SHIRLEY KIMBERLIN Everything I list turns to SOLD! 805-886-0228 skimberlin@aol.com
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90 and riding strong
Bill Connell
JoHn PAlminteRi
Carpinteria loses “Hot dog Man”
Carpinteria’s resident hot dog slinger and blufftop conversationalist died on Feb. 5. bill Connell, 61, was found dead at his home that morning, and as news of his death spread, evidence of his local significance sprouted in the form of memorial bouquets where his American Surf Dog hotdog cart had stood flying its American flags for over two decades. Connell was a proud military veteran and fought hard for veterans’ benefits. He waged and won a 16-year battle to pass senate bill 809, which granted state sales tax relief for itinerant, disabled veteran vendors like himself. He often traveled to sacramento and returned to tell of his knocking on politicians’ doors to advocate for veterans’ benefits. His stories and warmth touched many people. Coastal View News’ posting of Connell’s death on its Facebook page received the most comments of any post ever at the page. memorial information can be found on page 6. In lieu of flowers, his family is asking that donations be made to: Vietnam Veterans of America, santa barbara Chapter 218, P.o. box 4862, santa barbara, CA 93140
Photographer david Powdrell reported to Coastal View News, “The ever-inspirational, constantly-on-thego daphne Carty turned 90 last week. I caught a photo of her riding her bicycle yesterday morning and thought it’d be fun to share with the community.”
Vacation rental ordinance rejected Council inaction scraps proposal, redirects efforts By Lea Boyd
it’s back to the drawing board for the City of Carpinteria’s new vacation rental ordinance. At a Feb. 8 meeting, the three councilmembers weighing in on the decision failed to reach a consensus in support of the regulations on the table, ultimately directing city staff instead to redraft a proposal that could limit vacation rentals to sandyland Road. Failure to agree with the main points of the draft ordinance, which would have created four subareas allowing vacation rentals in Carpinteria and cap the maximum number at 235, means that the existing moratorium on new vacation rentals will remain in place while another attempt is made by city staff and the matter is reconsidered by the planning commission and brought back to the council. For the first time since public hearings began last August, real estate agents, property managers and vacation rental
owners turned out in large numbers and advocated strongly for the city to continue as it had, with no limit to the number of vacation rentals on sandyland. several members of the public argued that the presence of onsite managers and the high density of existing vacation rentals on that street, which is closest to the ocean in the beach neighborhood, make it unlikely that the quality or character of the neighborhood would change should more be added. Driving the push for tighter restrictions is the impact of short-term rentals on residential neighborhoods as well as the loss of workforce housing stock as long-term rentals are converted. Councilmember Al Clark said he was opposed to allowing vacation rentals anywhere outside of the beach neighborhood, which is where 184 of the city’s existing 208 are located. Current zoning code allows for short
term rentals, anything rented for 30 or fewer days, in most areas of the city that allow for apartment buildings and other high density housing. Clark said that in essence the vacation rentals serve as hotels and should be illegal in any area that isn’t specifically zoned for that type of lodging. He noted that Carpinteria’s long-term rental vacancy rate is close to zero and lamented the fact that while the city celebrates each new affordable housing unit added in places like the new Casas de las Flores, dozens of affordable housing units have been allowed to “go out the backdoor” as long-term rentals are convertedDobbins to short term. “Whose town is this, the tourists or ours?” he asked. Clark’s strong stance on the issue curried no favor among the audience
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