Montecito Association’s Latest

At Tuesday’s Montecito Association Board of Directors meeting, Montecito Fire Chief David Neels announced that a new temporary fire station south of the freeway is opening in Montecito this week, in response to the community-wide traffic congestion currently occurring. 

“We are concerned about emergency access due to construction, and we are augmenting our emergency response until the San Ysidro overcrossing opens,” Chief Neels said, announcing that a team of two firefighters and a Type-6 engine will be stationed on Hill Road at the Biltmore parking lot until August 22. “We feel it’s the right thing to do; there are so many elements occurring on our roads, and we want to be able to be prepared.” The two-person team will improve emergency response times on the south side of Highway 101. 

A Wildfire Preparedness meeting will take place on June 28 at El Montecito Presbyterian Church at 6 pm. “It’s a good time to revamp and get ready for fire season,” Chief Neels said.  

Also at the meeting, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Lieutenant Butch Arnoldi reported on recent crimes in Montecito, which include a burglary and subsequent arrest at Summerland Inn; vandalism at the Rosewood Miramar; DUI on Olive Mill and Channel Drive; mountain lion on East Mountain Drive; and a pedestrian versus train incident at Bates Road at the county line. 

Cold Spring School superintendent Dr. Amy Alzina reported that with kids out of school for summer, progress will soon be complete on the new building, and that a remodel of the campus kitchen will also occur this summer. We’ll have more on this next month. 

First District Supervisor rep Darcel Elliott reported on a parking issue on Humphrey Road, with “no parking” signs being removed with the end of the Covid-19 Pandemic. The signs were placed at the beginning of the pandemic to encourage social distancing, and nearby residents have been vocal about keeping the signs indefinitely. Elliott said the Coastal Commission will likely not allow “no parking” signage that close to the beach, but that Supervisor Das Williams is pursuing different options, including no overnight parking, which will help with camping issues. 

Philipp Posch and Bryce Ross with the Rosewood Miramar were on the Zoom call, giving an update on several items happening at the resort. The team told the MA board that the hotel is constantly wanting to be better, and wants to be a positive part of the community. The Miramar will participate in the Village Fourth Road Show on the 4th of July. 

Ross summed up several developments at the Resort, including the impending approval of the swim platform. As we reported earlier this year, the platform project is being pursued by the Rosewood Miramar team in an attempt to recreate the beloved ocean swim platform that was once located off the shores of the historic Miramar Hotel; the platform was part of Miramar owner Rick Caruso’s original proposal when he resurrected the iconic oceanfront resort. The swim platform, the size of which has not yet been determined, would be anchored to the ocean floor and would likely be in operation from May 1 through October 15 each summer, weather permitting. The platform would be available for use by the public. Ross said it has been purchased, with permits pending. 

There are also plans to add 10-15 employee units on the Miramar site, after the property was identified by the County as a potential site for additional housing units. There are currently four employee housing units on the property.

The Miramar team is also looking to add additional shopping options and more casual eateries.