More Land Loss

I thought you might be interested to know there has recently been more land loss on Butterfly Beach. Also, I have been reporting for years to various bodies about how undermined the pedestrian/bike path is. Well over a month ago they put out signs to warn people. It has been reported in local news that the path was closed and now officially reopened. That is not accurate. Now the signs have fallen over the side and are littering the beach.

Jane Walker Wood

Keeping an Open Mind

We are disheartened by the negative responses to the Miramar’s housing and retail development project. A few points merit consideration in the interest of a fair and balanced dialogue:

Even if you disagree with aspects of the project, the Miramar team deserves recognition for its commitment to community outreach. More commendable is that the team has agreed to significant modifications to the project based on community input – including removing the entire third story of a building and a driveway, increasing the number of affordable employee units, reorienting the retail shop entrances and reducing their footprint, and increasing on-property parking. See https://themiramarinfo.com.

Throughout, the Miramar team has been professional and courteous, even in the face of some very harsh criticism from the community. 

Private property owners can use their property in the manner in which they choose and that is economically beneficial to them as long as it is in compliance with the law – whether the community likes it or not (e.g., Airbnb). To Miramar’s credit, here there has been outreach and opportunity for input and a demonstrated willingness to incorporate much of that input. 

This housing project, the only within Montecito, also helped achieve substantial compliance with the state-mandated Regional Housing Needs Assessment. At 26 affordable employee units and 10 market rate units, it is 72% affordable compared to the 20% affordable requirement under Builder’s Remedy and is privately financed. As the largest employer in Montecito, this project allows Miramar to offer existing employees an affordable, on-site housing option and create additional jobs.

There will be positives and negatives with any change to our community and change is admittedly difficult. We ask, though, that the community keep an open mind about this project and consider all perspectives.

Rock and Jan Rockenbach

Not Montecito Natives

I’m a native of Montecito. That’s in absolute contrast to a claim from a previous letter writer and supporter of Rick Caruso. That writer was born in Ventura County and his father was born and lived there, too. The mother was born in Los Angeles. 

In fact, my maternal ancestors can be found in Montecito on the 1900 census and lived here for the rest of their lives adjacent to the Miramar. 

From childhood I could genuinely walk to the Miramar from my family home. Fortunately, I can still do that. I believe the letter writer to whom I’ve referred purchased their home in 2003.

We attended All Saints by-the-Sea and my grandson will be a fifth generation student at Montecito Union School.

We are rooted in this special community, so it is understandable, therefore, that my family and I are extremely concerned over the possibility of a major expansion of the Miramar by the owner, an out-of-town developer. We certainly don’t see it as being a so-called “helpful solution” to our lovely community. 

To achieve an understanding of what’s at stake, interested and actual residents can attend the Tuesday, May 14th meeting of the board of the Montecito Association at 4 pm at Montecito Hall.

Sincerely,

Pamela Jameson Boehr