New Design Guidelines for Parklets on the State Street Promenade

••• Interesting KCLU article about Santa Barbara–based SeaWell‘s plan to test offshore buoys for desalination at Vandenberg Space Force Base. Above: a rendering.

••• The city council insisted on changes to State Street Promenade parklets by February 1, reports Noozhawk: “The most notable new requirements for outdoor dining structures state that ‘platforms must be stained, painted, or colored a dark El Pueblo Viejo–approved color (‘iron colors’ from guidelines) and that ‘the area underneath any platform must be accessible for cleaning.’ Turf, fake grass and lawn are prohibited, and barriers and rails should be no higher than 48 inches. The finance committee will also review a proposed fee structure for outdoor dining facilities. The amount still needs to be approved by the council, but the recommendation is $5 per square foot for all space within property frontage.” Citywide design guidelines sure seem like a better idea, rather than taking on areas (such as Coast Village Road) one by one.

••• The Historic Landmarks Commission really gushed over the 39-unit apartment complex proposed for Chapala and Ortega. —Independent

••• The 36-unit apartment building proposed for 425 Garden Street (Gutierrez), meanwhile, faced ambivalence from the city’s Planning Commission. Of note: “The project will not provide parking to discourage automobile ownership. Each unit will have a bicyclye parking space, however.” —Noozhawk

••• No word yet on whether the Biltmore resort will reopen (almost certainly under a new brand or as an independent property) in 2023. But the Pacific Coast Business Times has an update on the dispute between owner Ty Warner and hotel employees: “Arbitration in the yearslong dispute between the hotel and furloughed employees could begin next year. […] The parties have agreed to do 10 arbitration sessions with 10 different arbitrators who won’t know how the others have ruled [said an attorney for employees]. ‘Because there’s 10 of them, there’s a possibility of different results,’ he said. ‘Hypothetically, if we prevail in seven out of 10, then we think that will trigger a contractual obligation by Four Seasons to have to pay separation pay, which we calculate to be somewhere in the range of $6 million to $7 million.'”

••• “Five Weeks In, Downtown Santa Barbara’s Tiny-Home Village a Quiet Success […] Board of Supervisors and Homeless Shelter Operator in Talks to Expand Number of Sites Throughout County.” —Independent

••• “Bennett’s Toys & Educational Materials in Santa Barbara is going out of business and closing its doors for good by December.” —Noozhawk

••• Dirt identified Conan and Liza O’Brien as the recent buyers of a $23 million house on Sand Point Road.

••• “Seven weeks before the Nov. 8 election, the most consequential and competitive campaign contests in Santa Barbara center on public education. […] Newsmakers has partnered with the Montecito Journal to produce a series of online forums where the contenders debate, discuss and drill down on the complex, formidable and stubborn challenges facing public education at every level in Santa Barbara County.”

••• Marie Larkin, a former designer for Giorgio Armani, has opened a boutique in Santa Ynez for her line, (In)Larkin. —KEYT

················

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