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Council awards contract Carpinteria for library renovations City Council
picks a map By KAITLYN SCHALLHORN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
After some back-and-forth among council members, the Carpinteria City Council chose to move forward with the redistricting map it had previously selected. The council, in a 3-2 vote Monday evening, approved Draft Plan A2. It will be second read in mid-April. The council decided to stick with this map after throwing in another option earlier this month. Both maps, Draft Plans A2 and A3, were somewhat similar and kept two of the five districts on the coastal side of El
The council, in a 3-2 vote Monday evening, approved Draft Plan A2. It will be second read in mid-April.
Camino Real. But A2 extended District D to include Via Real, up to the roundabout with Ogan Road. District B included the neighborhood between Aragon Drive and Eleanor Drive up to Chaney Avenue, and District A included the community on the northwest side of Santa Ynez Avenue on the in-land side of El Camino Real. Mayor Wade Nomura and Councilmembers Gregg Carty and Roy Lee voted for A2. Vice Mayor Al Clark and Councilmember Natalia Alarcon voted for A3. Councilmember Lee said A2 had been out for months and had received plenty of public input, describing the other map — which the council had agreed to consider at its March 14 meeting — as “still in diapers.” “A3 is great if you want to build walls,” Councilmember Lee said. But those in favor of A3, such as Councilmember Alarcon, said the proposal was more compact and kept the Star Pine neighborhood together. The council also approved the sequencing for the A2 map on Monday. It labeled the districts Please see MAP on A3
Heritage Ridge apartment project being considered by Goleta Planning Commission The Santa Barbara City Council on Tuesday approved a $9.39 million contract for renovations to the Central Library.
By KAITLYN SCHALLHORN NEWS-PRESS STAFF-WRITER
The Santa Barbara City Council unanimously approved the contract and funding for renovations to the Central Library Tuesday. The council approved a nearly $9.39 million contract with Nationwide Contracting Services for the reconstruction projects and authorization for the Public Works director to approve expenditures up to $938,775 to cover additional costs. As the agenda item got underway, Jim Jackson, a board member of the Santa Barbara Public Library Foundation, presented a $5 million check from the foundation. Mr. Jackson said the project will “make Santa Barbara a star of how downtowns can be revitalized.” “This is probably the happiest day in my career here at the city of Santa Barbara,” said Jessica Cadiente, Santa Barbara’s library director. Councilmember Eric Friedman noted the significance of having people back in the chambers following COVID-19 remote agenda meetings in order to approve a library project. “For me, it’s gratifying and emotional,” Councilmember Friedman said of the project. “This project is a key to downtown revitalization … and the best part about it is it came before COVID when people recognized the need for outdoor space — but not to the extent we do now.” The Santa Barbara Central Library renovation project has three facets: plaza renovation, which includes an accessible ramp connecting the lower and upper plazas and new hardscape, lighting, planters and
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drought-tolerant landscaping; construction of a new elevator compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act; and construction of a lower-level staff area with a new conference room, lights, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, flooring, kitchen upgrades and more. The plaza will host community events, graduation ceremonies, various fairs and more, Ms. Cadiente said. It has more than 10,000 square feet of programmable space and can host up to 1,200 people for events, she said. Funding for the project included more than $7.5 million in Measure C capital improvement funds, nearly $161,000 in general fund capital allocations and more than $92,000 in facilities capital improvement funds. Overall, $10,960,294 is the total estimated amount for the project. The Nationwide Contracting Services contract is $9,387,750. Other costs include funds for the city project manager, special inspections, construction administration and furniture and equipment. Members of the council spoke about the importance of the library and the impact it has had on them ahead of the vote. “Every time I go there, it has something new and relevant and progressive for everyone,” Councilmember Kristen Sneddon said. Councilmember Alejandra Gutierrez shared how she learned how to read English with the help of a librarian from the Eastside branch. And later, the library gave her a quiet space to study or fill out college applications and offer other resources. Additionally Tuesday, the Santa Barbara City Council moved to form a Coast Village Community Benefit Improvement District. The area spans from Olive Mill Road to Hot Springs Road, including properties along Los Patos
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Way and Coast Village Circle, according to a council report. The council unanimously adopted a resolution of intention to form the Coast Village CBID. Community benefit improvement districts are created to establish a steady revenue source to fund special services within a designated area. If it is established, annual assessments will be collected from property owners through county property tax bills beginning in December. The budget for the first year for the district is just under $300,000 with about 40% of those funds allocated to city sidewalks. Other services include traffic management, administration and district identity and placemaking. Services would include installation of landscaping, sidewalk and gutter sweeping, enhanced trash emptying and timely graffiti removal, among other things. District identity and placemaking efforts would include website development, seasonal decorations, public art displays and refurbishment of monuments and street signs. These services are in addition to typical city services. “The bundles of services are exemplary. These are things we wish we could do for every business community but simply cannot with our budgeting, and you’ve taken the initiative to show us how a business community can do that for themselves in partnership,” Councilmember Sneddon said. Ballots are to be mailed to applicable property owners with voters returned to the city clerk. The ballots will be tabulated at a public hearing scheduled for June 7. email: kschallhorn@newspress.com
By KAITLYN SCHALLHORN NEWS-PRESS STAFF-WRITER
The Goleta Planning Commission began to consider a 332-unit housing complex this week, with another hearing scheduled next month. The Heritage Ridge Residential Project encompasses more than 17 acres north of Camino Visto and east of S. Los Carneros Rd. It would encompass both affordable housing for seniors and families, market-rate units and a public park. The project was submitted to the city in 2014 with a final environmental impact report completed in January. The residential project is expected to include 104 affordable housing units, including 41 for seniors and 63 for families. Both sections would include units for veterans, unhoused individuals and people with lower incomes. The public park will be in the middle of the project site, according to the design, and include walking paths, a playground, fitness equipment stations, a picnic area and more. The development project would also include a pickleball court. Construction of the park would coincide with the completion of the last market-rate building, estimated to be three years once construction begins. The planning commission heard from the applicants
and the public. The applicant detailed the improvements made to the architectural design and the inclusion of cultural history in the park design. Some public commenters Monday said they supported the construction of new affordable housing options but had environmental concerns. “I support a balanced approach which provides affordable housing that our community needs, protects the wildlife habitat and creek and upholds the city’s habitat and creek policies,” Kathy Nolan said in written testimony provided to the commission. Linda Honikman, chair of the League of Women Voters of Santa Barbara’s housing committee, said developers have worked with environmental experts and city planning officials to ensure the project would protect certain habitats. She also noted buildings have been redesigned to allow for mountain views. “The League of Women Voters strongly supports this project and believes that after eight years of planning and listening to community concerns, it is time to move forward to get this housing ready to serve its muchneeded purpose,” Ms. Honikman said. The council continued the matter to April 25 due to time constraints. email: kschallhorn@newspress.com
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