Santa Barbara County Action Network joins with the Environmental Defense Center in urging you to take action to protect Gaviota State Park from Sable's pipeline

Here is EDC's September 22, 2025 message:

SB 237

SBCAN thanks the Center for Biological Diversity for bringing awareness to SB 237, a bill which would put public health in danger and deter our plan to transition to cleaner energy. 

SBCAN signed on to this letter to urge the legislature to VOTE NO on SB 237.

As of this past weekend, SB 237 is in law.

City of Santa Barbara September 8, 2025 - Adaptive Reuse Ordinance

SBCAN Co-President Dick Flacks continues to lead weekly Housing Brainstorms with other housing advocates to try to find creative solutions to remedy Santa Barbara's housing crisis. 

On September 9, the Santa Barbara City Council considered an Adaptive Reuse Ordinance. The goal for housing advocates in favor of this was to make it easier to convert underused or vacant nonresidential buildings (office, retail, etc.) into multi‑unit or mixed‑use housing. 

Pasted below are elements of the letter that Co-President Flacks wrote to the Santa Barbara City Council: 

SBCAN urges adoption of the proposed ordinance aimed at encouraging projects to convert existing buildings for residential use. This has the potential to increase availability of housing for the community labor force. At the same time, it provides opportunity to revitalize the Santa Barbara downtown, while preserving the distinctive look and feel of our city.

There's a danger however. It is that the resulting housing will be priced beyond the means of most of the workforce, serving the tastes of upscale or transitory tenants. A downtown inhabited by wealthy folks, enjoying the privilege of a 'place' in Santa Barbara, enjoying the service of low wage workers unable to live here, is always one feature of our local situation. WE need to plan and encourage a better future.This is why, at least, existing inclusionary requirements must be maintained, And as staff observes, you will be evaluating the city's inclusionary policy in the near future. It would be a big mistake to be guided by the special pleading of paid lobbyists in these circumstances.

City council voted to delay deciding on levels of inclusionary requirements (requiring developers to include affordable rental units in proposed projects) pending completion of a city study of the impacts of such requirements on housing production.

Notice of Environmental Delay for 1609 Grand Ave, Santa Barbara

Although SBCAN supports housing for our local workforce, we strongly urge the City of Santa Barbara to consider the health and safety implications of developing a 53-unit building on Grand Avenue. 

If you have any objections, comments, evidence, or concerns about the project or the applicant’s written notice, please submit them to [email protected] by September 30, 2025.

Santa Maria General Plan

SBCAN will continue to make recommendations to promote equitable and sustainable growth for Santa Maria. If you or someone you know is interested in review the Santa Maria General Plan draft, please reach out to [email protected] to participate in a working group discussion.

Message from the City of Santa Maria:

Draft General Plan and Environmental Impact Report 
Available for Public Review 

The Draft General Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) are available for public review and comment from Thursday, August 14th, to Sunday, September 28th, 2025. 

WHAT’S BEING PLANNED: The Community Development Department is preparing a comprehensive update to the City’s General Plan. The nine individual Elements, or chapters of the City’s Draft General Plan include goals, policies, and implementation activities that serve as the master plan for Santa Maria’s growth for the next 25-30 years. The Draft EIR analyzes the potential environmental impacts of the growth contemplated by Draft General Plan. 

WHERE YOU COME IN: The public review period will be an opportunity to review the Draft General Plan and the EIR and to provide your feedback to the City. Each of the General Plan Elements, the Draft EIR document, as well as a form for providing feedback, are available at the project website: http://www.imaginesantamaria.com/draft-general-plan 

Comments may also be submitted within the public review period to Dana Eady, Planning Division Manager, by email at [email protected], or mailed/delivered to the City of Santa Maria Community Development Department (110 South Pine Street, Room 101, Santa Maria, CA 93458). All comments must be received by September 28th, 2025. 

Department: Community Development 
110 S. Pine Street, Room 101 
Santa Maria, CA 93458 

Contact Person: Dana Eady, Planning Division Manager 
Telephone Number: (805) 925-0951 ext. 2444 
Email Address: [email protected]
 

On September 8, the SB County Board of Supervisors legislative committee voted to bring a resolution in front of the full board.

Stay tuned for a date when the proposed resolution will come before the Board of Supervisors and join SBCAN in urging our elected officials to hold emitters and companies responsible for climate pollution and to force them to mitigate the damages caused to our environment and communities.
 

Thank you to Catalina Morancey and her team at the Santa Barbara City Public Library and the Eastside Library for allowing SBCAN to sponsor and support the Día de los Abuelos event on September 6 at the Santa Barbara Eastside Library. Grandparents of the Eastside were invited to use virtual reality headsets to explore the world's most beautiful waterfalls, decorate candles, and partake in a Polaroid photoshoot. 

SBCAN Assistant Director Nancy Avoce enjoyed sharing laughs with community residents and discussing advocacy efforts to help promote the Eastside's economy.

Catalina Morancey, Spanish Outreach Coordinator 
& Nancy Avoce, SBCAN

Abby Lindors, SBCAN Volunteer & Event Photoshoot Director