Christina McDermott

A screenshot of available Homes and Villas properties for a month-long stay in October, 2025. | Credit: Marriott Bonvoy Marriott is in the home-sharing business, and that means the hotel conglomerate makes dozens of houses and apartments around Santa Barbara available for its guests. The conglomerate lists homes in 49 California cities as well as around the country and globally. It works with property managers rather than owning the homes outright, according to the Homes and Villas website. In Santa Barbara, some homes listed are owned by LLCs. Others are in trusts. However, Santa Barbara city's prosecuting attorney, Denny Wei, said it doesn't matter who owns it. It matters if the property is being rented short-term or long-term. Short term rentals are only permitted in certain areas in the city and operators must pay a transient occupancy tax of about 12 percent. Homes and Villas offers long-term stays in areas such as the Riviera and Goleta where short-term rentals are not permitted, and require a 30-night minimum. Since it is not considered a short term rental, no transient taxes are collected. Marriott's long-term stay prices range from about $107 a night for a 1-bedroom in Goleta to more than $1600 a night for a 4-bedroom waterfront property on the Mesa–which would cost more than $50,000 for a month's stay. Wei said that while the city's zoning ordinances do not allow short-term rentals in some of the coastal areas, a court ruling, Krake vs. The City of Santa Barbara , basically prohibited the city from enforcing in the coastal zone,” Wei said, “unless there is a nuisance complaint” such as guests trespassing onto neighboring properties. When the city did crack down on illegal short-term rentals in 2023, it saw a net gain of about half a million dollars in unpaid taxes and fines. Marriott did not respond to a request for comment.

Whether Santa Barbara County upholds a nearly 85-year-old height restriction on a property in Hope Ranch could impact which future developments can gain approval in the upscale coastal residential community. When the ranch was first developed roughly 100 years ago, some properties had deed restrictions, limiting residences to a single story. The current complaint , filed by Max Liskin in June 2022, alleges that the Hope Ranch Park Homes Association and Marc and Pauline Lowe entered into an agreement to waive a 1940 deed that restricted the number of stories on the Lowes' property. It alleges they did so without telling Lowes' next-door neighbor, Max Liskin, or publicizing the board meeting where the decision was approved. In a letter to Hope Ranch's HOA, dated earlier that year, Liskin stated he opposed the two-story plan, saying that it would impact his views and privacy. At least two other neighbors wrote letters opposing the project. Liskin's initial complaint charged HOA members and the association with a breach of fiduciary duties and fraudulent concealment, but a settlement was reached that dropped these charges removing the need for a jury trial. Now, a major question remains: Should the courts uphold the 1940 deed restriction? Liskin's team argues that the Lowes' property is subject to the deed restriction that protected the privacy and character of the area and that the Lowes' proposed 8,300-square-foot building near the bluff's edge will adversely affect Liskin. The Lowes' defense argues that if the restriction is upheld, the Lowes will be the only property owners on the bluff-top side of the street who are unable to build a two-story home, and that another home with a single-story height restriction in their deed has already built two stories. On October 29, Judge Donna Geck requested statements of decision from both parties, which are due November 22. Judge Geck will later make a final decision.

Will property owners be allowed to waive restrictive deeds?

