Two appeals filed by neighbors against the Miramar Hotel development were withdrawn last week, moving the long-abandoned property a couple of steps forward on the path to renovation. A third appeal also has been withdrawn.
According to a joint statement issued by Miramar owner Rick Caruso and Jean and Stan Harfenist, next-door neighbors to the property, the Harfenists are withdrawing the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, lawsuit they filed against the project after it was approved by Santa Barbara County officials last year. As part of the settlement, the couple is also dropping an appeal filed with the California Coastal Commission.
“Throughout this process we have been supportive of a new hotel at this site, but we had concerns that we felt needed to be addressed,” the Harfenists said in the statement. “This agreement accomplishes that goal.”
That agreement calls for the parties to work together to fix the drainage in the area, particularly ongoing problems with flooding at Oak Creek.
Meanwhile, the Citizens Planning Association of Santa Barbara County had also filed with the Coastal Commission a separate appeal on the $300 million project. That appeal has also been withdrawn.
“CPA has the greater interest of the community at heart,” Naomi Kovacs, executive director of the Citizens Planning Association, said in a statement. “By withdrawing our appeal, we were able to make way for Mr. Caruso to commit to work with Miramar neighbors to improve the drainage at Oak Creek.”
Caruso said he was ready to move forward.
“I am pleased we have put this chapter behind us, and we can proceed with real planning for the hotel,” he said.
Caruso has been paying nearly $1 million per month to maintain the property at 1555 S. Jameson Lane. The hotel has been shuttered for nearly 10 years while various owners tried to figure out what to do and how to finance it. Caruso said he wants the Montecito community to know that his 192-room oceanfront project will be a “first-class, family-friendly resort hotel.”
Michael Phillips, chairman of the Montecito Planning Commission, said his panel will now be looking at design elements, for which community sentiment appears to be cottage style. Phillips said the commission is still figuring out what that would look like, but he cited examples such as the Four Seasons Biltmore Resort and San Ysidro Ranch. He said the next step would be submitting plans to the Montecito Board of Architectural Review.
— Noozhawk staff writer Lara Cooper can be reached at lcooper@noozhawk.com.
