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Council approves Housing Element Update
Reach for the sky
By DalE MyErs
The Carpinteria City Council in its Nov. 10 meeting unanimously voted to adopt the 2015-2023 Housing Element Update to the city’s general plan, as well as authorize staff to submit the document to the State Department of Housing and Community Development for certification. Housing Element certification is desirable for many reasons, not least of which, it can help support the city’s local land use authority in the event of a legal challenge. Additionally, certain grantfunding programs require a certified Housing Element as a prerequisite for eligibility. At its previous meeting on Oct. 27, the council also received a proposal recommending revising the city’s second-unit standards regarding minimum lot size. However, despite approving the Housing Element at its Nov. 10 meeting, the council could not act on the second-unit issue. “The Housing Element the council is approving isn’t policy that requires any changes to second units,” said Steve Goggia, community development senior planner for the City of Carpinteria. “That requires a zoning code amendment before any of the changes could become effective.” Currently, the minimum lot size requirement for second units is 8,000 square feet, but the community development department proposed changing that requirement to 7,000 square feet in order to encourage the production of more second units, thus creating approximately 759 eligible lots. “I oppose that reduction,”
See COUNCIL continued on page 24
JOEl CONROy
Bruce O’Donnell loads up on a sky-high floater at the Doc Carty Classic beach volleyball tournament. O’Donnell was one of 24 players gunning for the championship in the King of the Court battle for local volleyball supremacy on Nov. 8. High-flying Julian Lopez beat out the competition to earn bragging rights in the tournament to honor William “Doc” Carty, the late school district superintendent, philanthropist and volleyball enthusiast who was integral to the creation of the courts at linden Beach. For more photos and event coverage, see pages 12 and 13.
550 Maple avenue Project goes to arB
The Carpinteria Architectural Review Board will review a project on Nov. 13 to transform the 500 block of Maple Avenue into what architect Dylan Chappell is calling “Carpinteria’s first model of sustainability and Smart Growth,” an urban planning strategy that concentrates growth in compact, walkable areas to avoid sprawl. The project, which includes converting an existing 9,594-square foot commercial building into 10 two-bedroom apartment units and restoring six existing cottages, will reduce the current overall lot coverage by 6,000 square feet. The property runs between 6th Street and the railroad tracks. It was purchased last summer by Thom Vernon, a developer who completed his The Cottages project in the 4800 block of 7th and 5th streets recently. “One of the main goals of the (Maple Avenue) project is to keep the authentic Carpinteria feel and charm of the block by repurposing and reusing existing structures, not to bulldoze the block and do a generic condo project,” stated Vernon. “This means having a block that looks like it was developed over time with buildings that are diverse in size, shape, style and function, but all relate to each other and function as a whole.” Plans also include removal of two dilapidated and nonconforming structures on the site, installation of drought tolerant landscaping and creating bioswales, landscape elements that remove silt and pollution from surface runoff water. Currently, the site has only 30 percent of the city mandated off-street parking. The plans under consideration provides for all city-required off street parking. The 550 Maple Avenue Project is scheduled for a conceptual review by the ARB on Thursday, Nov. 13 at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, 5775 Carpinteria Ave.
DylAN CHAPPEll
an architectural rendering of the 550 Maple avenue Project highlights the sustainability features designed for the property. These include reuse of existing structures and drought resistant landscaping.