Appliance Repair in Santa Rita Park, CA

A permit for a small cannabis cultivation operation on Santa Rita Road about halfway between Buellton and Lompoc was approved last week by the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, which rejected an appeal focused primarily on an easement for accessing the site.

Supervisors on Sept. 21 unanimously rejected the appeal filed by JCCrandall LLC of the Planning Commission’s approval of a conditional use permit for Santa Rita Holdings to grow 2.54 acres of cannabis on a site where cultivation is already taking place as a legal nonconforming use.

The permit will allow Santa Rita Holdings to cultivate 1.88 acres of mature plants under hoops and 0.55 acres in the open, with 0.11 acres used as a nursery, according to a County Planning and Development staff report.

County planner Gwendolyn Beyeler said the operation will have three employees who will live on-site with an additional 12 employees added during the three-day harvests three times a year.

The operators estimate annual water use will be 1 acre-foot, which is about 326,000 gallons or enough to serve roughly two households.

Beyeler said no odor-causing drying, curing or trimming will take place on site, as harvested cannabis will be frozen and trucked away.

That trucking out the cannabis via an easement over private property was the crux of JCCrandall’s opposition.

“Although we appealed the permit on multiple grounds, our main argument applies to this easement and the county’s decision to allow a commercial cannabis activity over my client’s property without my client’s consent,” said Ernest Guadiana, representing JCCrandall.

Guadiana said because cannabis is still illegal under federal law, his client could be prosecuted as an accessory and have her property seized, and he noted state law requires the written consent of a property owner before a cannabis operation is approved.

He said even if his client consented to the easement use, the road is inadequate to handle large cannabis-hauling trucks, and if the permit was granted, the county should require Santa Rita Holdings to widen and improve the roadway.

But Jason Hillenbrand of Santa Rita Holdings said several surveys of the site have been conducted to assure cultivation is not taking place within the setback and the trucks Guardiana referred to were not cannabis trucks.

He also produced a Vista Hills letter saying the company has adequate water.

Hillenbrand also pointed out there are a lot of large cannabis cultivation operations in the surrounding area.

“We’re 2½ acres, tucked away, kind of up in the middle of nowhere,” he said, adding he thinks that’s the type of small operation the public wants.

Supervisors didn’t buy the appellant’s arguments.

“The appellant came today with a laundry list of things … for them to oppose [the permit] on,” said 4th District Supervisor and Board Chairman Bob Nelson. “I didn’t think many of them held much water. … I can’t find anything I would do different on this project.”

Third District Supervisor Joan Hartmann, 2nd District Supervisor Gregg Hart and 2nd District Supervisor Das Williams all agreed, noting the project is small, is in a good location to minimize nuisance and has had no complaints.

But 5th District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino said he believed the appeal was unnecessary.

He acknowledged people’s right to be heard but said the problem is that anyone can pay $701 and file an appeal.

"And this cost us, I think it was 75 hours of staff time and $19,000 to hold this hearing,” he said. “This project, to me, is a no-brainer. It should have just sailed through.”

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In the 2004 Oscar-winning film Sideways, the landscape and terroir of California’s Santa Ynez Valley played a key role. In one scene, the protagonist’s love interest says she thinks of wine as a “living thing,” changing with time.

Much like the Central Coast vintages, local landmarks, such as Mattei’s Tavern in the Santa Ynez town of Los Olivos, have evolved with age. After a multiyear hiatus, the 19th-century property reopens this fall as the Inn at Mattei’s Tavern, Auberge Resorts Collection.

The venue’s origins date back to 1886, when a Swiss immigrant named Felix Mattei built the tavern as the primary stagecoach stop between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Since its earliest days, Mattei’s has been a community hub; the 19th-century water tower still serves as a landmark for locals and visitors alike.

“There’s so many generational memories that are deeply important to people in the valley,” says Dave Elcon, the resort’s general manager. The owners, Brian R. Strange and Shamra Strange, of Malibu, California, know this firsthand. “My daughter’s rehearsal dinner was at Mattei’s,” Brian says. “Everybody we meet in the valley, they’ve either been married there, had their first drink there, their first kiss there…. There’s all this history, and history for our family, too.”

The couple, who also own Strange Family Vineyards in the nearby Santa Rita Hills, purchased the property at auction in 2017 and then closed it for renovation the next year. (Venture capitalist Deepak Kamra also came in as a co-owner.) “We wanted to save it from getting into the wrong hands,” says Brian. “The interesting thing is Felix Mattei, who developed this in 1886, his dream was to build cottages and have it as a hotel, so that’s what we’re doing.”

In its new incarnation, the 67-room property stretches over 6.5 acres, surrounded by organic farms, horse ranches and more than 170 wineries and tasting rooms. Historical architecture meets modern comfort thanks to a restoration of the tavern and its original cabins, plus the careful addition of new cottages and guesthouses.

Mattei’s rebirth and partnership with Auberge Resorts Collection is a testament to the region’s growth in recent years. Santa Barbara County, which was named the 2021 wine region of the year by Wine Enthusiast magazine, is an acclaimed food and wine destination that still feels like a well-kept secret.

“It’s really wine country in its purest form,” says Elcon of the area. “You have a lot of farmer winemakers here, people that walk the vineyards, grow their own grapes, make their own wine; it’s a real, authentic point of view.” According to a study by Santa Clara University, the area is one of the top regions in California for women winemakers per capita.

Clustered among the valley’s vine-strewn hills are six communities, like Solvang, known as the Danish capital of America, and Los Alamos, with its respected culinary scene.

