••• “The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 on Tuesday to approve the creation of a Wine Business Improvement District for wineries across the county. The new BID will impose a 1% assessment on every bottle or glass of wine sold to customers by members of the district. The assessment will affect tasting room sales, wine clubs, events, food, merchandise and more. […] Lompoc was the lone holdout for the wine district but changed course during a special meeting on Friday.” —Noozhawk
••• “Santa Barbara Proposes Creek Buffer for All New Buildings […] City Holds Open House on Proposed Ordinance, Accepting Public Comments Until March 10 [….] The ordinance would provide clear, objective standards for buffers near new developments. Right now, those requirements are determined on a case-by-case basis [….] Based on the type of creek (e.g., major or minor), all buffers would need to be 15, 35, or 50 feet from the top of the bank, and it would apply to all portions of the city. Existing structures would not need to be moved.” —Independent
••• The drama at 215 Bath Street continues: “Depending on who you ask, it’s a story in which tenants have been systematically evicted by greedy landlords over a two-year period in favor of bringing in international students who pay thousands of dollars more in rent per bed. Or, it’s a story in which longtime local property owners, invested in the community, decided to buy a 100-year-old apartment building on the lower Westside, replace the electric and plumbing infrastructure, and raise the quality of living for tenants, while also increasing the rents to pay for all of the repairs.” Or, it’s both. —Noozhawk
••• “Cliff Maurer Exiting as Public Works Director for City of Santa Barbara [….] His departure comes as a surprise to employees.” —Noozhawk
••• “Craig Case Embezzlement Trial Begins [….] Former Private Eye and TV Personality Charged with Stealing Nearly $700,000 from Montecito Arts Patron.” —Independent
••• The Faitell Attractions shop is closing at the end of the month. —John Palminteri
••• “Santa Barbara County Zoning Administrator Approves Naples Project Despite Flood of Opposition [….] Conservationists Plan to Appeal Project on Undeveloped Slice of Gaviota Coast [….] Environmental groups are concerned that this estate would be the first domino to fall in the development of all 71 homesites.” —Independent
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Homeowners who live anywhere near running water in SB should understand just how restrictive what is being proposed with the new Creek Ordinance. Arroyo Burro runs though my property, and so I’m in the 50′ bracket, although others may only be restricted to 35′ along minor creeks. Just some of the “greatest hits:”
1. No development of any sort within the buffer zone. This is not just structures, but also decks, patios and most landscaping. You are only allowed to do two things in the buffer zone – erosion control, and tree trimming for fire risk reduction. That’s it. Imagine a swath of your property suddenly completely off limits for…..essentially anything.
2. Structures that are currently in the buffer zone can ONLY be maintained. No expansions, no exterior remodel or anything of the sort. On my street, there are entire houses that fall in this zone. My garage is in this zone. So, imagine the hit to property value if the opportunity to improve structures is forever off the table.
3. In the event of a natural disaster – any natural disaster – if your structure is inside the buffer, the Creeks department will try to make you re-site your rebuilt structures on your lot if possible. If this is not possible, you will ONLY be allowed to rebuild up to 1,200 square feet of structure.
4. No ADUs allowed in the buffer zone. This is likely illegal, given current CA state law with regards to ADUS.
If you look at the map that the city provides here you can see just how many properties are affected by this ordinance:
https://sustainability.santabarbaraca.gov/projects/adaptation-resilience-program/creek-buffer-ordinance
If you are a homeowner near any of the mapped creeks or know one, you should absolutely understand what is being proposed, and I would highly encourage you to get involved and attend any and all relevant city meetings on this matter.
I’m willing to install a creek in my backyard if it means ADU’s are off limits in my ‘hood