Rebuilding Updates

At last week’s Montecito Planning Commission hearing, the commissioners were briefed on the rebuilding efforts in Montecito by director of recovery Matt Pontes, First District chief of staff Darcel Elliott, and County planning staff. 

The County has been working the last few weeks to assign property owners to case managers and launched a new interactive website that links property history and current status. The map shows the progress of properties that have been “green-tagged,” meaning homeowners have cleared mud and debris out and are able to inhabit their home. The map, along with a plethora of information related to rebuilding and next steps, is available online at www.sbcountyplanning.org. 

Pontes reported that the County’s primary mission continues to be safety: protection from debris, traffic safety, and storm readiness. “Our common goal is to build a more resilient Montecito community,” he said, adding that numerous groups, both public and private, have pulled together during the clean-up and rebuilding process. The Army Corp of Engineers is nearly finished with clearing out our debris basins, which is an integral part of storm readiness, Pontes said. 

One of the most significant pieces of the puzzle is determining whether some areas will be rebuilt, and Pontes said it could be another 90 days before those determinations are made. “We are currently collecting land information, making sure we have the parcels, the creeks, and the boundaries all identified. That is going to be a big driver moving forward on our planning, building, permitting, and rebuilding plans,” he said. New people are being brought in to collaborate on the land information, including land mapping specialists, surveyors, financial planners, political experts, flood analysts, and FEMA land mappers. 

First District supervisor Das Williams’s chief of staff, Darcel Elliott, presented a power point to the Commissioners, to give an update on the group of stakeholders who will also help rebuild Montecito, within the confines of the Montecito Community Plan and Architectural Guidelines. Hundreds of people responded to the County’s call to action, providing survey answers and volunteering time to the rebuilding process. One-hundred twenty-nine people signed up to be leaders, volunteering to be regularly involved in the development of future plans. Elliott said that plans are in place for those leaders to meet and discuss next steps. 

The survey also garnered ideas for Montecito’s future, including improving bicycle and pedestrian access, building a memorial park for the lives lost in the 1/9 debris flow, and undergrounding utilities during the rebuilding process. Survey respondents reported wanting the Montecito Association, local business community, and County P&D to be included in the process. 

Concurrently, a series of informational meetings at Montecito Union School are being planned by the Montecito Association, to provide a platform for County officials and first responders to provide the latest information and answer questions about the recovery process. The first was Wednesday, February 28, from 5 to 6:30 pm. Two subsequent meetings will be held March 14 and March 28 at the same time and place. Topics for the meetings include an update on red-tagged homes and updates on mud and debris removal. 

For the latest on the recovery process, as well as information for future storms, visit www.readysbc.org.