I am writing about the Santa Barbara City Council motion to adopt a Short-Term Rental Enforcement Pilot Program on the April 25 agenda.
Our daughters and grandchildren reside in Santa Barbara, so we are frequent visitors to your city. Our accommodations have included local hotels as well as short-term rentals.
While there are a wide range of lovely and desirable hotel properties in the area, it is rarely the affordable option. Once the resort fees, parking, assorted taxes and pet fees are assessed, what may have seemed affordable at the base room rate is simply priced out of any reasonable budget.
During high demand times (i.e. Fiesta, the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, holidays), market pricing can double and triple hotel property rates. I have seen rates for the Motel 6 near the beach for $299 a night during theses times.
Short-term rentals in the area have been a welcome alternative, especially when extended visits have been necessary.
Of course, the argument in favor of short-term rentals (STR) is the affordability, tax revenue for the City of Santa Barbara and Santa Barbara County, availability, etc.
These were the standard talking points in favor, and I would add that the friendships forged with our hosts and sense of community we have experienced while staying at a short-term rental has been an unforeseen bonus to our visits.
Getting the inside scoop from our hosts allows us to make the choice to spend our money at the locally owned businesses instead of the chains. This keeps the money in the community and supports small business.
An argument against these STRs is that it contributes to the housing crisis in Santa Barbara. I counter that by noting that the majority of short-term rentals are single rooms with available bathroom and no kitchen. While there may be appliances such as a microwave and a small refrigerator, it in no way meets the code requirements for a long-term rental and would not qualify to mitigate the current housing issue.
We have found that our hosts are regular people who are law-abiding citizens and take pride in their homes and properties.
What I found in researching this subject is alarming. Not only is this pilot program expensive, with a proposed cost between $947,000 to $1,402,000, it seeks to investigate and criminally prosecute these upstanding citizens of your community.
The ramifications are endless, with neighbors possibly being pitted against one another, people being forced to go underground to avoid huge fines and back taxes, an entire segment of society criminalized for trying to find a way to supplement their income to live in a beautiful albeit prohibitively expensive space.
It seems more logical for the City Council to propose a moratorium on this ordinance for a year. Allow the licensing fees and taxes to be collected, while using the nuisance model in the Coastal Zone for enforcement.
As the program sunsets, the data collected can be used to make the decision to change the current ordinance or move forward with enforcement. I see this as a viable solution that is not as punitive as the proposed pilot program.
Neighboring communities have successful short-term rental programs and ordinances, and I see no reason why Santa Barbara cannot do the same.
I urge the City Council to abandon the current proposed pilot program and consider alternative ways to work with their constituents and community members.
Kim Bean
Bakersfield
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At one time State Street in downtown Santa Barbara was one of the most attractive and vibrant streets in California.
A drive down the street was a must for visitors and locals alike to enjoy the Spanish motif, as well as to get a glimpse of the many boutique shops that adorned the street.
Equally enjoyable was the convenience of the electric trolleys and, of course, the parades and festivals that make Santa Barbara special.
This changed with COVID-19 as restaurants struggled to survive and the city offered help by closing off State Street and allowing restaurants to erect parklets for outdoor dining. While this rightfully helped restaurants, State Street became less accessible and the parklets turned out to be eyesores as well as dirty breeding grounds for rodents.
With COVID-19 officially over, there has been a great deal of discussion on how to return State Street to an attractive and vibrant thoroughfare. The best suggestion I’ve heard came from a restaurant owner whose main interest is making State Street a world-class destination for locals and tourists alike.
With that as the goal I suggest the following:
Widen the sidewalks and allow restaurants and retailers to use the space as they do in Paris, Rome or the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. Outside dining in settings with attractive wrought-iron fencing, colorful awnings and umbrellas contribute to the beauty of our city.
Make State Street a one-way street with a dedicated bike path. Add to this the return of electric buses for easy access to local businesses and, most important, bring back the parades and festivals to State Street that make Santa Barbara a destination for people from all over the world.
Expensive? Yes. Worth it in the long term? Absolutely!
George Lilly
Santa Barbara
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Regarding the April 19 article, “‘Beds Not Cells’: Families Urge County Supervisors to Keep Mentally Ill People Out of Jails,” my friend has been trying to manage the care of her schizophrenic daughter for the last 20 years. Two weeks ago her daughter tried to murder her.
