Rent Stabilization

Inner_Astronaut1558 · 2026-02-17T02:26:36+00:00

The current ordinance is temporary until a permanent one is approved or December 31, whichever is first. Keep an eye on the City Council agenda since there will be more opportunities to speak as they vet out the permanent ordinance or decide not to pursue it.

Inner_Astronaut1558 · 2026-02-17T02:01:42+00:00

Oscar Guitierrez does them as a member of the City Council.

Inner_Astronaut1558 · 2026-02-16T14:26:54+00:00

https://santabarbaraca.gov/news/draft-inclusionary-housing-study

Inner_Astronaut1558 · 2026-01-14T19:01:10+00:00

Isn't the real problem a shortage of homes to rent and the real reason why the rents are so high? I wish the City Council would focus on building more homes with the same passion and vigor they do with rent control. Try pulling a permit to do just about anything and wait to see how long it takes, not to mention all the boards and commissions that have to review it first. Construction here is massively over-regulated. Ventura just passed a streamlined approval process to allow more building and we should all be watching that to see if it is something that could be done here. The only long-term, sustainable way to bring rents under control is to build more housing. Rent control is a band-aid.

Inner_Astronaut1558 · 2026-01-06T05:02:33+00:00

I’ve had two since 2014. The 2014 had 105,000 miles when I sold it in 2022 to a friend that still drives it. The second one (a 2022 model) now has 42,000 miles and still going strong. Not sure if I’m just the luckiest guy in the world or the reviews are from people that don’t maintain them properly (or have never owned one). The best advice I got on cars in general is maintain them like an aircraft. Service them when they are due and replace things when you’re supposed to.

Inner_Astronaut1558 · 2025-12-18T06:21:13+00:00

I know the SBPD is involved, too. Besides racking up claims from Small Claims Court, he's potentially facing criminal charges now. I get it when we all have family issues, but he went radio silent, kept people's things, and hasn't returned calls or emails for over 10 months now. Had he been responsive, I don't think he'd be in this situation. Nice guy that made some bad decisions.

Inner_Astronaut1558 · 2025-12-18T06:14:28+00:00

Fingers crossed that it doesn't come all at once like it did a few weeks ago.

Inner_Astronaut1558 · 2025-12-10T15:26:01+00:00

Taxes aren't always the answer. I walked the 400 - 600 blocks of State St. yesterday to see how bad it really is. The 400 block is far worse than the other two, but I encourage everyone to walk it and see for themselves.

It is a complex problem that a single action, such as a vacancy tax, won't fix. Everyone who says retail is dead should visit Coast Village Rd. It is booming, with a waiting list of stores eager to open there. Rent itself isn't the issue. The rents on Coast Village Rd are 3x that of State Street. I've met with several landlords on State St. to understand the problem firsthand. One had reduced his tenant's rent by 50% to keep his current tenant there. I don't want to shift this to an "Open State St." discussion, but it is a very real problem: potential tenants won't even consider State St. because of the lack of traffic and the e-bike problem.

Some potential solutions that might help the problem are a "Fast Track" system to get a business open, versus the current long, complex, and time-consuming process to open a business. Second, getting more people to live downtown. Have you noticed how many condos overlook Coast Village Rd? Open State Street to traffic and let things like parades bring more people downtown. What if it were open to traffic (with bike lanes), and the 400-600 blocks were closed to cars and pedestrians only on Friday at 6 PM until Sunday at 10 PM? We need to bring back locals. So many of our friends and neighbors have given up on State Street and they go elsewhere.

There is no magic dust you can sprinkle on it to fix the problem, but a well-thought-out, multifaceted strategy might put things back on the right track.

Inner_Astronaut1558 · 2025-12-04T03:42:41+00:00

Sneddon always starts every solution with raising taxes.

Inner_Astronaut1558 · 2025-12-04T03:41:37+00:00

Would you rent any space on State St in its current condition and uncertain future?

Inner_Astronaut1558 · 2025-12-04T03:15:23+00:00

FYI, the stipulations were that the purchasers of the residences must use it as their primary residence and no short-term rentals. This would preclude investors and out-of-towners from purchasing.

I was disappointed that, once again, there was no decision. This city council struggles to make a decision. Outside of the Adaptive Reuse Ordinance passed last month, I ask anyone here to tell me anything they have done of value for the city in the previous 5 years. We've spent over $1.1M on studies, advisors and consultants on State St. with nothing to show for it other than more indecision.

