VILLAGE BEAT (Continued from page 12)
Williams said, noting that Overall was vital to the governmental body, doing his homework on every item, and providing thoughtful points. “He is a great resource and leader, and an asset to this community,” he said. “It was a pleasure to serve on the commission, and I will continue to be involved,” said Overall, who – with his wife, Sherri – has lived in Montecito for more than 25 years and has been an active volunteer, philanthropist, and advocate. Former commissioners Michael Phillips and Bob Bierig were in attendance at the meeting, thanking Overall for his service. “Jack always saw the big issue first, and then he’d dig in deeper, keep at it, and work for a resolution that would benefit the community. We need more of that, and we are all beneficiaries of his efforts,” Phillips said. Also at the hearing, the commission voted to ask the board of supervisors to grant permit authority to the MPC over the ancillary projects related to the Highway 101 HOV project; roundabouts are planned at San Ysidro Road/North Jameson and Olive Mill/Coast Village Road. “If this were a baseball game, we’d be in the first inning,” said Public Works Alternative Transportation manager Matt Dobberteen, explaining that the projects still need to be designed and analyzed, as well as undergo environmental review and public comment. The MPC is asking that they be the governmental body representing the County, as the Olive Mill roundabout has joint jurisdiction between the County and the City, with the County having planning jurisdiction over the San Ysidro Road roundabout. The MPC also provided comments on the upcoming condominium project at 1062 Coast Village Road, which came before them for courtesy review only, as the project is located in City limits. The endeavor calls for the demolition of the current 14-unit apartment building, to be replaced with nine 3-bedroom, luxury condos with rooftop decks and private subterranean garages, as well as a commercial component that fronts Coast Village Road. Designed by architect Brian Cearnal, the building is slated to be finished in 2020. Neighbor Sascha Liebowitz, who has been following the project’s progress as it is directly next to her property, told the MPC: “All of this input is great, but it’s very clear that whatever gets built here is going to be built to the maximum allowable by law. Advisory input is going to be incredibly charmingly received by Mr. Cearnal and his team, and to some extent will be addressed if it doesn’t conflict with maximum profitability. I don’t want to make this project go on and on with advisory input with no teeth.” The commissioners voiced concern
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over the project’s massing, the setbacks, current tenant displacement, lack of meeting noticing, neighbor privacy concerns, story poles, the potential of the rooftop decks to be intrusive to the neighbors, ingress and egress on the site, trash pickup, parking, construction timing with roundabouts and the 101 widening, loss of trees, and neighborhood compatibility, among other items. They asked to see story poles erected on the site, and asked the applicant to go to Montecito Board of Architectural Review for comments on neighborhood compatibility and landscaping. “We are happy to go, but we do not want too many cooks in the kitchen,” Cearnal said. The project is expected to be at the City Planning Commission in the early spring.
Kristina McKean and her daughters, Penelope and Paloma, are helping to support elephant advocacy groups with the sale of Kiki, a plush toy designed by McKean
The Elephant Project
Local Montecito mom Kristina McKean has launched The Elephant Project, an organization dedicated to supporting various nonprofits that help aid in fighting the elephant poaching crisis and also provide care to injured, abandoned, orphaned, and abused elephants around the world. An animal advocate for many years, McKean was prompted to get involved with saving the elephants many years ago during her honeymoon in Thailand, where she witnessed baby elephants being exploited for money. Realizing that signing petitions and protesting the circus was not enough, McLean, a former product development specialist for The Gap, designed “Kiki,” a soft stuffed animal elephant. “I felt like there was a market and a need for it, and it would raise awareness among our kids,” she said. One-hundred percent of the proceeds of Kiki, whose name means “new life,” go to support elephant welfare groups, including the David Sheldrik Wildlife Trust in Kenya and the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. Kiki is wrapped, packaged, and shipped by McKean’s own daughters, Paloma and Penelope, who are students at Laguna Blanca and Montecito Union School. McKean’s husband, a local contractor, has donated a conference room in his office for the venture, which has grown exponentially since launching in August. “The Montecito community has been so supportive of this endeavor. It’s my passion and I’m so grateful of its success so far,” she said. McKean plans on expanding the line of animals, including a boy elephant named “Tembo,” which will be released in the coming weeks. On Friday, December 1, from 2:30 to 5 pm, McKean and her daughters will sell the stuffed animals at Here’s The Scoop on Coast Village Road, while Scoop owners Ellie and Bob Patterson will donate a percentage
Kids are encouraged to visit the zoo on December 3, when 80 tons of snow is brought in for sledding and snow play
Kiki will be available for purchase at an event at Here’s The Scoop on December 1
of their gelato sales to The Elephant Project. Scoop is located at 1187 Coast Village Road. “The elephants will be extinct if we don’t step up and fight for them,” McKean said. For more information, visit www. theelephantproject.com.
Leopard Festival at the Zoo On Sunday, December 3, 80 tons of snow will be delivered for the Santa Barbara Zoo’s annual “Snow Leopard Festival,” which will take place from 10 am to 3 pm. The snow will be shaped into sledding runs for kids (sleds provided), deposited in a snow play area, and provided as enrichment to many of the zoo’s animal residents, including the highly endangered big cats honored at this festival. At age 19, the zoo’s male snow leopard Everett is the oldest of its kind living in a zoo accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). The zoo’s female Zoe is aged 14. The two are not a breeding pair,
• The Voice of the Village •
but they often are seen on exhibit together, which is rare among this solitary species. Snow leopards are critically endangered and currently number between an estimated 3,900 and 6,400 in the wild. They have long been prized as hunter’s trophies, destroyed as predators of domestic flocks, and sought as a source of valuable fur. Adapted for the extreme weather, snow leopards have been viewed at elevations as high as 19,600 feet in summer. Their furry feet help them to stay on top of the snow by providing a greater surface area – like snow shoes – and their fur keeps their paws warm and dry, providing traction as well. With the holidays not far away, guests are also encouraged to visit the zoo’s temporary exhibit of reindeer, where Santa is available for photos and gift requests (Wednesdays through Sundays only, starting November 22). Two male reindeer, named Lightning and Holiday, are on view from Wednesday, November 22, 2017 through Tuesday, January 1, 2018. Sledding tickets are $3 and are sold at the zoo’s front gate and at the snow area. Regular admission is required to enter. Sledding is for children aged 4 to 12 only. Sleds are provided (no personal sleds). The snow play area is open to children 12 and under. For more information, call 962-5339 or visit www.sbzoo.org. •MJ 23 – 30 November 2017