News Roundup

May 29, 2023

Little Consensus About What to Do With State Street

Other recent news: Results of the SBPD's gun buyback; city council forces restaurant holdouts to remove parklets; rare native plant recently rediscovered after decades; Inspiration Point trailhead has reopened; the tree of the month; unmanned aircraft used to test hypersonic flight technology.

May 19, 2023

County Approves 90-Unit Homeless Project With Little Notice

Other recent news: What DignityMoves has achieved downtown; Santa Barbara’s economic development director is leaving; county OKs cannabis permit with farm that it's suing; jail capacity to be reduced; new design for the Rincon Multi-Use Trail; the state of Highway 1 repairs.

May 12, 2023

City Parking Rates May Get Raised Again

Other recent news: An airshow might come to Santa Barbara next year; the toy train museum on State Street appears to be expanding; YouTuber pilot pleads guilty to destroying plane wreckage; more on the proposed 90-cabin homeless community; the cannabis-tax conundrum; update on closed front-country trails; Los Alamos B&B with themed rooms; Santa Barbara Humane wants a bigger building; offshore wind farm in the works near Vandenberg Space Force Base. 4

May 6, 2023

Sansum Clinic to Be Bought by Sutter Health

Other recent news: Santa Barbara schools may stop factoring homework in the overall grade; Calle Real Center is getting a makeover; Santa Barbara Parks & Recreation wants to raise a bunch of fees; warehouse proposed for the site of the former West Wind Drive-In; interactive light sculpture at UCSB; environmental review required for Hot Springs trailhead parking initiative; Nashville songwriter buys Hope Ranch house; bikeshare program extended.

April 29, 2023

Santa Barbara May Finally Enforce Short-Term Rental Laws

Other recent news: Cannabis glut leads to growers backing out; Solvang allows gay pride banners; 26 automated license plate readers to be installed around the county; groundbreaking for the new Regional Fire Communications Center. 4

April 25, 2023

Bed Bath & Beyond Is Closing All of Its Stores

Other recent news: Jane Fonda to be honored at this weekend's Earth Day Festival; "See the homeless" sign is back up on the 101; Kim Cantin wrote a book about her tragic loss; the tree of the month is the bronze loquat; something is rotten in the city of Solvang. 8

April 20, 2023

Trippy Playground Proposed for Dwight Murphy Field

Other recent news: County property tax revenue is up, but cannabis continues to underperform; Platform development inches forward; five more cruise ships this season; the Spirit of Fiesta is a guy for the first time; more info on the Los Carneros roundabout apartment complex; an effort to preserve old airplane hangars. 3

April 14, 2023

MarBorg’s Non-Curbside Rate Hike Is Coming to Santa Barbara

Other recent news: The Santa Barbara City Council can't make up its mind about State Street parklet fees; Carpinteria Salt Marsh trails and beach access closed till June; park turtles to be relocated; Santa Claus Lane upgrade moves forward; recap of the debate over the proposed hotel at 101 Garden Street; Carrizo Plain superbloom photos. 7

April 8, 2023

Oprah Winfrey’s Creek Construction Makes Downstream Neighbors Nervous

Other recent news: Santa Barbara County tightened the eviction code; city Planning Commission waffles on 101 Garden Street hotel; update on the county's ambulance services contract; library plaza should be done by October; Elings Park improvements; opposition to fish farms in the Santa Barbara Channel; 72-room hotel in Carpinteria moves forward. 8

March 31, 2023

A Move to Expand Use of Earl Warren Showgrounds

Other recent news: Santa Barbara County added more sites to list of potential housing; the political fight over ambulance and EMT services; Gibraltar Road closure could extend beyond a year; Maroon 5 to headline One805 benefit; Montecito Collective and Waterhouse Gallery open on Coast Village Road; actor Timothy Bottoms wrote a novel set on Stearns Wharf. 2