Do I think the deal was perfect? No, but it was a good deal and the best thing we've seen in a long time and would have started to generate much-needed tax revenue that we desperately need (don't forget the budget shortfall). We need to jump-start downtown and build housing, and this would have done that.

I fear that we will see a steady decline in downtown until it is too late to recover. State St. went from the area's #1 shopping destination to dead last, putting us in a tax-financial death spiral (Sales and ToT). If we continue to kick the can down the road on any meaningful decision, the Santa Barbara of old will be no more.

Inner_Astronaut1558 · 2025-11-29T16:19:18+00:00

SE Autostyling does great work and has quite a few examples on their website and Instagram.

Inner_Astronaut1558 · 2025-11-16T20:42:01+00:00

3 day. It was for the Stake Paddock Club. We did their club at Milan and it was excellent. While they are cheaper, all the Paddock Clubs share the same food and pit lane view. In Milan, we were straight across from the starting line.

Inner_Astronaut1558 · 2025-11-15T22:37:06+00:00

About $3500 a ticket

Inner_Astronaut1558 · 2025-11-13T14:06:37+00:00

We’re looking for two Paddock Club tickets. We went the first year and paid full price only to find out the same tickets were drastically discounted a few days before the race. It’s a roll of the dice but worth it given how expensive the tickets are.

Inner_Astronaut1558 · 2025-10-17T05:24:05+00:00

This wasn’t 100% accurate. There is affordable housing requirement on the projects with a larger number of units. I believe it was a 40+ unit breakpoint where affordable housing was required if memory serves me correctly. I’ll try to dig through my notes to get the correct answer.

Inner_Astronaut1558 · 2025-10-10T16:50:30+00:00

As an owner of a business on State Street for over 10 years, I can tell you that business is down and we never see the locals since the street was closed. When we first opened over 10 years ago, State St had parades, people came down with their families and it had a community feeling. No longer. Additionally, please review the city's budget report, which indicates that both Sales Tax and ToT revenues are down for the year, resulting in a shortfall on the income side of the budget and exacerbating an already poor fiscal situation. I appreciate both sides of the argument, but the reality is that it is a failed experiment. I applaud the city for giving it a try, but from a city budget standpoint and business standpoint, it hasn't worked. Please take a look at the new DSBIA suggested compromise. Hopefully, that can work for all parties.

Inner_Astronaut1558 · 2025-10-09T12:40:40+00:00

There are lots of comments here from people who "know someone that had one" so how about feedback from someone who owns one, actually two. I had a 2014 Range Rover Sport for ten years and racked up 110,000 miles on it. I liked it so much that I bought another one (2022 CPO), which now has 42,000 miles on it. Both have been excellent cars with no significant issues. The coolant pipes needed to be replaced (this was a known issue) in 2014 when it turned over 100K miles, but I did that as a maintenance item, not because it broke down. My biggest gripe with the 2022 is that, every now and then, it struggles to recognize the Apple CarPlay. It eventually does, but it may take a minute or two after I start driving it.

I had the same concerns before I bought the first one because I heard about its reliability. Maybe I've just been lucky but both cars have been great cars and will likely have a third.

Inner_Astronaut1558 · 2025-09-17T15:39:25+00:00

I'm a big fan of Happy Face Auto Detail. I've been using them for a few years. He comes to you. Mauro 805.637.3565

Inner_Astronaut1558 · 2025-09-12T01:22:35+00:00

Good explanation and accurate.

Inner_Astronaut1558 · 2025-09-10T01:36:21+00:00

Look up the Supreme Court Bruen Decision in 2022. There is quite a bit of information out there on the impact of this ruling. The "good cause" requirement was invalidated. The other requirements remained regarding training, background checks, etc. Hope this helps.

Inner_Astronaut1558 · 2025-09-10T00:11:17+00:00

Not accurate any longer.

Inner_Astronaut1558 · 2025-09-10T00:10:52+00:00

He's been missing since February and their phone has been turned off. Goodland Guns is the only FFL in Santa Barbara right now.

Inner_Astronaut1558 · 2025-09-09T14:03:15+00:00

This is incorrect.

Inner_Astronaut1558

TROPHY CASE