The city of Carpinteria is moving forward with a plan to allow a developer to build a high-end hotel on Linden Avenue.
The City Council voted 4-1 on Monday night to enter into exclusive negotiations with the Theimer Group to build a $10 million hotel, with about 30-40 rooms, at 499 Linden Avenue, where a railroad depot and city parking lot currently exist on one side of the train tracks.
The city owns open space on the other side of the tracks, which under the proposal would be used to replace the lost parking.
The vote was not to approve a project, but rather to allow the city and the Theimer Group to formally negotiate terms of an agreement.
Jack Theimer, owner of the Santa Barbara-based company, said he anticipates paying the city $10,000 a month, or $120,000 a year, to lease the land, and about $360,000 annually in hotel bed tax — bringing the city nearly $500,000 in revenue per year.
Theimer said the project would be a “good investment” for the community because “we only want to do quality projects.”
Most of the City Council agreed.
“I feel this hotel, if done right, and I am confident it will be, as years go by, we’ll be known by that hotel,” said Councilman Gregg Carty.
Councilman Fred Shaw said the area of Linden where the hotel is being proposed has lost some of its “luster,” but the hotel would attract people the area.
He said many people who come into Carpinteria for business or weekend excursions stay in Santa Barbara because they want a nicer hotel, but this project would encourage people to stay in the city.
“This isn’t as big as it is made to sound,” Shaw said.
Councilman Roy Lee agreed.
“This could be great for our city and our small businesses,” he said.
However, a couple Carpinteria residents criticized the plan.
“The proposed new Inn is much larger and does not fit into our beach area,” said Judy Mulford. “It will bring in more cars for 40 rooms to our already impacted beach area.”
She also objected to the plan to put parking on the open space area near homes.
“Proposing another parking lot next to the residential area is not fair for the owners for their quality of life,” Mulford said. “It would be dangerous for cars entering and exiting that area.”
She also said “a new hotel will generate more cars, pollution and noise.”
Resident Marla Daily said the city was gifting public land to a private developer so they could profit.
“This land is the last remaining undeveloped, unbroken urban open-space corridor in town,” Daily said.
She said she doesn’t understand the rush to enter exclusive negotiations on the project.
“After decades, we don’t have our skate park or our dog park yet, so why is this project being jetted through the city process at warp speed?”
Only Carpinteria Councilman Al Clark agreed that the project was too large for that area of Linden.
“It’s more like Santa Barbara and Montecito and we’re not Santa Barbara or Montecito,” Clark said. “It is too large. It’s grandiose and pretentious for the community.”
— Noozhawk staff writer Joshua Molina can be reached at jmolina@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.