Campaign Kick-off Party 2

[ Excerpt of "Three Incumbent City Council Candidates Announce their Re-Election Campaigns While Still Waiting for Challengers," by David Pritchett, news correspondent, Edhat.com, May 30, 2007 ]


So far, the upcoming Santa Barbara City Council election is 3 applicants for 3 jobs. No one is challenging Helene Schneider, Brian Barnwell, and Das Williams, the 3 Santa Barbara City Councilmembers running for re-election from the class initially elected in November 2003. Despite the lack of urgency, though, these 3 incumbents each threw a nice party although the edge and tension was lacking in the overall mood of the candidates and their supporters.

During the Das Williams event held at Arnoldi's Cafe on Tuesday, 29May2007, City Councilmember Iya Falcone predicted to this correspondent that at least 9 Council candidates will have declared their candidacy by the filing deadline in mid August. If these 6 or more other new candidates are Out There, they have 10 more weeks to tell us, and then really no practical time to run an effective campaign after that. Or, do they expect that the Candidate Video program, a free and frequently shown 3-minute video, will be the path to success?

While the heaping platters of Arnoldi's famous calamari evaporated, the crowd of approximately 70 supporters at the Das Williams party heard him outline his accomplishments during his first 3.5 years in office. Shortly after noon earlier in the day, Williams made his formal announcement for re-election at the site of the City's Arroyo Burro lagoon restoration project, where a few months prior he planted a few native trees.

(Photo courtesy of David Pritchett)

David also ran video, during the announcement. The 25 minute video, with introductions by Hannah-Beth Jackson and Susan Jordan and several questions from the crowd, can be viewed by going to:

DP:Google Video: DAS

Other coverage includes the SANTA BARBARA INDEPENDENT: DAS, the SB NEWS-PRESS (boycotted since Summer 2006) and SantaBarbarasBlog (see earlier posting, with comments)

(Photo courtesy of David Pritchett)

Campaign Kick-off Party

[ Excerpt from SantaBarbarasBlog.com: Das Launches (includes photos and comments, at the website) ]:


On a beautiful Tuesday night at Arnoldi’s, Councilmember Das Williams officially launched his re-election campaign. For a suggested $25 donation, supporters could rub elbows with the local political establishment to include; Helene Schneider, Roger Horton, Harriet Miller, Salud Carbajal, and Iya Falcone.

Roughly forty people showed up for the launch party, half of what was expected by Arnoldi’s management. In a short and staggered speech, Mr. Williams touted the current Council’s record on the environment and neighborhood preservation, while referring to upcoming challenges of traffic and gangs.

Clearly, this Santa Barbara City Council is a stepping-stone for this young, hard-working, media-savvy, and eager politician… but does Das deserve to be re-elected? After an unsuccessful run for 2nd District Supervisor, the Blog expects a relatively easy re-election for Mr. Williams; however, voters deserve a commitment to the completion of the term.

Coast Village Road

[ Excerpt of "Caring for Coast Village Road - What to Do about Santa Barbara’s Slice of Montecito," SB INDEPENDENT, May 29, 2007 ]


Coast Village Road... The lucrative five-block retail strip looks and feels like Montecito, but it is, in reality, part of the City of Santa Barbara. How could that be?

Legend has it that back in the 1960s, a newly formed Montecito Sanitary District was slow to bring sewers to Coast Village Road (CVR), and merchants, sick of l’eau de septic driving away customers, sought city sewers through annexation. What may have ultimately been flushed down the toilet was Montecito cityhood. To successfully incorporate and survive unseen economic swings, cities count on business diversity. Without CVR, Montecito is left with three hotels and a very short cityhood stick.

Only seven-tenths of a mile long, the Coast Village Corridor (CVR and Coast Village Circle) is primarily a commercial zone sprinkled with an array of profitable businesses, shops, jewelry stores, spas, salons, sundry, restaurants, banks, professional offices, residential condos, and apartments — all serviced by the City of Santa Barbara. In return, the city receives a share of the corridor’s tax revenue.

Given that there are two hotels (read: bed tax), more than 500 businesses (read: sales tax to the tune of $677,655 in 2006), and residential condos, commercial buildings, and apartment complexes (read: property tax), Coast Village Road is a cash cow in anybody’s book...

The [Coast Village Business] association has been pursuing street upgrades similar [to] those implemented on lower State Street. However, because of a radius limit, CVR does not qualify for downtown redevelopment agency funds used for the State Street upgrades. “Our village needs hundreds and thousands of dollars to upgrades sidewalks, street lighting, and landscapes. Coast Village has its own village atmosphere and quality. It is low key, but we need improvements to maintain a high-quality low key,” Atkins said.

