Gourmet wellness
UCSB’s GRIT Talks
Balfour’s Kitchen promotes plant-based meals and social change - B1
Faculty to present free virtual programs, beginning today - B2
Our 166th Year
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W E DN E SDAY, J U N E 23, 2 021
Supes approve largest cannabis grow in Santa Rita Hills By MADISON HIRNEISEN NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT
The largest proposed cannabis operation in the Santa Rita Hills was granted de novo approval by the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. In a 4-1 vote, Supervisors approved an 86-acre cannabis operation along Hapgood Road in the Santa Ynez Valley near neighboring Gainey Vineyard and Melville Winery. The project includes about 81 acres of outdoor cultivation and four acres of
nursery cultivation, with no onsite processing. The Board’s stamp of approval comes after a nearly two year battle on the part of SFS Farms, who initially proposed the project in July 2019. The project was originally approved by the county Planning & Development department in September 2020, but has since been appealed twice by Chad Melville, Ron Melville and Dan Gainey, who are owners of the neighboring estates. In February, the project passed through its first appeal process
More police coming downtown Santa Barbara Police Department announces more State Street patrols By GRAYCE MCCORMICK NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
There will now be an increased police presence in the downtown corridor of Santa Barbara and the State Street Promenade, effective immediately. The Santa Barbara Police Department announced on Tuesday that with businesses reopening and COVID restrictions lifting, it will assign additional officers directly to these downtown areas on an indefinite basis. The officers will be assigned to foot, bicycle and/ or motorcycle patrol. They will be patrolling on duty seven days a week, between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. Sunday through Tuesday and from 10 a.m. to 3 a.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Evening officers will have the primary responsibility of handling nightlife issues that
may stem from the reopening of many bars, nightclubs and restaurants. “Public safety is our number one goal, we want everyone to enjoy downtown and the Promenade, now that most pandemic restrictions have been lifted and a sense of normalcy is returning to our community,” the department said in a press release. Business owners in the 500 block and beyond had been sounding the alarm for more of a police presence in the area, mainly due to concerns of homeless individuals committing crimes, along with the general increase in crime as nightlife establishments reopen. However, Interim Police Chief Bernard Melekian told the NewsPress that transforming the department’s patrols had been a priority long before reopening
with the county’s Planning Commission, where officials denied the appeal and granted de novo approval after a hearing. This led the Melvilles and Mr. Gainey to file a second appeal, which went before the board of Supervisors on Tuesday. During Tuesday’s hearing, representatives from SFS Farms and both the wineries presented their positions to Supervisors. Officials from both the county’s Planning & Development department and SFS Farms responded to the concerns
outlined in the appeal filed by the Melvilles and Mr. Gainey during the hearing. One of the appellants’ primary concerns centered on the proximity of the proposed cannabis operation to the existing vineyards. With the cannabis operations taking place about 80 feet away, the vineyard owners raised concerns about the potential odor, pesticide drift and terpene taint that would come from the cultivation. Speaking on behalf of the appellants, Kurt Ammann, the
general manager of Melville Winery, said approval of this project would be “irresponsible” and would have a significant impact on the experience of visitors in the winery’s tasting room. “We conduct several hundred tastings each week outside,” Mr. Ammann told Supervisors. “Customers are evaluating the wine’s aroma, taste and texture. The odor is going to negatively impact those tastings. If those negatively impact our sales — without direct-to-consumer
business, Melville Winery will not be financially viable.” Mr. Ammann added that the direction of the wind will not only cause odor near his tasting room, but all the way into Solvang and Buellton as well. In addition to concerns over odor, pesticide migration and terpene taint, vineyard owners claimed in their appeal that the project should not be approved based on the “overconcentration” of cannabis in the Santa Rita Hills, non-compliance with the Please see SUPES on A2
No changes required for parklets
Please see PATROLS on A2
RAFAEL MALDONADO / NEWS-PRESS
The Santa Barbara City Council decided that the parklets downtown shouldn’t have to conform to the aesthetic guidelines developed by members of the Historic Landmarks Commission and Santa Barbara Chapter of the American Institutes of Architects.
City Council requests sidewalks be cleared to return to ADA compliance By GRAYCE MCCORMICK NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
COURTESY PHOTO
The Santa Barbara Police Department announced that it will assign additional foot, bicycle and/or motorcycle patrols in downtown Santa Barbara and on the State Street promenade, effective immediately, as businesses reopen and COVID restrictions are lifted.
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much different than the historical look of Santa Barbara.” Staff originally recommended that no new parklet enclosures be built, along with the removal of any fixtures not approved prepandemic and the removal of all overhead elements such as a roof, canopies and tents. Parklet owners would have also had to comply with approved colors, eliminate plastic Please see COUNCIL on A4
LOTTERY
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Business owners on State Street and around the city will not have to remove or change their outdoor dining parklets — for now. Going against part of the staff recommendation, the Santa Barbara City Council agreed that the parklets downtown shouldn’t have to conform to the aesthetic
guidelines developed by members of the Historic Landmarks Commission and Santa Barbara Chapter of the American Institutes of Architects. “It is a time downtown where the level of activity and the number of people walking on the street far exceeds anything I’ve ever seen in my history of Santa Barbara,” Councilman Mike Jordan said. “...What’s drawing people downtown and engaging them is something
Sudoku................. B3 Weather................ A4
Saturday’s SUPER LOTTO: 4-7-8-19-36 Mega: 3
Tuesday’s DAILY 4: 9-3-6-7
Tuesday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 1-26-48-51-59 Mega: 25
Tuesday’s FANTASY 5: 7-12-13-27-38
Tuesday’s DAILY DERBY: 08-09-04 Time: 1:47.64
Saturday’s POWERBALL: 4-22-35-38-39 Meganumber: 20
Tuesday’s DAILY 3: 8-6-3 / Midday 2-9-0