Faherty Opens in Montecito
By Tiana Molony   |   December 17, 2024

Twin brothers Mike and Alex Faherty, who had long dreamed of launching their own fashion brand, realized their vision in 2013 when they founded Faherty Brand. Now, over a decade later, they’ve opened their 76th store in Montecito – on Coast Village Road, no less. Since the grand opening on Friday, December 6th, store leader […]

The Post Montecito Opens: New Views Next to the Bird Refuge
By Tiana Molony   |   December 10, 2024

While attending a men’s fashion fair in Florence, Italy, David Fishbein and Joseph Miller, co-founders of Los Angeles-based real estate collective The Runyon Group, received a call. A property in Montecito was quietly hitting the market, “and no one really knows what to do with it,” said the man on the other end. “It’s kind […]

Marley Confections
By Tiana Molony   |   December 10, 2024

Growing up in a household where sweets were off-limits, Margaret (Marley) Van Sicklen, owner of Marley Confections in Montecito, developed somewhat of a sweet tooth. “All my allowance went to candy,” she recalled. Chocolate was her favorite. One bite of Swiss chocolate was all it took for 10-year-old Van Sicklen to fall in love with […]

CPC Unanimously Approves Miramar Plan
By Tiana Molony   |   November 12, 2024

On November 1st, the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission unanimously approved Rosewood Miramar’s mixed-used housing development plan.  Initially a vocal opponent of the plan, All Saints-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church ultimately reached a compromise with the Miramar, which involved reducing the scope of the project. “I stand before you today to say that All Saints withdraws any […]

Board of Supervisors Hear Music Academy’s Call
By Tiana Molony   |   November 12, 2024

At a lengthy meeting on November 5th, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted 3-0-1 to deny the appeal of the Montecito Planning Commission’s approval of the Music Academy of the West’s Revised Conditional Use Permit (CUP).  District 1 Supervisor Das Williams moved the vote under the condition that staff recommend no more than […]

Biltmore at the MPC: Schedules, Palapas, and More Discussed at Meeting
By Tiana Molony   |   October 29, 2024

On Wednesday, October 16th, the Four Seasons Biltmore received preliminary approval from the Montecito Planning Commission (MPC) for its updated development plan. The plan includes adding private hot tubs for the bungalows, renovating the guest houses, building a new pool, and renovating the outdoor dining deck.  Ahead of the vote, the MPC requested that the […]

MPC Recusal: Miramar and the 18 Pages Heard Around the Room
By Tiana Molony   |   October 29, 2024

The October 18th Montecito Planning Commission (MPC) meeting, scheduled for the purposes of discussing the Rosewood Miramar’s proposed expansion for mixed-use housing, abruptly ended when Commissioner Sandy Stahl recused herself halfway through, causing the commission to lose its required quorum.  The mixed-use housing development plan being considered, in advance of next week’s scheduled County Planning […]

Miramar at the CPC: Caruso, the Community, and County Planning Commission Weigh in on Expansion Plans
By Tiana Molony   |   October 22, 2024

On October 9, the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission (CPC) heard the Rosewood Miramar’s Mixed-Use Housing Development plan, which includes affordable housing for Miramar staff, new retail shops, a cafe, and luxury housing split between the existing East and West parking lots. The hearing emerged after Caruso’s team sent a letter to the CPC citing […]

The Miramar Plan: Rosewood Expansion Plan Heads to County Commissioners
By Tiana Molony   |   October 1, 2024

In October 2023, five years after re-opening under the ownership of Rick Caruso, the Rosewood Miramar officially declared its expansion plans, first presenting to the Montecito Association Land Use Committee and later the Montecito Board of Architectural Review.  The proposed plans include new affordable housing units for staff, luxury apartments for long-term rent, and additional […]

Biltmore Faces the MBAR with Its Future Unknown
By Tiana Molony   |   August 27, 2024

When the Biltmore opened its doors in 1927, a stone’s throw from the Pacific Ocean, various hotel aficionados around California gathered for dinner there. According to a December 1927 issue of The Morning Press, many praised it as “a hotel in the most beautiful spot in California.” Its Spanish Revival charm, easily recognizable by the […]