When's the last time someone sat down and read you a story? For the growing number of audiobook fans, that could have been this morning. “The world has exploded, and the opportunity has exploded,” said Pamela Dillman, a Santa Barbara voice actor, narrator, and producer. It's true. In June, the Audio Publishers Association reported that the industry's revenue increased 9 percent in 2023 after growing by double digits for more than a decade. The Association reports that 38 percent of American adults have listened to an audiobook in the last year. The industry is now worth more than $2 billion. Dillman, who has her roots in acting, said she started narrating audiobooks in the ‘90s, when there were fewer opportunities. She said the annual Audiobook Publishing Conference — the field's major networking event — consisted of a few dozen publishers and 50 or so narrators. But over the past three decades, she said, thousands of narrators have flocked to the industry as more titles are recorded each year. Narrator, voice actor, and actor Claudia Dunn said she's one of those thousands. Dunn has a degree in music and dance, and worked in the White House Press Office in the ‘80s. After leaving Washington, D.C., she moved to Los Angeles to do on-camera work, with voiceover work, such as commercials, industrial narration, and video games, coming as a natural outgrowth. In 2019, she turned a serious eye to audiobooks, starting work with a private coach. Dunn said she's seen a growing diversity in narrators — especially since the pandemic, where she said the industry gained an influx of different voices and a greater awareness of authentic casting. “People weren't doing a Spanish accent anymore. You were getting an authentic first-language Spanish speaker. That was expanding the business and the whole industry,” Dunn said. Narrating audiobooks is, Dunn said, an athletic endeavor that requires attention to the quality and consistency of your voice over several hours. “As a beginner narrator, maybe you would have a ratio of six hours of prep and recording — this is kind of an industry window — six hours to one finished hour,” Dunn said, adding that the ratio goes down with experience. For Dillman, there's also an eye for perfection and endurance, such that the narration sounds consistent from chapter to chapter. “If your tummy is grumbling, if you're dehydrated, if you didn't get enough sleep the night before, it shows in your voice,” she said. “So, if you're picking up from the chapter you recorded the day before and then you happen to listen to them back-to-back, you're like, ‘Wait a second. I need to record that whole chapter, because it literally isn't a match and it will throw the listener off.'” Within Santa Barbara, Dillman and Dunn said there's a growing interest in recording and producing audiobooks, especially from independent authors in the area. “What I think is especially unique about Santa Barbara is the Santa Barbara Writers Conference. It's really a hub for indie authors,” Dunn said, adding that she's presented about audiobooks for the last couple of years of the conference and noticed authors slowly gaining an understanding of the marketing power of publishing an audiobook and print edition simultaneously. “When authors understand that, they start thinking in terms of releasing as an audio before they even finish their book,” Dunn said. Dillman said that publishing an audiobook edition of a title alongside a print edition can also help independent authors catch the attention of a major publisher. “The independent publisher and to a certain extent the narrator can help with that marketing because the more we are known and respected the more attention we will get for that finished product for that for that author,” she said. Dillman's production company, Unforgotten Books, came about during COVID-19, when she started learning the technical aspects of audio production. It initially focused on recording and producing books in the public domain. “I began to become fascinated with how many books that were recorded in the early days of the audio world,” she said. “Perhaps it's time to examine whether they should be rerecorded, and many of those are in the public domain now.” From there, Dillman said, she started hiring other narrators whose voices suited particular texts, eventually expanding beyond the public domain to contemporary independent authors. “That's what I really have become really passionate about is the opportunity for independent authors to understand the importance of the audio realm in promoting their product and having it be seen and heard by a wider audience,” she said. Audiobooks do reach a wider audience, from the visually impaired to those with reading disabilities or those with long commutes. While audiobooks are on the rise, so is voice technology and artificial intelligence. Both Dillman and Dunn were honest about how AI is changing the industry. Dunn noted that they, as narrators, are constantly upping their game. “It's important that we don't rest on our laurels, and what worked 10 years ago isn't necessarily going to work now,” she said. Dillman said that while AI is making strides toward realistic voices all the time, it's still missing that “human element.” She said just the other day, someone sent her recordings made with AI, and initially, the voice sounded authentic, down to its breaths and quality. “It was only when you listened for a more dedicated period of time that you realized, ‘Oh, wait a second, there wasn't actually a reaction there,'” she said. Ultimately, for both Dillman and Dunn, art comes down to the human experience. “I don't think human beings are going to eventually decide wholly to only engage in the non-human experience,” Dillman said. Both Dillman and Dunn received nominations for several 2024 SOVAS (Society of Voice Arts and Sciences) Awards in multiple audiobook categories. The Gala ceremony is held December 8 at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles.For more information, see pameladillman.com and claudiadunn.com Fri, Nov 08 5:00 PM Santa Barbara Sun, Nov 10 7:00 PM Santa Barbara Sun, Nov 17 11:00 AM Solvang Wed, Nov 06 All day Santa Barbara Wed, Nov 06 10:30 AM Santa Barbara Wed, Nov 06 7:00 PM Santa Barbara Thu, Nov 07 5:00 AM Santa Barbara Thu, Nov 07 4:00 PM Santa Barbara Thu, Nov 07 5:00 PM Goleta Fri, Nov 08 5:00 PM Santa Barbara Sun, Nov 10 7:00 PM Santa Barbara Sun, Nov 17 11:00 AM Solvang Wed, Nov 06 All day Santa Barbara Wed, Nov 06 10:30 AM Santa Barbara Wed, Nov 06 7:00 PM Santa Barbara Thu, Nov 07 5:00 AM Santa Barbara Thu, Nov 07 4:00 PM Santa Barbara Thu, Nov 07 5:00 PM Goleta

District 1 candidate Wendy Santamaria is poised to be the city’s newest councilmember.

