Rosewood Miramar Goes to the Board of Supervisors

Over one year ago, the Rosewood Miramar went before the Montecito Association Land Use Committee to share its expansion plans. From one county meeting to the next, Miramar owner Rick Caruso and his team presented numerous iterations of the plan, each time receiving feedback from county officials, neighbors, and other community members who voiced opinions, positive or otherwise. 

The resort moved closer to construction when, on November 1st, the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission approved the plan. While Miramar’s neighbor – All Saints-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church – was initially an appellant, it withdrew its opposition before the meeting after reaching a compromise with the Miramar. On December 10th, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors denied all appeals to the plan, paving the way for the project to progress. 

As it stands, the project will include 26 affordable housing units for Miramar staff and eight market-rate apartments. Another 17,500 square feet will hold 12 shops and a cafe. 

The supervisors heard appeals from neighbors, the Los Angeles-based labor union UNITE HERE! Local 11, and Heal the Ocean (HTO), a nonprofit concerned with ocean pollution and wastewater infrastructure. Appellants raised issues related to environmental impacts, public access, traffic, air pollution, evacuation concerns, flooding, and parking. 

Hillary Hauser, executive director of Heal the Ocean, shared that the nonprofit “is all for affordable housing.” However, she was concerned that the affordable housing would be located in a FEMA floodplain. Worried about human safety and the effects of climate change, Heal the Ocean engaged Integral Consulting Inc., an environmental consulting company, to peer-review the hydrology studies submitted by Miramar regarding reports on drainage, stormwater control, and sea level rise. 

“It is our request of this board that this project be put on hold until some of these issues are resolved because the implications of what Integral has discovered are significant and have to do with human safety as climate change bears down on us,” said Hauser.

Cliff Gherson, who lives near Miramar, appeared before the Board of Supervisors as an appellant of the project. Gherson felt there was “a lack of a fair and impartial hearing by the planning commission at their November 1st meeting.” He cited Commissioner John Parke’s refusal to recuse himself despite his communications between All Saints and the Miramar. 

Gherson also argued that the retail component would harm Montecito’s charming character and violate the community plan. “By having so much retail space at the resort, it goes beyond the incidental needs of visitors and completely changes the character of the place,” he said. 

Other appellants wanted an entire California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review, feeling that it was “piecemealed.” However, county staff said the project is exempt from CEQA as it meets the conditions required by a residential or mixed-use housing project. 

Miramar’s senior vice president of planning and development, Chris Robertson, addressed some claims during the rebuttal period. She refuted claims of a parking shortage, citing their study, which confirmed adequate parking. She also assured the supervisors that Miramar’s sea-level rise report showed “that the project will be safe from coastal hazards, including from flooding and erosion.”

She also highlighted that under the State Density Bonus Law, Miramar must make affordable housing units affordable for at least 55 years. However, Miramar voluntarily committed to maintaining their units’ affordability for the project’s lifetime.

Ahead of the vote, Supervisor Das Williams said that while he disagreed with the “legal points made by the appellants,” he thought their sentiments were “well-taken.” He also said that while he isn’t enthusiastic about the commercial element of the plan, he believes that “people have the right to make money. A business has a right to make some money.” 

Supervisor Laura Capps said she fully supports workforce housing. However, she acknowledged that Montecito still has a long way to go regarding affordable housing compared to its civic counterparts. “And again, this is a very small step, 26 out of thousands that are happening elsewhere, but it does get my enthusiastic support,” she said. 

Supervisor Joan Hartmann was impressed by the quality of the employee housing, noting that the employee housing units are in a visible and prominent location rather than being stuck in the back. “I think many of us would love to live there,” she said. 

The project received unanimous support from all supervisors. However, it can still be appealed to the California Coastal Commission.