Drybar Is Opening in Montecito

••• The Montecito Planning Commission’s April 5 agenda includes changes to the Music Academy‘s conditional use permit that “revise operational conditions with no new structural development or increase in annual or daily attendance caps.” According to the MPC staff report in the background materials, however, there are some things that nearby residents might find noteworthy (boldfaced by me):

Key changes being requested as part of the current proposal include:
1) Eliminating the distinction between summer and non-summer attendance caps, while maintaining the overall annual cap of 47,000 visitors.
2) Increasing the any-given-time cap from 330 visitors to 410 visitors while continuing to adhere to the currently established daily cap and annual cap.
3) Eliminating the on-site retail shops and reintroducing residential uses to the
corresponding structures.
4) Increasing student enrollment from 150 to 175 students.
5) Re-introducing weddings and other “Significant Life Events” that had previously been eliminated as part of the prior approval [in 2004], all of which would count towards the daily and annual cap.
6) Allowing greater use of amplified spoken word and non-amplified acoustic music
outdoors while adhering to existing activity hours and sound level requirements at the
property lines.

And a bit more about the “weddings and other ‘significant life events'”:

The applicant desires to have weddings and other “Significant Life Events” with amplified speech and non–amplified music in more campus areas than previously approved, up to 15 additional times per year with up to 225 attendees.

And further down in the report:

Modification in community use of the studio spaces to allow other art– and wellness-related uses, including dance, yoga, meditation, visual and performing arts, etc.

••• Thanks to L. for the tip that a locally owned outpost of Drybar (“no cuts, no color, just blowouts”) is opening in Montecito’s Coast Village Walk complex—i.e., the one with Starbucks and the Vons Pharmacy. Unless another tenant is leaving, Drybar has to be going into the space between Sakana and Occhiali.

••• A city survey about expanding pedestrian and bicyclist access between the Eastside and East Beach includes a graphic showing the proposed location for a new bridge over Highway 101.

••• Palma Colectiva—”a collective of healing arts, wellness events, conscious retail and education” in Victoria Court—is having an opening party on April 6. (RSVP via Instagram.)

••• On August 9, the Patti Smith Trio plays a concert to benefit the Lobero Theatre and other causes. According to the ticketing map, quite a few of the seats were already taken before sales officially started last Friday.

••• Press release from the county’s Public Health Department: “The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department has lifted the water contact closure for Butterfly Beach within one-quarter mile of the storm drain outfall.”

••• Three more Santa Barbara Bowl shows have been announced: Diana Ross (June 13), Jungle (September 6), and Odesza (September 30).

················

Sign up for the Siteline email newsletter and you’ll never miss a post.