Tag archives: Miramar

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, […]

La Arcada, the charming thoroughfare off State Street, had its 29th annual Christmas Walk with carolers in Dickensian costume, a real snow machine and free popcorn for 1,000 guests. Youngsters were even able to send letters to Santa Claus with typewriters in the Crafter’s Library which, given their age, was probably the first time they’d […]

Santa Barbara County is a place where we value inclusivity, compassion, and support for all residents, regardless of gender, faith, ethnicity or political affiliation. There is still more that unites us; we are stronger together.  Beginning today, we will be even more vigilant to ensure the safety of all people, especially the most vulnerable. Immigrants […]

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 […]

I’ve lived in Pacific Palisades for 22 years, and lived through Caruso’s redevelopment of our downtown area into a modern shopping mall. He was clever in his approach – buying up and closing down local businesses for years so that when the time came to present his plans, much of our community supported it, because […]

I’d like to clarify a couple of points regarding my recusal from last Friday’s MPC hearing. I did give an ex parte declaration at the beginning of the meeting as is required. I gave some specific names and also at the end said that I had also spoken with a great many neighbors, especially some […]

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 […]

Friday, October 18 was a dark day for those who care about the principles of integrity and fairness in Montecito. This was the day the Montecito Planning Commission utterly failed in its mission to faithfully abide by its legal and ethical obligations in representing our community. Their unfinished hearing amounted to a self-inflicted wound that […]

Mr. Hazard, let’s begin with your 1st point (MJ Vol. 30_40, October 3-10, 2024) that the Rosewood expansion will provide “Workforce Housing for Employees.” Yes, affordable Housing is GREAT but only when it’s available to the community at large, not for self-serving interests taking advantage of a poorly written bill; SB-330. So 26 affordable housing […]

In a major collaborative effort to bring its work in marine conservation to our town, Project Zero has appointed MICHELIN Chef Massimo Falsini as an Ambassador. Massimo is the Chef-Partner of Caruso’s Restaurant at the Rosewood Miramar Beach. He has proven to be a dedicated environmentalist, taking that commitment into his kitchens with sustainable sourcing […]

Befuddled. I rarely use this word, but found it the most appropriate to describe what I witnessed at the MPC meeting regarding the Miramar project. Talk about Amateur Hour(s).  There are a lot a great people in Montecito, who earned their place, with pure intent, and who want nothing more than to preserve the beauty […]

I give my strongest possible endorsement to Guy Walker for County Board of Education, for the Trustee Area including most of the Santa Ynez Valley, Vandenberg Village, Los Alamos, and Guadalupe. Guy has worked hard for many years as a volunteer in the field of education and understands the challenges and opportunities our students face. […]

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 […]

Having lived and grown up in Santa Barbara over the last 70 plus years, my wife and I came to appreciate how important SBCC is to the health and welfare of our community. We attended local public schools and took advantage of SBCC upon graduating from high school. She was in one of the first […]

All Saints-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church has been a part of the fabric of Montecito since the cornerstone was set for our Sanctuary in January of 1900. We strive to love our neighbors as ourselves and respect the dignity of every person. We have a legacy of inclusion, aspiring to tell and exemplify God’s love for every […]

Next Wednesday at 9 am on October 9, 2024, the Rosewood Miramar Beach Resort and its charismatic owner, Rick Caruso, will meet with the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission (CPC), seeking approval for needed improvements to make their resort more attractive to its 5-star clientele and to the Montecito community. What will the CPC be […]

On the cover of the previous issue (Sep. 26, 2024), we inadvertently used a rendering from a group opposed to the Rosewood Miramar development instead of the proposed rendering that had been provided by Caruso’s team to the County Planning Commission. This was unintentional and accidental. The image had also been modified without notification by […]

I was dismayed to see the Journal’s front-page headline stating that the Miramar “short circuits local process and heads to county,” accompanied by a fabricated image of the project. The Miramar has done nothing except recognize, along with the County, that the law leaves the jurisdiction of this matter with the County rather than with […]