MA Discusses Winter Storms

At this month’s Montecito Association Board Meeting, Montecito Fire Chief David Neels, along with reps from the Sheriff’s Department, Flood Control, and Office of Emergency Management, gave a presentation on the upcoming winter, which is expected to be a heavy rainy season. 

Chief Neels presented a recap of last winter, in which there was historical rainfall on January 9. Following last winter, watersheds in the Santa Ynez Mountains, upslope of Montecito, have been significantly loaded with sediment. Land surveys show at least 1,200 landslides of various sizes above the community. “We’re using science as much as we can to prepare for this winter season,” Chief Neels said. “Even five years post-fire conditions, we are having significant movements on the hillsides.” 

There is a one in three chance this winter will become a “historically strong” El Niño, meaning there is a higher chance that El Niño impacts will occur. “Its potential impacts to California are unknown,” Chief Neels said, adding that record ocean temperatures are adding to the phenomenon. 

County Flood Control Director Walter Rubalcava reported that culvert clearing and winterization of creeks and basins will be complete by early December, and Office of Emergency Management Director Kelly Hubbard says the key going into this winter is to be prepared for wet weather and possible evacuations. Messaging from the Office of Emergency Management is forthcoming, Hubbard said. 

A discussion ensued regarding road construction in Montecito and issues that might arise during evacuations. Mike Logie, Captain at the California Highway Patrol, said a team of leaders collaborates to determine how to evacuate residents safely, which may include opening thoroughfares through road construction areas. Chief Neels added that the Montecito Fire Protection District is finishing its second evacuation study, which suggests reducing the size of evacuation areas to prevent traffic issues. “We are adjusting as we learn new things,” Chief Neels said. 

Residents are encouraged to sign up for alerts at www.readysbc.org, and to ensure their contact information and address are correct. 

Also at the Montecito Association meeting, there was a brief discussion regarding the proposed expansion of the Rosewood Miramar Resort, with a rep for the project reporting that after last month’s MBAR hearing, the project team is reworking the proposal to incorporate design and community feedback. The project includes adding more employee housing – 16 units in addition to the four already on-site – as well as 12 new resort shops plus a café, and 12-15 market-rate apartments that would be available for long-term rent. The employee housing would be located on what is currently the eastern parking lot, and the new shops and market-rate apartments would be located on the western corner of the property, at the corner of South Jameson and Eucalyptus lanes.

Several concerns were brought up by attendees at the meeting, which included concerns over traffic on the corner of Eucalyptus and North Jameson, parking, size, bulk, and scale of the project, and the addition of more high-end shops. MBAR member Claire Gottsdanker, who was in attendance at the meeting, said: “There is no way that MBAR is going to approve the project they brought to show us. Ultimately, they are proposing a three-story building in that area, and there is no way the board of architectural review is going to approve what they’ve given us to look at,” she said. No word yet on when the project will be back in front of MBAR. 

During community reports, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Lieutenant Butch Arnoldi reported on recent crime in Montecito. Those incidents include a drunk driver arrested at North Jameson and Miramar Avenue; a neighbor dispute on Eucalyptus Lane; grand theft of cash and jewelry on Olive Mill Lane; stolen vehicle found on Lilac; 20 pistols and rifles in Summerland turned over to authorities; another grand theft of jewelry on Olive Mill Lane; and a stolen vehicle recovered on Coast Village and Middle Road. 

First District Supervisor Das Williams’ rep Darcel Elliott reported that a community meeting is scheduled for November 29 at 5:30 pm at Cold Spring School to discuss a Flood Control Master Plan for Montecito. The County of Santa Barbara is beginning a multi-phase project to investigate flood mitigation options, starting with developing a plan for the community of Montecito. A Flood Mitigation Master Plan will be created to guide the planning, design, and construction of improvements to mitigate flooding and flood water impacts to the community. The plan will investigate potential solutions and improvements for flooding in Montecito, for the drainage areas associated with Montecito Creek, Oak Creek, San Ysidro Creek, Romero Creek, and their tributaries.

Pat McElroy reported that the ring nets project is on a long pause, with the nets removed earlier this month. “Unfortunately, we were unable to make a deal with the County regarding keeping the nets in place,” McElroy said. “We ran out of time. It was a goal of ours to give this over to a government agency, and we ran out of time,” he added, saying that the nets had to be removed before the rainy season. 

For more information about the Montecito Association, visit www.montecitoassociation.org.