Mission: Implausible?Eight-Story Housing Project Proposed Behind Santa Barbara Mission Developers Look to Build Giant Residential Building Under California’s ‘Builder’s Remedy’ Law

Three Democratic backed props were defeated.

More than 200 people took the plunge at Santa Barbara's East Beach for this past January's Polar Dip, which was attended by a total of 300 people, according to organizer Hugh Margerum. | Credit: Harry Rabin Since 2017, a hearty group of folks have gathered at East Beach to kick off the new year with a Polar Dip in the chilly Pacific Ocean. But this January 1, the bathers will have to take the plunge on their own. The Dip is on hiatus. Artist Hugh Margerum, who began organizing the event eight years ago with his friend Julie DeAngelis, said that in mid-November, the city, for the first time, required providing lifeguards, trash and recycling receptacles, portable toilets, a permit for all food or beverages provided to the public, liability insurance, and a business tax certificate for any vendors or organizations receiving donations. “Julie, and I talked about it, like, what are we going to do? It was going to cost probably about $3,000 to fulfill all the things they wanted,” Margerum said. Ultimately, he and DeAngelis decided to cancel the event this year, concerned with trying to fundraise on short notice in December when many charities seek donations. Santa Barbara's Parks and Recreation department, which is in charge of permitting special events, said permits are required when an event includes more than 75 people. This is to make sure events follow city rules and to prevent a conflict over the location — for example, if two groups want to use a public facility at the same time. The department said they aim to receive permit applications 90 days in advance, but can work with applications submitted at least 30 days in advance of the event. The first Polar Dip began with just five friends, Margerum said, but it has grown each year. Last January, more than 200 people took the plunge with many others coming to cheer them on. He even started making certificates and celebratory buttons. Last year, Margerum and DeAngelis partnered with the volunteer group Adam's Angels, which provides necessities like toiletries and food to homeless people, low-income students, and at-risk youth in the Santa Barbara area. This year, they were planning to partner with the educational nonprofit Explore Ecology, which engages students with environmental stewardship and helps keep the ocean clean. He said that next year, with more advanced warning, they can get the official paperwork in place, and eventually, he hopes, Explore Ecology will to take over the Polar Dip as a fundraising event. Whatever happens, Margerum believes there's something essential about people wanting to go in the water. “I'm not a religious guy,” he said, “but it's kind of like a baptism in a way. It's the first day of the new year, whether you've been drinking the night before, or whether you're just a sporty person, [you] get up early, and it feels good to go in the water and it feels good to go with a whole bunch of people.”

Some KEYT employees, including videographers, editors, multimedia journalists, directors, and producers, voted to unionize last month with a 17-13 majority. On December 3, the National Labor Relations Board certified the vote, making Local 600, the union, the employees' representative for collective bargaining. Local 600 represents 13 other broadcast news stations nationwide. KEYT's owner is News-Press & Gazette, a family media company headquartered in Missouri.

