How to Slip on a Banana Peel

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Miramar Doubletalk? When Miramar hotel owner Rick Caruso virtually begged the Montecito Planning Commission for a denial, was it so he could hang a for-sale sign on the wreckage --- or, more likely, quickly appeal to the Board of Supervisors?

Chances are, the supes, known for their pro-development proclivities, would have pondered oh-so-long-and-hard and then air-mailed an OK to Caruso. Instead, he faces an August 28 commission hearing on county planners’ request for a supplemental impact report on the water supply issue and other questions. In any case, unless a new suitor arrives on the scene, the whole enchilada is expected to eventually wind up in court, given the millions involved and the ferocious opposition to Caruso’s rebuilding plan.

On the Beat

El Encanto Charm: Now compare the long-running Miramar fiasco with how smoothly Orient-Express progresses with rebuilding the equally aged El Encanto Hotel. After buying the classic Santa Barbara hilltop El Encanto a few years ago, the Orient-Express people found that instead of just renovating the main building, they had to tear it down and start from scratch because the foundation was too far gone. But O-E, experienced in dealing with trophy properties needing upgrading, worked with city planners and kept the neighbors clued in, even had an open house last year to show how well things were being done, including rebuilding the cottages. And they had the sense to keep the new El Encanto pretty much to its traditional size, not try to ram a grandiose resort down the city’s oh-so-sensitive throat. But they are pros at the resort business and Caruso is not. With the El Encanto closed, GM Clive O’Donoghue has left to take over the O-E’s swank Inn at Perry Cabin resort in Maryland. (It’s hardly a ramshackle shed. It’s a gorgeous place on the Maryland shore.) He’ll be replaced at El Encanto by Bruno Brunner, another of the Orient-Express stars, formerly of the St. Regis in L.A. and Reid’s Palace Hotel in Madeira, arriving after Labor Day, I hear. Date for reopening of El Encanto not announced.

Won’t Seek Re-Election: Amrita Salm, facing certain strong opposition in next fall’s Carpinteria Union School District election, has decided not to run. Salm and two other board members voted this year to end Carpinteria High School’s Indian sports imagery, arousing vehement objections from residents who cited long local tradition, while the board trio found the images offensive to Native Americans. “After much thought and careful consideration, I've decided not to run for re-election to the CUSD School Board when my term expires this fall,” Salm announced Monday. “In addition to continuing my commitment to Carp Cares for Youth, next year I will teach in India, something I've wanted to do for a long time. I was happy to serve the Carpinteria community as a school board trustee, and am proud of the many improvements I was able to contribute to in our schools, such as stronger academic programs, expanded mental health services, and the creation of many new opportunities for our children to learn. Thank you for your support and I look forward to seeing more academic achievements in the Carpinteria Unified School District.”

Helene & Atlanta: Enterprising David Pritchett checked into Travis Armstrong’s contention that Santa Barbara City Councilmember Helene Schneider took a junket to Atlanta at city expense. But, Pritchett learned, the charge was false. Hard to believe, but Travis apparently jumped to the wrong conclusion, Pritchett found. In fact, Schneider told me, she hasn’t been in Atlanta since high school days. Seems that back in 2005, she attended a conference on city business in Salt Lake City, flying on Delta. The ticket credit card invoice on city records mentioned Atlanta, apparently because that’s where Delta has its HQ.

Yosemite’s Not in Wyoming: Readers of the Santa Barbara News-Press were surprised to read the lead paragraph on Page One to learn that “A fire burning in the mountains near Yosemite National Park in Wyoming was expected to be fully contained Monday.” Maybe this story was exported to India for copy editing.

Why Desal? With the City of Santa Barbara pondering whether to activate the mothballed desal plant, one has to wonder what the scenario is. The multi-million-dollar plant, built back when the city faced a drastic drought, was seen as an emergency source to keep the town from drying up and blowing away. But following a brief trial it was never put on line, because the rains came. Then part was sold off to Saudi Arabia. The question is: Is the city going to keep it available for the next crisis, which is sure to come, or crank it up and squander the water on new development, leaving us without that emergency reserve? Or something very costly in between?

Land Leapfrog: Even folks in San Luis Obispo County to the north know that Santa Barbara County supervisors are soft touches when it comes to development, unlike SLO planners. In fact, according to SanLuisObispo.com, a south county rancher named H.D. Perrett “is asking that his 4,700-acre Suey Ranch be removed from San Luis Obispo County and annexed to Santa Barbara County. Opponents say he wants to eventually annex his land to Santa Maria and build houses, which is more difficult under San Luis Obispo County rules. Perrett says it is just more logical to annex to the county to the south, and he has no immediate plans to grow anything other than agricultural products.” (He can’t grow stuff in SLO County?)

Related Links

• More On the Beat columns
• David Pritchett's story on the non-visit to Atlanta

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