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Council enacts moratorium on new vacation rentals
Jumping for joy
BY LEA BOYD
The City of Carpinteria has 218 permitted short term rental units, but staff estimates that the number of units serving as vacation rentals is closer to 300.
In an effort to squash a rush of applications for new licenses, the Carpinteria City Council unanimously approved a moratorium on vacation rentals at its Oct. 26 meeting. The temporary ban will remain in place while city staff works to draft a permanent ordinance to deal with a problem plaguing cities around the world. Internet companies like airbnb have made it simple for homeowners to connect with short term renters, but as a result, communities have lost a portion of their longterm housing stock. Neighborhoods have also suffered negative effects such as late night noise and overcrowded parking. The City of Carpinteria has 218 permitted short term rental units, but staff estimates that the number of units serving as vacation rentals is closer to 300. Transient occupancy tax is collected on permitted units but not those operating illegally, which are difficult to identify and regulate. In 2015, the city has issued 15 new licenses to operate vacation rentals, and five of those were applied for after the council took its first step in curbing new rentals two months ago. Existing city code allows vacation rentals in specific zones of Carpinteria, mainly the beach neighborhood and downtown. Short term rentals, which are rented for 30 or fewer nights, cannot be operated in most single family residential neighborhoods, such as those on the north side of Highway 101. The beach neighborhood has 169 permitted short term rentals, which represent 77.5 percent of all those operating legally in the city. Downtown districts have 34 permitted units. In August, the city council instructed staff to begin researching an ordinance to restrict the number of vacation rentals in Carpinteria, which will require approval of the planning commission and city council, as well as a 30-day period for appeals. Depending on how the
COUNCIL continued on page 21
This soaring silhouette by Alexandra James took top prize in the people category of the recent 93013 Photo Contest held by the Santa Barbara County Trails Council as a fundraiser for the final phase of Franklin Trail. Winners in several categories were celebrated at a reception on Oct. 17 at Carpinteria Arts Center. Other winning images can be seen on page 12. To donate to Franklin Trail, visit sbtrails.org/our-work/donations/
Former roller rink to become skatepark
Thunderbowl roller rink is targeted for reincarnation. In a unanimous vote on Oct. 26, the Carpinteria City Council identified the defunct recreational site adjacent to city hall as the home of a future skatepark. An agreement will be inked to make the Carpinteria Skate Foundation the lead on design, permitting and fundraising for the project. “We are really patient, really persistent and really grateful for the opportunity to bring a world class skatepark that will really benefit the community,” said foundation representative Jason Lesh. A feasibility study completed by the city in 2014 found the city hall property superior to alternative sites, including the city’s 5th Street property near the Amtrak station. The Skate Foundation had long pushed for a park in that location, though a handful of neighbors vociferously fought it. Now the city plans to build a community garden there. Since the release of the study, consideration has gone into where, specifically, the park would be best built at city hall given that the City of Carpinteria has
discussed constructing a new law enforcement substation and relocating its public works yard. “It will be nice to see the roller hockey rink go through kind of a renaissance and become a different kind of a rink,” said Councilman Brad Stein. The skatepark must go through the city development process, requiring plans to be approved by the planning commission and city council before permits are awarded. A memorandum of understanding between the city and skatepark foundation will also return to the council for approval. ––Lea Boyd
Skate Foundation holds video contest
See page 13