••• “Do you know the story behind the trail between Butterfly Beach and East Beach?” asked D. “It’s well-developed and a convenient way to avoid some of the rocks, although it stops short of going all the way to East Beach. I looked at at Google Earth historical satellite footage and it appears to have been created somewhere between March 2021 and October 2022.” This was the first I’ve heard of it, so I went to take a look. I’m not sure how I could’ve missed the path, which someone has spent a lot of time and effort on; it includes serious stone steps, and there appears to be terracing in progress above one stretch. Getting permission for this kind of thing—from the property owners, the county, and the Coastal Commission—would be virtually impossible, so I imagine it’s more of a personal undertaking. And I wouldn’t be surprised if whoever lives (or hangs out) in the driftwood shelter is responsible, seeing as how the path ends there. P.S. Explore it at your own risk. The bluffs have been known to fall. UPDATE 9/10: The person responsible doesn’t live in the hut.
••• The Mary Jane McCord Planned Parenthood Annual Book Sale is celebrating its 50th year from September 12 to 22.
••• Goleta’s Sandpiper Golf Club has been holding public meetings about its revamp, but they fill up fast. Here are three slides that came my way. Having never been to the property, I have no idea whether they’re meaningful—so if anyone who has attended a meeting wants to explain things, please do. The huge question, of course, is how much a round of golf will cost once the work is done.
••• Home Crush says the county is enforcing an ordinance that insists “all sales in this Summerland zone remain within the confines of an interior building. Of course, we are known for our wonderful outdoor furnishings and displays as well as pop-up community markets on our grounds and hosting free community events. […] We are asking the County to edit or amend the restrictive zoning language to eliminate the prohibition of ‘outdoor sales’ in Summerland.” Here’s a petition. And this would seem to affect The Well, too, right? And Summerland Antique Collective? And others?
••• The groundbreaking for the huge new Santa Barbara County Probation Department building at 1019 Garden Street (Carrillo/Figueroa) is this week. The design is better than last time we saw it, but I still don’t understand the left half at all. It looks like the back of a building.
••• Malcom Gladwell will speak at the Granada Theatre on October 6.
••• Paintings by Carolyn Hubbs are being shown at the Architectural Foundation of Santa Barbara through November 2. Below: “Tree Creating Itself.”
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Evening with Malcolm Gladwell is hosted by Kara Swisher, which makes me doubly excited.
Thanks for sharing the County petition. Maybe there’s more to the story but this code sounds misguided or outdated. Exactly what I was talking about in my last post about finding red tape we can eliminate to help business without compromising on environment. And I know a lot of other things the County can be doing with their supposedly limited resources…
Thanks Andy. The language in the Ordinance in quesion is indeed outdated ad counter to the current use of myriad boutiques in Summerland. Thank you for the support as we need the Community to demonstrate this ordinance no longer serves the affected areas and prohibits small business growth and subsequently impacts County tax revenue.