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City reviews projects present and future
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This week’s listings on the back page
Gift from Marie
By CAT NeushuL
On Aug. 25, the Carpinteria City Council heard a status report on its annual work program that included updates on proposed developments along the bluffs, the Rincon Trail and a pavement rehabilitation project for Carpinteria Avenue. Community Development Director Jackie Campbell said it has been a busy time for development proposals within her department. Projects included a proposal for the Bluffs II property, East of S&S Seeds, a revised plan for the Via Real hotels, a concept review for the 500 block of Maple Avenue and discussions regarding the Bluffs III resort-zoned parcel. Campbell said the city was also monitoring S&S Seed’s building improvements and Island Brewing Company’s expansion. She said her department also had a busy year dealing with animal control issues. City staff impounded 26 dogs and orchestrated nine successful adoptions. At this time, she said there is a Chihuahua named Nelson and a Pit bull called Tigre waiting to be adopted.
Public Works juggles 101 expansion
The Public Works Department has been working on several large projects including the Highway 101 Expansion Project. Charlie Ebeling, director of public
COUNCIL continued on page 10
DuBOCk.COM
The winds of Hurricane Marie disturbed the Pacific and blew its 10-foot swell to Backside Rincon for an historic summer session on Aug. 27. Local surfers, including Tim smith who’s pictured getting into a wave, flooded the waters for a chance to blow off their pent up appetite for surf while sliding down the faces of glassy sets that rolled in all morning. According to surf photographer Glenn Dubock, the magnitude of gift enjoyed Wednesday morning at Backside is served up only once every couple of decades. see more surf photos on page 16.
Concha Loma residents win WaterWise Contest
With the results cast in stone, Jim and Tanya Taylor’s front yard now proudly displays a monument declaring them the winners of the Carpinteria Valley Water District 2014 WaterWise Garden Recognition Contest. WaterWise in Santa Barbara County sponsored the first annual garden contest last year highlighting the watersaving efforts of local gardeners. This year ’s contest focused on homes in Carpinteria. Rhonda Gutierrez, Water Conservation Specialist for CVWD and contest coordinator, said that several residents competed in this year’s competition. “The judges got to see some very creative landscaping, unique designs and several different ways to maintain a beautiful yard while saving water,” Gutierrez explained. “It was hard to decide, but the innovative ideas at the Taylors’ home put them over the top.” The Taylors moved into the 1950s-era
fixer-upper near the beach in the Concha Loma neighborhood three years ago. During the renovation, the lawn was destroyed, giving the couple a fresh canvas on which to design their winning garden. “As we finished the remodel, we wanted landscaping that would be low maintenance and low on water use,” said Jim. While workers did some of the digging and heavy lifting, Jim said that he and Tanya laid out the plans. It took two months to design and one month to complete. “We’re not landscape designers, but we know what we like,” he said. “As we were planting, we had a lot of encouragement from people who would come by, neighbors and people walking their dogs would ask, ‘What’s that?’ and tell us the garden was coming along nicely.” Soon the lawn was replaced by gravel paths and hillocks, planted with a casu-
al mix of grasses, succulents, bushes and fruit trees. Chip gravel was used for paths, and topsoil was brought in to make the hillocks. The property, which is only 900 feet from the ocean, has very sandy soil, which Jim described as “hydrophobic,” explaining that water poured on the soil just balls A mixture of pathways and plants with low water needs make the Taylors’ garden both attractive and up and rolls off. T h e Ta y l o r s conservative—waterwise. knew that trees into a hedge at the front of the house. would establish deep roots and planted Every morning, Taylor carries out a several fruit trees, such as cherimoya, fig, lime, banana and avocado. They also planted fruitless olive, which they trim WATERWISE continued on page 5