Poor De La Guerra Plaza Can’t Catch a Break

••• The plan to remodel forlorn De La Guerra Plaza once again got sent back to the drawing board by the Historic Landmarks Commission. There are some vocal citizens who oppose to the idea of removing the lawn, which is a shame, because lawn is a pain in the rear to maintain, bad for the environment, and far less likely be used than a hardscaped plaza. (So don’t go claiming that “the people don’t want to lose the lawn” because this person sure as heck does.) Also, note that News-Press owner Wendy McCaw refuses to engage with the city about the project. —Noozhawk and Independent

••• “The Rincon Multi-Use Trail project—a 2,800-foot bike and pedestrian trail connecting the city of Carpinteria to Rincon Beach Park—is on the brink of construction, gaining approval at Carpinteria’s Planning Commission once again last week despite public pushback from […] paragliding and hang-gliding enthusiasts.” —Independent

••• “Outdoor dining along the State Street promenade will continue, but with a 20-foot fire lane down the middle, the Santa Barbara City Council decided on Tuesday night. City staff had proposed a multitude of changes, most of which were shot down, largely because they were sprung on the public without any conversations with the business community or council members. […] the 20-foot fire lane is a state law that city staff overlooked when they allowed outdoor dining, so the council really had no choice but to approve that change.” —Noozhawk

••• “The five-member Santa Barbara Unified School District board of trustees was on track to move to district elections and add two board members by November 2022 [….] The district elections are designed to allow Latinx neighborhoods to elect a representative that represents their local schools and neighborhood, and therefore increase Latinx representation on the board.” But there’s a wrinkle. —Noozhawk

••• “Jonathan Abboud has ended his short bid for the California Assembly District 37 seat, and is now considering a run for Second District Santa Barbara County supervisor.” —Noozhawk

••• The buyer of 743 San Ysidro Road back in July was Franck Ruimy, the founder of Arizona-based Silver Creek Development. —Dirt

••• Rosewood Miramar Beach developer Rick Caruso is thinking about running for mayor of L.A., and he has changed party registration to Democrat. —L.A. Times

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