She said the all-volunteer business association was set up to operate as chamber of commerce, promoting business, holidays, and mixers. However, she adds, while political noisemaking was not in their original mission, they do not plan to go quietly to the scullery like the stepchild Cinderella.

With three seats on the city council up for election in November 2007, the Coast Village Business Association is showing up to make sure politicians hear their message. In addition to city participation in infrastructure improvements, the CVBA quest-list includes continued adequate policing, more city council attention, and solutions to traffic problems.

“Our dominant issue in the past year has been the upcoming Milpas to Hot Springs highway 101 expansion, and the effect it will have on Coast Village Road,” Atkins said. “We get periodic updates about the road and round about design, but the actual construction will have obvious impacts, and the average citizen here has no clue.”

Santa Barbara City Councilmember Helene Schneider, who announced her reelection bid 10 days ago, said she understands the Coast Village corridor’s concerns and confusion about the upcoming 101 improvements, scheduled to get underway in 2008. “Continual communication on project updates will be imperative,” said Schneider, “and the city also needs to actively promote all business affected by the project throughout the construction period. Coast Village Road is a special part of our city, so it’s imperative that the city work with Caltrans in reducing the construction impacts to this area as much as possible.”

Fellow councilmember Brian Barnwell, who announced his reelection bid last week, agreed. “Coast Village Road has been overlooked,” he admitted. In addition to reviewing 101 and traffic issues, Barnwell said he has worked with CVBA over the past year to help them look into the possibility of a Business Improvement District. He also sees the opportunity for creative zoning along Coast Village Road. “They need special zoning to respect the character of the area and protect mountain views,” Barnwell explained. (Current codes allow for a 60-foot or four-story height limit.) “It is a unique part of town, and it deserves special attention.”

Councilmember Das Williams, who pitched his re-election hat into the ring this week, said he is already focused on Coast Village Road, and is hard at work on transportation issues. “Traffic is the issue that we must concentrate on,” Williams explained. “Demand reduction has been my primary tactic, by increasing buses and biking amenities. And the roundabout [at Coast Village and Hot Springs roads], if designed correctly, should help as well.” Thinking even broader, he added, “Commuter rail, if it can reduce the number of commuters using CVR as an alternative freeway, is also a solution that must be pursued. If the county won't, then we will have to figure out alternatives to getting commuter rail done.”

And getting things done is something that CVBA boardmember Jan Atkins understands. “There is no question the revenues benefit the City of Santa Barbara,” she sighed. “Beautification of the village by the city should be an obvious action.”

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For full text of this article, please go to:

SBI: Caring for Coast Village Road



( Map courtesy of the SB Independent )

Announcement Invitation

An Email from Das, sent today (5/25/2007):

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My friend, I’ll be announcing my re-election this Tuesday [5/29/2007] and I’d be honored if you’d take part.

Since our effort began in 2003, we have accomplished so much together!


Clean Water: We have built millions worth of new sewers to prevent overflows and begun the restoration of our creeks.

Preserving Our Neighborhoods: We have passed a Neighborhood Preservation Ordinance that protects neighborhoods and some degree of affordability by limiting “McMansion” building in our once middle-class neighborhoods.

A Living Wage: We now have a Living Wage that ensures that those contractors hired by the city pay a decent wage.

Reducing Traffic: Enhanced transit now delivers commuters by bus every 10 minutes.


While much has changed in the last four years, there is much yet to be done. For this reason I am asking for your help in my re-election.

Our work has not been without controversy, and there are several folks generating anti-affordable housing and anti-alternative transportation hysteria and waiting in the wings for the hint of weakness. We must show none. We saw how $143,000 in late contributions changed the dynamics of the last City of Goleta election, so we must be prepared for a real campaign.

That is why I need your input, your time and/or a contribution of whatever size you are able.

Also, I will be holding a press conference at the restoration project at Arroyo Burro Estuary (Las Positas & Cliff) at noon on Tuesday and a reception from 4:30 to 6:30 at Arnoldi’s Café (Cota & Olive) later that day. You are invited to attend one or both.

E-mail me to rsvp, or send a note or contribution to Friends of Das Williams, 2631 State St. #1, Santa Barbara, CA 93105.

DAS

Barney on Elections

[ Excerpt from: "Election Races and Solitary Confinement," Barney Brantingham's "On The Beat" Column in the SB INDEPENDENT, May 24, 2007 ]


... With three incumbent Santa Barbara City Councilmembers running for reelection this year, savvy politicos are already looking ahead to the Big Enchilada in 2009: the mayoral race.

As of now, it looks like an alpha female head-to-head between councilmembers Helene Schneider and Iya Falcone. Both have made it clear they plan to run and each figures to be backed by serious support from local groups. (In Iya’s case, the powerful police and fire unions.)

The race, City Hall sources forecast, will not be a tea party. In fact, word around town is two major women Democratic politicos are said to be considering not endorsing fellow democrat Helene because they don’t want to help her chances against their candidate of two years hence, Iya. This promises to be ugly.

