Siteline | MarBorg’s Massive New Headquarters Takes a Step Forward

••• The city’s Board of Architectural Review gave the go-ahead to MarBorg Industries’s new headquarters—18,575 square feet, with 100 parking spaces—at 2 S. Quarantina Street. —Noozhawk

••• “A press release from both Old Spanish Days, which puts on Santa Barbara’s Fiesta celebrations, and Earl Warren Showgrounds, which hosts the rodeo, stated they were ‘saddened to share that the Fiesta Stock Horse Show & Rodeo will not be producing a rodeo this year.'” But they may be lining up a replacement. —Independent

••• All along the Southern California coastline from San Diego to Santa Barbara, hundreds of animals—sea lions, dolphins, seabirds—are washing up on the sand either dead or seriously ill. […] The cause is a neurotoxin produced by an algae bloom. The toxin, known as domoic acid, is harmless to fish but can be deadly to sea mammals. Fish carry the toxin, but if mammals and birds eat the fish, the toxin can poison them, causing seizures, making them behave erratically or putting them in a coma. The only treatment is to flush out the toxin and medicate the symptoms.” —New York Times

••• “The 90-unit apartment building proposed for 418 N. Milpas St. in Santa Barbara inched toward approval on Tuesday, but the architect will have to tweak the look of the building to make it ‘simpler, softer and humbler.’ The project is a so-called Builder’s Remedy development, which means […] the city has no power to limit the number of units or height of the project. […] The project would involve the demolition of eight senior units. […] Developers will find them housing and are even considering moving the existing units somewhere else in Santa Barbara.” Builder’s Remedy is proving to be a nightmare for Santa Barbara; what are our state reps doing to revoke it? (Update: See Tristen’s comment.)—Noozhawk

••• “The Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara is planning a major redevelopment at the Presidio Springs Senior Community that will take the site from 122 apartments to 327 apartments for low-income seniors. Redevelopment at 721 Laguna Street [Ortega/De La Guerra] will take place over multiple years through several phases, with some residents having to be temporarily relocated during each phase. Construction isn’t expected to begin until July 2027” and “they expect the redevelopment to be a 10-year project.” —Noozhawk

••• “The Santa Barbara County Fire Department will sell 35 unused ambulances and decline taking over services in Lompoc and South Coast areas. […] County officials say they had to order the ambulances so the department could be a qualified bidder for that contract, which ultimately went to American Medical Response. The Fire Department spent $3.5 million on the ambulances and another $4.2 million outfitting them with equipment and supplies. The vehicles have been stored at a Santa Maria Airport hangar since January 2024 for $15,000 a month.” —Noozhawk

••• True Ames Fins has opened at 5045 6th Street in Carpinteria: “The store sells new [surf] fins by Derrick Disney, Valaric, Alex Lopez and Campbell Brows, as well as kids and women’s apparel, local shapers’ surfboards and fin sculptures.” (Below: a sculpture by Jeff Canham.) —Coastal View News

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