A rendering of the "visitor-serving shops" proposed for the Rosewood Miramar | Credit: Courtesy The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors unanimously denied all appeals against the current iteration of the Rosewood Miramar expansion project on Tuesday, clearing the path for the housing and retail project to finally proceed. The current project, led by billionaire and resort owner Rick Caruso and his development team, proposes 26 affordable housing units for the resort's workforce. It will also include eight market-rate apartments and 17,500 square feet of commercial space to hold up to 12 boutique shops and one café. The project is split over two sites — both currently parking lots — with the affordable housing located on the eastern lot, behind the hotel and the market-rate apartments and shops located on the western lot, near All Saints-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church. Supervisor Das Williams, who represents District 1 (which includes Montecito), said the scale of affordable housing the project provides will help the community. And thanks to a recent change to the project, the affordable housing will be permanent rather than for the 55 years required by the state “This is the highest percentage [of] affordable housing [in a] private project that I've seen in 20 years in this community,” he said. “Most of the time when people are against local housing, it's because they are not sure that it's actually going to go to local people or local workers. Well — 76 percent of it has to go to local people or local workers.” He added that the worker housing would help the area's transportation issues by cutting down on the number of commuters heading to the resort. Because of its affordable housing component, the project falls under the Housing Accountability Act; the act prevents Santa Barbara from denying or reducing the project unless the project has a significant adverse impact on public health or safety. On Tuesday, the Board heard five appeal cases over the period of about four hours. The appeals were filed by neighbors, as well as UNITE HERE Local 11 — a union that represents hotel workers in Los Angeles, Orange County, and Phoenix — and Heal the Ocean, a local nonprofit organization focusing on wastewater infrastructure and ocean pollution. County Planner Willow Brown outlined each issue in a presentation to the board and provided the county's assessment of each, finding that none had merit. Issues raised included the impacts of construction to the area, traffic congestion and parking problems, evacuation feasibility concerns, a lack of fair and impartial hearing (given the switch from the Montecito Planning Commission to the County Planning Commission), coastal access impacts, coastal zoning regulations, and inconsistencies with Montecito's community plan. Appellants also raised concerns about flood dangers. The affordable housing is in a FEMA flood zone. Heal the Ocean's founder and executive director Hillary Hauser said there were problems with Caruso's report on flood risk, according to a separate report by Integral Inc., an environmental and engineering consulting firm. Integral's findings state the Caruso team's report had inadequate stormwater control calculations, given the likely increased precipitation in storms fueled by climate change. “It is our request of this board that this project be put on hold until some of these issues are resolved, because the implications of what Integral has discovered are significant and have to do with human safety as climate change bears down on us,” Hauser said. During the rebuttal period of the hearing, Chris Robertson, Caruso's senior vice president of planning and development, said that Caruso team submitted a sea-level-rise report that determined the project would be safe from flooding and erosion, as well as a project hydrology report that was approved by the county. Further, she said that the proposed underground parking structure is on elevated ground and its floor will be 11 feet above groundwater. Some appellants also said that the project was divided into small segments to avoid a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review and the project site should consider the entire resort. The county says that the project site is limited to where development will occur, rather than the whole resort, citing CEQA guidelines. The project has garnered significant attention, with both the county and Montecito Planning Commission listening to hours of public comment. In September, four members of the Montecito Planning Commission threatened to resign after County Planning Director Lisa Plowman made the decision to have the County Planning Commission evaluate the project. The county avoided these resignations by permitting the Montecito Planning Commission to hold a hearing on the project on October 18 and to make a recommendation to the county. Montecito's commission lost its quorum abruptly during its hearing, and ultimately was unable to give its recommendation. Representatives from All Saints-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church also factored into many of the hearings, with concern over the market-rate apartments and shopping center voiced repeatedly. On October 30, the Church and Caruso's team announced they had come to an agreement: the second story of the building in question would be set back an additional 40 feet from the church. The county planning department approved the project November 1. At Tuesday's Board of Supervisors meeting, Supervisor Laura Capps also highlighted the numerous changes the Caruso team had made to the plan, based on community feedback, including reducing building heights, reducing the number of market rate apartments from 15 to eight, increased the number of employee apartments from 14 to 26, reducing the retail space. The meeting adjourned with applause from supporters. Fri, Dec 13 12:00 PM Santa Barbara Fri, Dec 13 7:00 PM Santa Barbara Sat, Dec 14 7:00 PM Santa Barbara Fri, Dec 13 5:00 PM Santa Barbara Fri, Dec 13 12:00 PM Santa Barbara Fri, Dec 13 7:00 PM Santa Barbara Sat, Dec 14 7:00 PM Santa Barbara Fri, Dec 13 5:00 PM Santa Barbara Fri, Dec 13 12:00 PM Santa Barbara Fri, Dec 13 7:00 PM Santa Barbara Sat, Dec 14 7:00 PM Santa Barbara