Up for reelection this year are councilmembers Schneider; Das Williams, who’ll kick off his campaign next Tuesday at noon at the Arroyo Burro Creek renovation project and a 4:30 p.m. party at Arnoldi’s Café (600 Olive St.)...

Williams has been spending time in the City of Ventura fighting Wal-Mart’s attempted invasion, among other things. This leads some to speculate he might be eyeing an eventual State Assembly race, but not until democratic incumbent Pedro Nava moves on. (The district includes Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.)



For full text of Barney's column, please go to:

SBI: Barney, May 24th

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NOTE from Das' Dad: Barney's probably got inside information I do not have. But, one thing I know is that Das isn't down in Ventura fighting Wal-Mart because he is planning a State Assembly race. In addition to his work on the Santa Barbara City Council, Das is also a political consultant for CAUSE, in Ventura. His work there -- while consistent with his political beliefs and positions -- is mostly related to his livelihood.

Steelhead Trout

[ Excerpt of: "SB Accepts Grants to Assist Endangered Fish Population," by Laura Weisenberg, DAILY NEXUS, May 24, 2007 ]


Although the once prolific steelhead trout currently faces extinction, the city of Santa Barbara may soon help turn the tide with an allocation of several state and private grants.

Experts claim the Santa Barbara steelhead trout population declined as a result of concrete lining placed in Mission Creek [in 1964]... Meanwhile, the Santa Barbara City Council has recently and unanimously accepted two grants, totaling $335,000, to restore the trout population.

Working with the Environmental Defense Center, a nonprofit organization, the Council has organized the Mission Creek Recovery Project, which aims to remove the concrete lining from the bottom of portions of the creek in order to restore the endangered fish’s breeding grounds.

According to the council and EDC, the unnaturally high water speeds caused by the concrete bottom makes it difficult for the steelhead trout to migrate to their natural spawning grounds. EDC Executive Director Cameron Benson said the city chose to lay down concrete on the creek bed after flooding in the 1930s and ’60s. However, the increase in water speed did not just prevent overflow.

“They are pretty powerful fish,” Benson said. “They can do a lot, but they can’t swim up a mile of fast-moving water. The steelhead has been reduced by over 99 percent, down to 1 percent of its historic population.”

City Council member Das Williams said the city plans to use grants to create small-scale models of the creek and then test them to determine the viability of the project. One of the biggest challenges, Williams said, is determining the necessary water speed to allow the fish to swim upstream while still preventing seasonal flooding.

“The modeling is really important because we’ve got to figure out how we can restore the creek, at least partially, from a concrete-lined storm drain into a natural creek,” Williams said. “But we’ve got to do the modeling in order to make sure the water moves quick enough downstream to avoid flooding.”

To provide flood control, the city plans to either increase the slope of the banks to or leave some of the concrete on the sides of the creek, Williams said.

He said the process of restoring Mission Creek could potentially take years and may cost between $4 to $5 million by the time it is completed.

... council members unanimously accepted two different grants, both of which will fund the initial planning stages of the project. According to Benson, the California Department of Fish and Game provided a grant of $155,000, and another foundation donated almost $200,000 to the EDC for the project.

“Another grant came from the Annenberg Foundation,” Benson said. “That was a grant that came to the EDC and the majority of that funding will be transferred to the city to assist with this project. We are transferring $180,000 from EDC to the city.”

Aside from the fact that the steelhead trout is a threatened species, Benson said the fish serve as an indicator for the general health of the Santa Barbara environment and the quality of the water.

“If we can bring this, it will be an example of improvement to our local environment,” Benson said.

While he said the steelhead trout’s current state was unfortunate, Williams said he hopes to see a restored population within the near future.

“Old timers around here can remember when steelhead passed in such large numbers that it looked like you could walk across the creek, and its sad that there are now only hundreds of breeding adults,” Williams said. “There used to be a fish industry based on the steelhead around here. I hope sometime within my lifetime that they are plentiful enough that we see them and [the fish] can be part of local economy.”

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To read the full text article, please go to:

DN: Steelhead Trout


( Image courtesy of: http://www.tucalifornia.org/socalsteelhead.htm )

Youth Programs

[ Excerpt of: "Pay Now or Pay Later - Bean Counters Grapple with Cost of gang Prevention," by Nick Welsh, SB INDEPENDENT, May 24, 2007 ]


... [recently] three Santa Barbara councilmembers who make up the city’s Finance Committee grappled with the dollars and cents of keeping at-risk teens out of gangs by providing more job training and more recreational opportunities. Councilmembers Helene Schneider, Das Williams, and Roger Horton mulled over a list of new and expanded initiatives. Combined, they would cost City Hall an additional $500,000  —  $200,000 more than the $300,000 surplus city budget analysts are projecting for this year. And gang prevention programs are hardly the only causes competing for that surplus. Negotiations have just begun between City Hall and the firefighters’ union. Even a modest pay increase would consume the surplus in one sip.

