf blowers as to simply purchase a rechargeable battery powered leaf blower. I have an 80V blower that lasts 45 minutes on one charge and is extremely powerful.
Noise problem solved…
Im on my morning walk and passing by gardeners using leaf blowers. I love the smell of 2 stoke oil in the morning! I can literally taste it in my mouth. Its so nasty.
I would think if OSHA really looked at it would ban the use as an occupational hazard.
That oil is landing on your plants, trees and garden vegetables and fruits.
A few years back I bought one for my gardeners to use around my house because of the noise and pollution.
I like Dan’s idea of going after the homeowners.
Ultimately, the advancements in battery tech has easily made it easier and less expensive. Charging each night and in the trucks is more efficient that trips to the gas station and electricity so much cheaper.
Very nice to see the watercolor art, and landscape photos.
If you continue to put art in the web edition, it might help local artists like me, and it makes for a good read. Siteline could be a sort of rolling art gallery online.
We hear gas powered leaf blowers constantly. Each homeowner has a different gardener and their schedules vary so it seems like there is almost always a blower blasting away around our neighborhood. So much for peace and quiet. We can’t fix schedules but we can require battery powered blowers which are much quieter. Our gardener uses an electric blower and it substantially reduces the noise. Life would be better with electric blowers.
The clearing at Hot Springs/101 interchange…….almost slammed my brakes on thinking I took the wrong exit the other day. Yikes . Talk about a buzz cut!
I thought the same thing!!!
I was just talking to a gardener in my neighborhood from Ecolawn as he was using an electric blower. It had a backpack battery that powers all there equipment. Said it lasts all day and he prefers it to gas powered equipment.