There simply are not enough options to care and house people with severe and sometimes violent mental disorders. Interestingly, in the late 1970s there was a worldwide movement to shut down state mental facilities that were notorious for the abuse of its population.
I’m afraid we threw the baby out with the bathwater. The United States, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy and most other so-called developed nations all shuttered many of their psychiatric facilities. Part of our homeless crises is largely due to those closures.
I was unaware of some of the organizations that address these problems. Thank you for bringing their work and their stories to you readers’ attention.
Rick Perkins
Santa Barbara
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The Santa Barbara Public Library is a constant source of delightful surprises. With its new program, “The Library of Things,” library members can explore and even borrow an array of fun objects to explore at home at your leisure with family members, friends or individually — how they work, what are their secrets, how can our lives improve.
This is just an example of the curated collections that await us. The library is so much more than books. It’s a community center filled with engaging and enlightening programs from learning to art, to kids and teen activities, and a Library on the Go van that comes to you.
All it takes is a free library card. Public funding covers just a portion of the expenses for library operations and our tireless and creative librarians’ work. It takes private support to elevate our library and push it further into the 21st century with these vibrant activities.
I hope you’ll join me in supporting the Santa Barbara Public Library Foundation to ensure our library can continue to innovate unique activities like “The Library of Things.”
Thank you.
Peter Ginsberg
Santa Barbara
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I don’t understand why Jim Langley is allowed to proselytize in his opinion column. As he states in his April 15 commentary, “Mastering the Fundamentals”:
“But first you must come to Jesus with a broken and contrite heart, ask Him to forgive you of your sinful ways, accept Him as Savior and Lord and finally ask Him to open your eyes and ears to the Scriptures.”
I wasn’t aware that Noozhawk was a Christian-based newspaper. Please allow me that knowledge so I can take what you write in the proper context.
Fred Berge
Santa Barbara
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I am lucky enough to live near the ocean, and visit the local Linda Mar beach as often as I can.
Unfortunately, my visits of the past 10 years have been marked by the rotting stench of dead whales drifting onto the beach.
At first, they appear like a mistake in the landscape, an amalgamated mass of gray that churns with the waves, but as one gets closer they can see the truth: a majestic 150-foot creature lies limp on the sand, eyes open, and tongue lolling, dead from malnourishment — a graphic reminder that something is wrong within our oceans.
I don’t want my last memories of these creatures to be of pity, and yearning for what could have been.
It has been a long time since I have seen the happy flip of a whale’s tail, and I hope that changes with people’s increased understanding of our need to expand and fortify our Marine Protected Areas in California.
Tara Grover
Santa Barbara
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On Jan. 28, 1969, there was a devastating oil spill right off the coast of Santa Barbara. The destruction of nature that followed showed people that our attitude about the environment needed to change.
The disaster inspired Earth Day, and that legacy gives me pride as a student attending UCSB. It was a message that everyone needs to actively take care of the earth, because if we don’t, the consequences will be disastrous.
Unfortunately, this disaster did not stay long in the public memory. Our oceans are currently threatened by corporate interests that lobby to indiscriminately exploit the ocean’s natural resources, sea creatures or fossil fuels.
I urge you all to push Gov. Gavin Newsom to advise his state agencies to increase ocean protections to the necessary 30% level recommended by the United Nations.
The alternative is to surrender to those who won’t stop until they’ve killed the last fish.
Jake Twomey
Santa Barbara
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When I think of Santa Barbara, I think of the glittering ocean and beautiful beaches. The beach was a big reason that I chose to attend UCSB, and I’m sure many of my peers would say the same. However, this essential part of our culture and community is under attack.
California’s ocean and coastline are being threatened by destructive fishing practices and oil drilling.
The best way to protect our oceans from these industries is to establish Marine Protected Areas, which restrict destructive practices, allowing marine life to recover while protecting biodiversity.
California’s current system of MPAs is outdated and inadequate, putting beaches like ours at risk.
Therefore, Gov. Gavin Newsom must commit to expanding California’s MPAs and not allow powerful industries to keep hurting our oceans.
We must take action to ensure that the beautiful coasts we all love are preserved for generations to come. Contact your local representative to show support for expanding ocean protections.
Kyla Metchette
Santa Barbara
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