The biggest priority under discussion is more jobs. Currently, City Hall hires about 100,000 hours of teen labor every year, making it the single biggest employer of teens in the county. But many of those jobs — provided under the auspices of the Parks and Recreation Department — offer short-term employment at entry-level positions. Parks and Rec director Nancy Rapp has proposed doubling the $25,000 now budgeted for those jobs, but that figure has fallen short of the $150,000 recently recommended by the Franklin Center Advisory Committee. Councilmember Williams, likewise, felt the city’s jobs program fell short, and urged Rapp to pursue providing the technical training necessary for the better-paying trades jobs. Williams also suggested that City Hall take a page from the book of the Barrio Boys — a program run through La Casa de La Raza that Williams said targeted the certified troublemakers. “They’re not ‘at-risk,’” Williams said of the Barrio Boys’ clientele. “They’re risk.”

Beyond that, the committee focused on a host of after-school programs that have suffered from cuts due to school district budget shortfalls. City Hall could pick up the school district’s slack to the tune of $40,000, though City Hall insiders grumble suspiciously that school district administrators are playing fiscal chicken with their city counterparts. For many young people, the city’s summer drop-in program offers the only semblance of summer camp they’ll ever know. These programs are typically provided throughout the city at the larger apartment complexes, and could be expanded. Likewise, the Parks department is examining whether to increase the number of teen dances it now sponsors (14), and whether to hold them in multiple locations simultaneously to reduce the chances of turf warfare. Also on the table are proposals to increase funding for and waive sign-up fees for after-school sports.

The city’s budget process is just now getting underway, with many wrinkles and competing claims yet to come. But Tuesday’s exercise marked the first time in many years that such focused attention was paid to youth programs, and with a clear eye on gang prevention and intervention. And to augment the funding sources, Councilmember Williams advocated raising the penalty charged for parking tickets. He was disappointed to discover that the police department already planned on increasing the cost of tickets — for drivers who exceed the city’s 75 minute free parking limit — from $35 to $38. That would raise $250,000 to cover general departmental costs. Williams initially suggested increasing the parking tickets all the way to $40 and using the proceeds from the extra $2 to cover the costs of neighborhood bicycle patrols and for prevention programs, if there was anything left over.

Such an increase may still be likely, but Williams and other councilmembers partially retreated in the face of claims that poorer, more densely packed neighborhoods were bearing a disproportionate burden when it came to parking tickets. Instead, he and the finance committee asked the police to investigate increasing penalties for every traffic violation except the 75-minute limit.

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For full text of this article, please go to:

SBI: Pay Now or Pay Later

Parking Fines Proposal

[ Excerpt of: "S.B. May Hike Parking Tickets to Hire Bicycle Cops to Address Gangs," by Melissa Evans, SB NEWS ROOM, May 23 2007 ]


In the wake of this spring’s fatal gang stabbing of a young teen, Santa Barbara officials discussed padding budgets for youth programs and police services as part of planning for the city’s budget over the next two years.

The city’s finance committee took no formal action Tuesday, but heard a report on the possibility of increasing the fees for parking tickets to pay for a bike patrol officer assigned to the Westside, and possibly Eastside, neighborhoods and other areas where troubled youth live.

Parking tickets are now $40, and the city may increase that by $5, some of which would be used to raise $100,000 to $150,000 for the bike patrol.

“I’m a real believer in community policing,” said Councilman Das Williams, a member of the finance committee. “If people knew they were paying an extra two bucks to make sure we have good policing in an area of the city that it needs it most … it might be an easier pill to swallow.”

The city pays a portion of parking ticket fees -- which gross about $4 million a year -- for street sweeping, staffing and administration...

The bike patrols have been a popular suggestion at community meetings and forums held after Luis Angel Linares, 15, was stabbed to death by gang members at Carrillo and State streets on March 14.

There are about 500 gang members in Santa Barbara. Violent crime is still relatively low, but concern has been heightened this spring due to a rash of stabbings and the violent death of Linares.

Other community members have called for more youth programs, after school activities and job training for those who are at risk for gang activity.

City officials heard a report from the city’s Parks and Recreation department requesting about $280,000 for new programs and an expansion of existing programs to serve youth in hopes of guiding them away from gang affiliation.

The programs include after school activities for youth at La Cumbre and Santa Barbara junior high schools, work training through an apprentice program for teenagers and expanded hours and staffing levels at the Franklin Center and Lower Westside Center.

The city is also hoping to add more teen dances, athletic activities such as handball and a “mobile recreation program” that would bring arts, crafts and sports equipment to various neighborhoods...

