The County Is Finally Doing Something About the Cannabis Stench

••• “A monumental sculpture by a legendary artist has mysteriously vanished from a Montecito property acquired by billionaire toymaker Ty Warner.” The artwork in question is Herbert Bayer’s Walk in Space Painting (1981), which used to be at 1180 Channel Drive, the former conference center next door to the Biltmore. “In May, a pair of Bayer fans attempting to view the sculpture from over a short brick wall on the backside of the property alerted Koko Bayer [the late artist’s daughter] that the sculpture had disappeared. She flew to Santa Barbara to investigate and found Walk in Space Painting was indeed gone, apparently ripped from the ground and replaced with a roughly sodded lawn.” The space is currently being used to store outdoor furniture. “Koko Bayer does not believe the sculpture could have been removed without destroying it. Archival photos of its 1981 construction show intricate in-ground foundation systems for its water features and freestanding walls. No demolition permits have been recently issued for the Walk in Space Painting property, according to the Santa Barbara County planning and development department, and no work at all has been permitted on the site since 2009.” Bayer also created the Chromatic Gate rainbow on Cabrillo Boulevard. —The Hollywood Reporter (photo courtesy Herbert Bayer Estate)

•••”Ty has made the classiest swim rafts in the shape of butterflies” (in the words of Warner attorney Chip Wullbrandt), which the Biltmore hopes to install off Butterfly Beach, possibly as soon as April. —Montecito Journal

••• “The new county Board of Supervisors set in motion a requirement for the use of state-of-the-art odor-control technology at each of the cannabis greenhouses of the Carpinteria Valley [….] It would amend the county’s cannabis ordinance to require the installation of advanced carbon filtration units, commonly known as ‘scrubbers’—or some ‘equivalent effective technology’—inside each of the 29 greenhouse operations approved by the county, just outside the limits of the City of Carpinteria. […] The growers would have 12 months to install scrubbers, unless they applied for an extension because of time-consuming electrical upgrades or other ‘legitimate challenges.’ A failure to comply would result in the revocation of their county business licenses.” —Independent

••• The Macy’s store at La Cumbre Plaza was not among the 66 store closings recently announced. More closings are expected to follow at an undetermined point. —Yahoo Finance

••• “Santa Barbara’s Metropolitan Transit District currently charges $1.75 as its regular fare. It’s looking at two proposed alternatives. One would raise the base fare from $1.75, to $2.25. The second would take it to $2.50. Rates for kids, and seniors would also go up, as would multiride passes.” —KCLU

••• “Six people were injured after a minivan hit both a sedan with four people in the car and another two pedestrians on Stearns Wharf just before 4:00 p.m. Saturday, according to the Santa Barbara City Fire Department. The minivan, a catering truck, [hit] the sedan, 10 additional vehicles and the two pedestrians, causing moderate injuries.” Car crashes are outside of my purview, but this one raises the question yet again: why are cars allowed on Stearns Wharf? —KEYT

••• “Santa Barbara to Keep Italian Stone Pine Trees Along E. Anapamu Street.” —Noozhawk

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Comment:

16 Comments

Katherine

As a born and raised local, I can tell you why cars are allowed on sterns warf. Without that access, the business at the end would fail.

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Andy

It seems like what happened was a freak thing. It’d certainly be a lot harder to visit the businesses on the pier without being able to park out there.

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Shana

Oh no! I was planning to go peek at those sculptures and hoped to someday gain access, what a loss.

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JeffersonA

Totally! How dare he… *checks notes* … remove art he owns from his own private property. What a shame that people can to do what they want with what they own, maybe the government can help stop this kind of shameful behavior.

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J

Maybe you like the garish and gaudy changes he’s made/making to the ranch, coral casino, and Biltmore. I don’t. Thx for the lecture on property rights

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KAS_SB

Warner destroys whatever he touches ex: Montecito Country Club historic building and country club turned into a garish Las Vegas attraction, Plow and Angel beloved local bar and restaurant a speak easy , Coral Casino a wonderful family club for generations , another garish over the top film set now vacant most of the time as he jettisoned most members The Biltmore turned into another Las Vegas attraction On and on Itd our fault and the County for letting it happen

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Celeste

Totally agree. His garish taste has ruined so many classic landmarks.

Janet

I so agree. And what is with his over the top ” Moroccan ” fetish ???

Billy bob

If the piece was indeed destroyed, Warner may have broken the law. Attorney MJ Bogatin, an expert in federal and state art preservation law and a board member of California Lawyers for the Arts, notes the California Art Preservation Act of 1979 affirms an artwork’s moral right to exist for 50 years after the artist’s death

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JB

Rips up historical installations BUT adds butterfly rafts to the beach… personally, I’d never seen or even knew about the sculpture being from sb and even working at the property at one point. Hopefully the rafts are open to the public 🦋

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Christine!

I can’t wait to see what they use to keep the riff-raff off the rafts 🦋

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