Santa Barbara Tightens Its E-Bike Regulations

••• “The City of Santa Barbara updated its city code to cover e-bikes, giving police officers discretion to administer citations for ‘unsafe’ riding [….] The updated ordinance would cover three classes of e-bikes: Class 1, which are pedal-assist only with a maximum speed of 20 miles per hour; Class 2, which are equipped with throttles and go above 20 mph; and Class 3 bikes, the fastest allowed in the city, with pedal assist and a maximum speed up to 30 mph. The Class 3 bikes would now require riders to be at least 16 years old and to wear a helmet at all times.” The eternal question regarding new regulation: will there be enforcement? —Independent

••• “The application to transfer oil facility permits from ExxonMobil to Sable Offshore Corp. wasn’t approved Tuesday after the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors was split with a 2-2 vote and took no action,” reports Noozhawk. And from the Independent: “Questions regarding Sable’s ability to comply with laws and regulations were also brought before the supervisors. The California Coastal Commission issued Sable a second cease-and-desist order on February 18 for doing unpermitted work in the coastal zone. The same day, Sable sued the Coastal Commission and has continued working, citing a February 12 letter from county energy planner Errin Briggs saying that no additional permits were needed. Sable is also dealing with violations issued by the Regional Water Board and California Department of Fish and Wildlife.” And from KCLU: “It’s up to Sable to see if it will try again, but for now at least, approval of the ownership change is stalled.” There will be a public meeting (details TBA) about the matter with California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot on March 13. UPDATE: A subsequent Noozhawk article says that the situation is murky, quoting this statement from the county: “The parties are making conflicting statements about whether a tie vote results in reverting to the Planning Commission’s approval or acts as a denial because the board did not take action by a majority to approve the application. The effect of a tie vote is not specifically set out in Chapter 25B.”

••• More on the opposition to Santa Barbara’s proposed creeks ordinance, which “would prohibit new private property development within 50 feet of Santa Barbara’s 16 creeks. The ban would include buildings, patios, structures placed in the ground, non-native plantings and other development.” —Noozhawk

••• “A tour bus from Orange County has been spotted dropping off dozens of people” at the Hot Springs trailhead. “Santa Barbara County Public Works Director Chris Sneddon said more people visiting the trails will exacerbate concerns, but there is not much anyone can do. ‘They are not doing anything illegally,’ Sneddon said. ‘The situation highlights that there is more demand to use the trail than there is parking. For residents, this is not something they are excited about.’ It’s unclear whether the tour bus plans to return.” —Noozhawk

•••“Santa Barbara County Planners Support Tough Odor Controls for All Cannabis Greenhouses [….] Growers Would Have at Least 12 Months to Comply, and That’s Too Long, Carpinterians Say [….] In the end, the commission voted 3-2 for allowing hardship extensions of up to 12 months beyond the initial 12—and, for special cases, even longer. All extensions could be appealed, but the commission was divided as to whether the commission or the board should make the final decision.” The board of supervisors will vote on March 18. —Independent

••• A few weeks ago, a SpaceX “Starlink mission from Vandenberg experienced a glitch on the second stage, leading to debris landing in Poland. Images of the fiery re-entry and used second stage began appearing on social media sites February 19.” —Noozhawk

••• The Couture Pattern Museum got a big write-up in Women’s Wear Daily: “Since she started collecting more than 20 years ago, [Cara] Austine-Rademaker has amassed 2,000 patterns, from Poirets to Duchess of Windsor designs she sold under her name, as well as corresponding vintage clothing, her own reproductions sewn from the patterns, counter books, historical magazines and ephemera. Her small museum has a portion of the collection on display, rotating exhibitions, programs and classes.” The article is behind a paywall so maybe you should just go check the museum out in person.

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