Members of the finance committee -- Williams, Helene Schneider and Chairman Roger Horton -- seemed supportive of the programs, but are still early in the budgetary process.

Last week members heard presentations from community groups, which collectively requested about $400,000 for various youth programs and community events.

City leaders are hashing out an estimated $100 million budget that will likely be voted on at the end of June. The budget includes only about $300,000 for extra expenditures such as youth programs and other requests from outside groups. Leaders may also decide to use some of that surplus to pad their reserves.

Another budget presentation will be made to the full City Council on June 4, and the Finance Committee will make its recommendations on June 5.

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For full text of this article, please go to:

SBNR: Parking Fines

Incumbents Kick-offs

[ Excerpt of "S.B. Incumbents Announce Plans for Reelection," by Melissa Evans, SB NEWS ROOM, May 18 2007 ]

Santa Barbara City Councilwoman Helene Schneider formally announced her intent to run for reelection... The two other incumbents up for reelection this Nov. 6 -- Councilmembers Das Williams and Brian Barnwell -- plan to make similar announcements...

Barnwell, a moderate Democrat, said he plans to make a formal announcement of his candidacy next Thursday. Barnwell has served on the city’s Ordinance Committee, the Sustainable City Program, the Transportation and Circulation Committee, among other posts.

Williams, a left-leaning Democrat, said he will make an announcement of reelection campaign May 29th at the Arroyo Burro Restoration Project. Williams has been active in the city’s discussion over a living wage increase, and other social causes. He serves on the finance committee, the Committee on Youth and Children and other appointments.

All three of the incumbents were elected to their first, four-year term in November 2003. If elected, the three would serve five years in their next term due to the city changing its election cycle to even-numbered years.

The filing period for the Nov. 6 election opens July 16, and continues through Aug. 10. If one of the incumbents should choose not to run, the filing period would be extended for one week.

Helene's Re-election Kick-off

[ Excerpt of "Schneider Kicks Off Re-Election Campaign," SB INDEPENDENT May 18, 2007, By Chris Meagher ]


[At] Santa Barbara City Councilmember Helene Schneider’s kickoff to her re-election campaign event... Schneider addressed the crowd a little more than an hour into the party, telling them it “warms [her] heart” to have their support. “It says a lot about what we’re trying to do,” she said, adding that public safety, homelessness, youth issues and making the city sustainable — from the clothes people wear to the cars they drive — are all areas of concern for her, she said. “We need to do all that while trying to balance the budget and be fiscally responsible,” she said, adding that the budget was balanced for the first time in years. “You get seven democrats on the council and see what happens to the budget.”

Fellow Councilmember Das Williams was busy passing out glossy blue cards announcing his own re-election campaign kickoff event next Tuesday at the Arroyo Burro Estuary restoration site, along with a reception later in the day at Arnoldi’s Café. Councilmember Brian Barnwell was also there, having recently sent off invitations to his kickoff party next Thursday at Brick’s Café on State Street...

Some speculate that this year’s election will be slower and will involve fewer candidates because the next one will give political newcomers a better chance at getting a seat, as current councilmembers Falcone and Horton can’t run again. The presumption seems to be proving true. Even though the deadline to file isn’t until August, the necessity of fundraising means that any serious contenders will have to file soon...

When asked if she might eventually position herself for a run at mayor when Marty Blum’s job is up for grabs in 2009, Schneider deferred, saying she was taking it one thing at a time. And with a potential charter amendment changing city elections from odd to even years, a mayoral election could still be three years away, she added before noting. “I’m not saying no.”

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For full text of this article as well as comments, please go to:

SBI: Helene's Kick-off





( Photo courtesy of Paul Wellman and the SB INDEPENDENT )


David Pritchett wrote at length about Helene's re-election campaign kick-off. It's not only a good read, but has some imbedded links that take you to further details and images. Check it out at:

DP: Helene's Kick-off

Styrofoam & Plastic Ban

[ Excerpt of "Santa Barbara Takes Step Toward Banning Plastic Bags" by Melissa Evans, SANTA BARBARA NEWS ROOM, May 16 2007 ]


City leaders on Tuesday took a step toward banning Styrofoam containers used for prepared food and plastic bags used at grocery stores in their efforts to become more environmentally friendly.

The idea, which would have substantial ramifications for consumers and businesses, has been discussed in prior meetings relating to the need to divert trash from the Tajiguas Landfill.

Members of the City Council were all supportive of the ban, and voted to send the idea to its Subcommittee on Solid Waste for review of legal and other issues.

The decision came after a presentation by a group of Santa Barbara City College students who are part of a sustainability workshop that encourages more efficient use of natural resources...

There is... precedent for these bans. The city of San Francisco banned the use of plastic bags a few months ago, giving grocery store chains time to accommodate the changes.

