UCSB Wants to Build an 11-Story Dormitory

••• “Amid threats of litigation and increasing public pressure over its acute housing shortage, UCSB has resurrected plans for a massive, 11-story dormitory on the northwest edge of campus that would accommodate up to 4,536 undergraduate students. […] The Munger Residence Hall would stand 159 feet tall, just below the height of Storke Tower.” —Independent

••• “Deltopia—an upcoming movie based around the yearly, unsanctioned street party that occurs in the college town of Isla Vista—is raising concerns among Isla Vistans [….] The movie, written and directed by Michael Easterling and Jaala Ruffman, tells the story of friends who travel to Deltopia after their last day of high school [….] Story highlights from the Deltopia movie Instagram include pictures of police officers, burning fires, and the caption ‘let’s party like it’s 2014!’ […] In 2014, Deltopia celebrations led to more than 100 arrests and a state of civil unrest in I.V.” —Independent

••• You may recall how Ty Warner, the owner of the Four Seasons Biltmore resort, is said to be claiming construction so he can close the property without violating his contract with the Four Seasons, which he is said to be displeased with. Now the Independent says the same thing is happening at the Four Seasons New York, taking the game of chicken to a much higher level—the Biltmore property is likely not all that important to the Four Seasons chain, but the New York hotel is its flagship. I had heard that the New York contract, unlike the Biltmore one, has many more years on it. (Thanks to J. for the photo.)

••• “The state issued Covid-19-related guidelines for K-12 schools on Monday that include two requirements: universal masking for staff and students indoors, and novel coronavirus case reporting and contact tracing. […] Local school districts will have to follow the state guidelines, but they have some discretion on how to implement the requirements and how to enforce the mask mandate.” —Noozhawk

••• A video interview with architect Jeff Shelton. —Santa Barbara Talks

••• The Glamour House lingerie store in Montecito’s Upper Village is closing at the end of the month (but will continue online); it’s being replaced by a new lingerie store, Kismet, aimed at a “slightly younger demographic.” —Montecito Journal

••• “Since 2008, Santa Barbara City College has witnessed five superintendents/presidents come and go. This week, Dr. Utpal Goswami—hired in November 2019 from a community college in Kansas City, Missouri—made it number six. But unlike the previous five, Goswami made his resignation effective immediately.” —Independent

••• The New York Times looks at the case against fake grass, which I can’t abide so I’m including the article even though it’s not locally focused.

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