••• The Independent takes a long look at the proposal to redevelop Paseo Nuevo: “On December 2, the Santa Barbara City Council is expected to vote on the joint agreement with the developer. If approved, the project would move closer to final approval. But as the council prepares for a big public hearing to consider approval, there’s been a rising wave of opposition urging city leadership to slow down and properly scrutinize this once-in-a-generation project.”
••• “The Trump administration plans to allow new oil and gas drilling off the California coast for the first time in roughly four decades [….] The proposed lease sales in the Pacific Ocean would primarily be off Santa Barbara County, Calif., where a small amount of drilling is already occurring, according to two of the people familiar with the Interior Department’s draft plan.” —New York Times (via KCLU)
••• Builder’s Remedy really is a gift that keeps on giving: “Ben Eilenberg, the same out-of-town developer-attorney now inducing mass apoplexia in Santa Barbara over his proposal to construct an eight-story housing complex behind the Santa Barbara Mission, is also proposing to build an 18-story housing complex on the mountain side of the freeway in Carpinteria. […] If built as proposed, Eilenberg’s project at 5115 Ogan Road would provide 130 units of rental housing—20 percent of which would be affordable to tenants who qualify as ‘low income.’ Because 20 percent of the housing units would be affordable—and because the City of Carpinteria did not deliver a valid housing element to Sacramento last December when he submitted his preliminary application—Eilenberg is taking advantage of the state’s Builders’ Remedy loophole. This law exempts developers from having to obey the special height, density, and review requirements that many communities, such as Carpinteria, have used for years to maintain their small-town charm and character.” —Independent
••• “The developers behind a proposed 443-unit rental housing development on the southern portion of La Cumbre Plaza (the former Sears store and auto center) brought an updated set of plans before the City of Santa Barbara Architectural Board of Review on November 10, where the project received a strong slashing* from boardmembers who said the design needed much more work in order to fit Santa Barbara’s long-held Spanish-style aesthetic.” (*Or maybe a lashing?) —Independent
••• Eos Fitness bought 23 Gold’s Gym locations in Southern California, including the ones at 21 W. Carrillo Street, 3908 State Street, and 6144 Calle Real. —Independent
••• Someone recently asked what’s happening at Dwight Murphy Field, across from the zoo: “The project will cost $32 million and will include a multi-sport field for youth baseball, adult soccer, rugby and lacrosse, an outdoor fitness area, new sidewalks around the park, restrooms and new lighting. […] It also will include a large lawn for drop-in activities and picnics, a shaded group picnic area, new walking paths and additional parking. A major highlight of the park is Santa Barbara’s first all-abilities playground, created in partnership with the Gwendolyn Strong Foundation. Gwendolyn’s Playground will include a multi-story treehouse, hill slides, inclusive swings, musical play elements and a calming pod. […] It’s not expected to reopen until the spring of 2027.” —Noozhawk
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The drilling will never take place. The lead times are way too long, and it will be canceled as soon as 2028. He should concentrate on his regime change in Venezuela as they have the largest proven reserves in the world.
Great idea, instead of extracting the oil we consume on a daily basis locally with some of the most stringent environmental protections in the world, were local workers can be employed and local tax revenue received, let’s extract it from a far away country with little to no environmental controls, where the local population is exploited or at best disregarded, then put it on giant tankers to sail part way around the world so we can use it locally. Yeah, screw Venezuela but keep our shores clean! Environmental NIMBY’s are such hypocrites.
Guess the sarcasm was too subtle
Yes, agree 100% Mark! Let’s start a gofundme page to get Jefferson an electric car, so he can get off his high horse (all the Jeffersons I know “drive” horses) and stop clogging up the roads with his HS (similar, but not exactly the same as BS)!
HaHa! Great comeback, Mark. Actually laughed out loud.
Thanks for the update on the Dwight Murphy field. I think it’s great that they make these improvements, it just concerns me that they actually don’t take care of them and they fall into complete disarray after a few years. What starts out to be a beautiful idea turns into a homeless encampments and trash areas because no one actually takes care of them. These things project need ongoing maintenance that workers actually care about, and are there enough time to actually make a difference.
For example look at the beautiful East Beach grill area that they redid a few years ago, it is disgustingly dirty, and nothing is ever cleaned out. The sand is never cleaned their cigarette butts everywhere. The planters smell like urine there’s just no quality to anything. The parking lot next to it is disgusting. I’ve never seen so much trash and sand and cigarette butts. you think they would pass a street sweeper through it every so often. low quality. If it was any other country, they do have someone there maintaining it full-time. The landscape has died back with bad decision making like 10″ of gorilla hair around succulents. These type of places need in-house full-time staffing to maintain and not farmed out to some random landscape company that just pulls tiny 2 inch pieces of grass out of the soil all day long.
I’m even more curious to understand how much Budget the city has. I thought the city was sort of broke. When they just allocated 1/2 million for ‘immigration aide’, I thought they had no money left and it was a big controversy. I mean, if you got $30 million to fix apart, and then you’re doing the Shell Park, how much Budget has gone into city improvement that they dont maintain.
Builder’s Remedy is the disease.
I hope this new drilling never happens. I saw Newsom already stating it was “DOA” The fascist in chief wants to destroy everything in his path to appease his billionaire friends. Wishing him all the least amount of success in the future.
The new drilling will happen in the old drillings location- and it will be a huge finacial success for both the company and the County. Have a great day!
I don’t care for this legacy to live on: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-oil-spill-50-years-ago-inspired-first-earth-day-180972007/
Why not invest in forward thinking energy technologies than relying on a literal finite resource that will eventually dry up?
We are investing in forward thinking energy technologies but, as of today, we still rely on fossil fuels to maintain our society. While we are still reliant on fossil fuels, particularly with the spotlight on environmental concerns, why is it better – for Earth – to have us extract oil in a far away land with little environmental oversight and ship it all the way around the world (using one of the dirtiest forms of fossil fuel) for us to consume locally vs. extracting here where we have significant environmental oversight and where the financial benefits help fund our continued pursuit of forward thinking energy technologies?
There is no reason to fear- we didn’t stop driving after Mom’s first DUI, nor did we stop going out to eat after Dad got food poisoning- we just made better choices on where to eat. Your reply begets a boy raised with blinders on aka UCSB for 5 years and never clocked in for one minute at a job.
Judging by your comments maybe you should have heeded better the warnings not to lick lead paint and inhale gas fumes.
I’m 44 but I guess personal insults are what someone goes to when they do not have substantive arguments to be made.
Nothing is happening with these big plans for at Dwight Murphy Field. It was closed all summer to the kids of the Eastside. It just sat there. It’s still just sitting there. Yeah it will be great someday but what about the kids who need it today? It should have been left open until the builders are ready to start
Sounds like a Ty Warner managed project ☹️
You are absolutely incorrect. I personally walked the project site throughout the summer and they were actively working – demo, grading, etc. The project is already 25% complete. It desperately needed updating and will be an incredible asset to our community.