Several cities and counties, including Ventura County and Orange County, have banned the use of Styrofoam containers for prepared food.

Cities and counties cannot control “interstate commerce,” meaning they can’t regulate products that are shipped here from elsewhere, said City Attorney Steve Wiley. They can, however, control products and food that are made here, he said.

Councilman Das Williams suggested the bans be considered separately, because the Styrofoam ban is a “no-brainer,” he said, referring to other products that can be used for storage and the negative effects of the substance...

Santa Barbara and other cities that use the Tajiguas landfill are also required to limit their trash input over the next few years. Santa Barbara already diverts about 64 percent of its trash from the landfill, and must reach 70 percent by 2010.

The bans will be discussed by the Solid Waste Committee, and then be sent to the Ordinance Committee before the City Council makes any decision.

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For full text of this article, please go to:
SBNR: Ban

More Building Heights

[ The DAILY SOUND also covered the building heights discussion. The following is an excerpt of their coverage by Colby Frazier, DAILY SOUND staff writer, May 9, 2007 ]


... After hearing 44 public speakers and a brief presentation by Paul Casey, the city’s community development director the council voted unanimously to conduct a lengthy meeting with the Architectural Board of Review, Historical Landmarks Commission and the Planning Commission to discuss the current planning process.
Yesterday’s discussion, which swirled around the question of changing policy or keeping policy the same, ended with a pledge by the parties to analyze and get to know the current process better.

Casey said the meeting will occur in June or July and could be a half-day meeting...

[Councilmember Brian] Barnwell said his desire to have a hearing on the height issue was spurred by 10 projects currently in the planning process that exceed the 40-feet height level and current projects, such as a 60-feet tall condominium project under construction on lower Chapala Street.

The city’s current height limit is 60-feet in much of the downtown area and is lower in other areas.

Many of the council members noted their reluctance to amend building ordinances and code outside the context of the city’s general plan, which will enter the beginning stages of its update in June.

“Taking this one piece out of context of this [general] plan really bothers me,” said Councilman Grant House.

Barnwell agreed with House and the other council members that the most appropriate venue to discuss height changes would be to do so in the context of the general plan, but wanted the temporary ordinance to prevent several new “tall” structures from being built during that process.

“(My) concern is that during the discussion the 10 proposed buildings will get built,” Barnwell said.

In his presentation to the council, Casey said changing the height limit from 60-feet to 40-feet in the El Pueblo Viejo District, which loosely runs from the 101 Freeway to Victoria Street, will impact 1,200 property owners and will be thought of as down zoning.

City Attorney Steven Wiley told the council this type of wide sweeping ordinance could prompt lawsuits.

The high volume of public speakers was equally split on whether to remain at 60-feet or downgrade to 40-feet...

Some worry the plethora of proposed buildings will ruin the small-town, Spanish charm Santa Barbara is known for.

Others countered that small-town charm doesn’t exist without a working class, which one person said can’t live in Santa Barbara without efforts to provide affordable housing downtown.

If nothing else, yesterday’s discussion revealed the communities interest in the topic and the complex web of issues surrounding it.

“Complex doesn’t even begin to describe this particular issue,” [Councilmember Iya] Falcone said.

Councilman Das Williams feared approving a temporary ordinance would unleash unintentional consequences, such as “destroying workforce housing.” Williams said he would rather see four-story, 60-foot buildings setback from the street than three-story, 40-foot structures without setbacks.

“Even though I don’t like big buildings and I want everything to stay the same here in Santa Barbara it’s not going to happen,” Williams said. “If we have a town where there’s no working people we won’t have a pueblo.”

The council continually talked about the “tools” the different commissions and committees are able to utilize in order to deny a project during the approval process, which many at the meeting noted is fairly rigorous as it is.

“I think there’s a misunderstanding here that we can’t say no to a project,” Wiley said. “We can say no to a project.”

Casey pointed out that none of the current projects being constructed, which were referenced during the meeting, were even appealed before the council.

The comments by Wiley and Casey seemed to leave a lasting impression on Barnwell and the rest of the council, who decided the best course of action would be to sit down with the different commissions and committees that make up the planning and approval process in order to get on the same page...

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For full text of this article, please go to:
DS: Building Heights

Building Heights

[ Excerpt from "SB Leaders Agree to Talk More About Restrictions to Building Heights," by Melissa Evans, SANTA BARBARA NEWS ROOM, May 09 2007 ]


Residents packed City Hall Tuesday for an emotional and long-awaited discussion about building height limits in Santa Barbara and, more significantly, what downtown should look like in the future.

Nothing was decided at the meeting except the need to have more meetings.

Members of the City Council directed staff to set up a meeting for them with the Planning Commission, Architectural Board of Review and Historic Landmarks Commission to decipher what powers already exist to limit the size of buildings, and what new powers they can devise with the least amount of legal hassle.

City Councilman Brian BarnwellCity Councilman Brian Barnwell, who raised the issue, originally wanted staff to explore an interim ordinance that would restrict building height to 40 feet from the current limit of 60 feet for the next two years. That would give the city time to update its General Plan, a roadmap for the future, he said.

At the end of Tuesday’s discussion, however, Barnwell said “I couldn’t be more pleased and happy about what we’ve just done here,” he said, referring to the public debate.

More than 40 residents spoke during the three-hour hearing.

It was an odd mix of environmentalists agreeing with developers, with members of both groups arguing building heights should be left alone. And one of the biggest proponents of restricting building heights was Bill Mahan, a recently-retired member of the Planning Commission who approved the condominium project on Chapala Street that has generated disgust among residents who want to preserve the look and scenic views of downtown.

Mahan said he would have reconsidered the project had he known what it would look like. He and Barnwell both say they are concerned most about 10 projects now pending before various committees that could clutter the downtown with tall buildings, and the others that may follow before the city completes the lengthy task of updating its General Plan, a process that will begin next month...

City Attorney Steve Wiley... warned council members that approving even an interim ordinance would open up a lot of legal issues. A full environmental impact report, which would take up to a year, would likely be necessary to change city ordinance on building height, he said.

About half of the residents who spoke Tuesday urged leaders to wait for the General Plan discussion to talk about new restrictions on heights -- a discussion that will also lead to possible changes in set back requirements, parking requirements and the scale and mass of buildings. Other issues to be considered include affordable housing, transportation and open space preservation.

... Dan George of the Santa Barbara Contractors Association... was joined in opposing Barnwell’s idea by members of the American Institute of Architects, the American Planning Association, the Coastal Housing Coalition, the Environmental Defense Center and the Homebuilders Association of the Central Coast.

Environmentalists argued that higher buildings make better use of land, and that bringing more affordable housing to the downtown would reduce worker commutes.

Others who spoke in favor of the restriction said the city desperately needs a “breather,” pointing to the large number of buildings that are coming through the pipeline in a seeming rush to beat the General Plan update...

City staff presented several options for the leaders, including a Charter Amendment that would be put to a vote of the people; a change in the city’s zoning ordinance; strengthening the requirements imposed on buildings during the planning stage; or waiting a few years for the General Plan process.

Wiley, the city attorney, stressed that the Planning Commission does have the right to deny projects, but somehow over the years that evolved to “the idea that somehow we have to get to ‘yes.’”

The City Council and other agencies will look at their existing powers during this joint meeting, which will likely take the form of a half-day workshop in June or July.

The majority of Council members stressed the need for more public input, particularly because of the complexity of this issue.

Exemplifying the strangeness of the debate, City Councilman Das Williams, normally a slow-growth stalwart, said he may support taller buildings. He described higher buildings as the “least of evils” if the alternatives are developing open space or doing nothing to solve the city’s housing problems.

Others, including council members Roger Horton, Iya Falcone, Helene Schneider and Grant House, said they hadn’t decided their position on the issue but hoped the issues would be addressed in the General Plan process.

Barnwell said part of his goal was steering city staff toward issues that are important to people... this issue “needs to be a major bullet point in the General Plan discussion,” Barnwell said...

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For full text of this article, please go to:
SBNR: Building Heights

Dance Permits

[ Excerpt of "Safe to Dance - Sandbar Patrons Permitted to Be Footloose, Fancy Free" by Chris Meagher, AB INDEPENDENT, May 3, 2007 ]


“You can dance if you want to.” That’s the message the Santa Barbara City Council gave patrons of Sandbar by turning down an appeal and approving a dance permit for the State Street club Tuesday. The approval brings the grand total of dance permits for the State Street entertainment district to 21, out of a citywide total of 25.

The district — from the beach to Sola Street and from Chapala to Santa Barbara streets — is being maxed out by alcohol-serving establishments, permit opponents said. And it’s already the most highly concentrated area for alcohol establishments in the state, according to police... The unanimous decision upheld a Fire and Police Commission decision to grant a dance permit to Old Town Hospitality LLC, for Sandbar, at 514 State Street.

In the last eight months, 77 percent of cited crime in the 400-900 blocks of State Street occurred between the 400 and 600 blocks, with the 500 block alone generating 38 percent. The entertainment district is the most heavily policed area of the city, and over the last three years, 70 percent of the city’s alcohol-related offenses occurred there. But the issue is not dancing; the main concern is the offspring of careless alcohol consumption, most at the meeting agreed. Many who spoke up against allowing the permit cited late-night loud music from the clubs, as well as drunken patrons fighting, urinating, vomiting, and engaging in other unsightly and disrespectful activities as reasons to keep Sandbar from getting a permit. But no one referred to dancing as a reason.

A dance permit doesn’t change the noise level at all, nor does it change the amount of alcohol consumed, the council said. As Councilmember Das Williams put it, the city “should not use dancing as a proxy to vilify other problems in the city.” Many people drink without dancing and dance without drinking, he said.

So why a dance permit at all? The city, though it can offer an opinion, has no control over who receives licenses from the ABC (Alcoholic Beverage Control), so it uses the dance permit as a way to modify behavior. Sandbar will have the “strictest conditions put on a dance permit to date,” according to city staff. Conditions include a certain number of security guards, keeping windows and doors closed during certain hours, and no audible music beyond 50 feet from the premises.

Sandbar doesn’t need a dance permit to attract business, said Ron Newman, who took over ownership of the club in September. Three of Newman’s Sharkeez establishments in Southern California don’t have dancing and remain quite busy. But if the majority of alcohol-serving venues on the same block have dancing, then Sandbar needs dancing to stay competitive...

Meanwhile, one of Santa Barbara’s older drinking establishments, Mel’s, is still awaiting a hearing date from the ABC. Rent at Paseo Nuevo has gone “through the roof,” according to owner Michael Knapp. Thus, Mel’s is looking to move to the 400 block of State Street. Santa Barbara police aren’t terribly thrilled about the possible move and have even written a letter to the ABC opposing it. The differences between Mel’s and Sandbar are that the latter is already a bar, as opposed to a whole new establishment coming to the block, and that Mel’s only serves alcohol...

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To read the full text of the article, please go to:
SBI: Safe to Dance

Home Size Limits

[ Excerpt of "Council Approves Rules Limiting Home Size," By Barney McManigal, SANTA BARBARA NEWS ROOM, May 02 2007 ]


... Unanimously approving revisions to the city’s neighborhood preservation ordinance, the council adopted strict rules for how large homes can grow. After years of haggling, the Santa Barbara City Council on Tuesday passed a sweeping proposal limiting the size of most single-family homes in order to curb the “mansionization” of areas like the Mesa and San Roque.

... the council adopted strict rules for how large homes can grow -- at least on parcels less than 15,000 square feet. The council also created a separate design review panel to enforce the changes.

Since the city passed the original law in the early 1990s, ambitious remodels and new homes that dwarfed the houses next door fueled a push for restrictions.

For three years, neighborhood activists tussled with realtors over how to craft a formula limiting a home’s floor area based on its lot size. The plan that emerged Tuesday signaled compromise on several key fronts.

Under the revisions, properties less than 15,000 square feet are subject to a sliding scale of “floor-area-ratios” that would restrict a 4,000 square-foot lot to a home no larger than 2,200 square feet, including the garage. For a 14,000 square foot parcel, the limit is 4,250 square feet...

... fissures emerged [in the council's deliberations and public comment] over potential loopholes that critics said would allow homeowners to bypass the rules. For example, people who aim to build larger than the law allows could take their proposal to the city’s Planning Commission for approval.

Several speakers also noted that the rules only applied to homeowners building a second story. Residents building or expanding on to a single story house can go as large as they want until they hit a 4,000 square foot threshold for review.

“By putting restrictions on the size of only second-floor additions, this will encourage development on the ground floor,” said League of Women’s Voters spokeswoman Connie Hannah.

Citizens Planning Executive Director Naomi Kovacs expressed concern that floor-area restriction do not include so-called granny flats or residential 2nd units. But critics also blasted the revisions for being too restrictive.

Michelle Giddens, a spokeswoman for Citywide Homeowners, accused the council of “going too far” by failing to give homeowners enough room for their families...

Timothy Harding asserted that many expansions on the mesa have helped transform a area dotted with small World War II-era homes...

Most councilmembers kept their comments brief. Brian Barnwell and Helene Schneider expressed concern about the plan’s inclusion of carports in the overall ratio.

Das Williams said he endorsed an idea mentioned by one speaker, Riviera resident Diane Channing, to include guidelines for resolving disputes over homeowners’ views. Williams said the move would save the city money because it could reduce the number of appeals.

“If we can get neighbors to talk to neighbors and reduce appeals, I think there is a public interest in that,” Williams said.

As part of the revisions, officials agreed to split the existing Architectural Board of Review into two separate panels that review building designs. The ARB will tackle commercial buildings, while the “Single Family Design Board” will review single residences for compliance.

The new panel will have seven members who will meet twice each month and receive a $50 stipend per meeting. The total cost to the city each year is $35,000.

... At times, the speedy passage of the measure belied the grueling hours clocked by all parties.

“This thing has been chewed to death,” Councilmember Iya Falcone said in closing.

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For full text of this article, please go to:
SBNR: Home Size Limits

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