In 2021, Greg and Daisy Ryan’s Los Alamos bistro, Bell’s, was awarded the valley’s only Michelin star. The couple, who once worked at Per Se in New York, relocated after the birth of their son. “There’s a vibrancy that we felt almost immediately,” says Greg. Today, they get 90 percent of their ingredients from local farms and providers like Stephanie Mutz, a sea urchin diver. “It feels like Mesopotamia,” says Greg. “The level of produce that is grown and presented here is bar none.”

The Ryans’ other restaurant, a seafood spot called Bar Le Côte, is a five-minute walk from the inn. “We’re excited to see something like this,” Greg says of the new inn. “I think this is the next evolution of this area.”

Throughout the pandemic, Spencer Turnbull and Pearson McGee, of the high-end homewares store Santa Ynez General, have witnessed many first-time visitors fall for the area, which is just over two hours from Los Angeles. “People would be saying, ‘How do we not know about this place?’ ” McGee recalls. “It’s always gone through waves, but to us it seems highly accentuated right now,” adds Turnbull, a native of Santa Ynez. “I think the opening of the Inn at Mattei’s Tavern reflects that.”

This summer, Turnbull and McGee will open an outpost of their shop at Mattei’s, with a changing selection of homewares and accessories, like alpaca blankets and leather goods. They’re also developing exclusive products, including a candle with perfumer Carlos Huber evoking the valley’s chaparral.

The inn’s food and beverage offerings include a coffee shop and poolside restaurant. At Gin’s Tap Bar, named for a chef of Chinese descent who lived on the property for 45 years, Chinese influences meld with ranch smoking techniques. The Tavern, the resort’s main eatery, will highlight ingredients from area ranchers, winemakers, farmers, olive oil producers and, above all, the on-site garden. “Lettuce that was pulled from the earth in the morning,” Elcon says, “is on your plate in the evening.

Corrections & AmplificationsDeepak Kamra is an owner of the Inn at Mattei’s Tavern, Auberge Resorts Collection. An earlier version of this article incorrectly said Brian R. Strange and Shamra Strange are its only owners. (Corrected on April 22.)

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News

New state program is part of an effort to reduce gaps in academic achievement

by Angela Swartz and Zoe Morgan / Embarcadero Media

State legislation is taking effect this fall that requires all school districts to add free programs for children who turn 5 between Sept. 2, 2022, and Feb. 2, 2023. Known as transitional kindergarten, this pre-kindergarten year introduces students to important life skills in addition to academics.

Several local school districts, including Palo Alto and East Palo Alto's Ravenswood City, already offer transitional kindergarten (TK). Palo Alto offers half-day schooling for kids born between Sept. 2 and Dec. 2 and plans to expand it next school year to include students who turn 5 through Feb. 2. But other districts will need to launch programs from scratch. The Menlo Park City school district doesn't currently run a TK program; it plans to start offering half-day slots for children turning 5 before Feb. 2 next school year, according to staff. The district estimates about 250 to 300 students will enroll.

Expanding transitional kindergarten is part of an effort to reduce gaps in academic achievement between under-served students and their more advantaged peers. The idea is that by getting kids in classrooms earlier, they will see more equal outcomes later on.

Studies have shown that children who attend transitional kindergarten are better prepared for school than other students. TK students enter kindergarten with stronger mathematics and literacy skills and are more engaged in their learning than students who did not attend transitional kindergarten, according to one 2017 study.

"It's exposing children to that environment and getting them ready, so when they come to kindergarten they just keep on going — they're ready to be there," Palo Alto Unified Assistant Superintendent of Education Services for Elementary Education Anne Brown said.

In TK, kids work on tasks like writing their names, counting to 10 and learning their letters, said Mountain View Whisman School District Assistant Superintendent Cathy Baur, whose district currently offers full-day transitional kindergarten.

Beyond academics, a big part of transitional kindergarten is building social skills and learning to work with others. Teachers help students learn how to express their thoughts and feelings, said Sandra McGonagle, the assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction for the Los Altos School District.

"(It's) definitely more play-based and developmental, as opposed to academic," Baur said.

Fetching a classmate a Band-Aid, putting crayons away and gardening are just some of the activities on a typical day of transitional kindergarten.

Never more needed

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The timing of the expansion is perfect since many students were kept home from preschool during the pandemic, said Sonja Virgallito, a TK teacher for Woodside Elementary School, which offers a half-day program.

Just as Santa Barbara has landscape varieties aplenty – an elegant mesh of sea, mountains, and urban terrain – the wine varietals produced in the region are equally as remarkable.

So remarkable, in fact, that Santa Barbara County took home Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s prestigious Wine Region of the Year Award in 2021, beating out locales in-state as well as in France, South Africa, and New Zealand.

While the area is renowned for its Syrah, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay masterpieces, there are plenty of unique tastes to be had stemming from its seven (yes, seven!) federally designated wine-growing regions (also known as American Viticultural Areas or AVAs). A fun fact for your next trivia night, these regions are Ballard Canyon, Los Olivos District, Happy Canyon, Santa Maria Valley, Santa Rita, Santa Ynez Valley and, officially added in 2020, Alisos Canyon.

There are many ways to experience wine in Santa Barbara County. From estate tastings in movie-like settings to a tasting-room-clad small town tucked in the Santa Ynez Valley to an urban wine trail, you can take your pick of wine adventures in The American Riviera. Here is where your vino will be primo.

Explore several stunning vineyards with estate tastings

According to the Santa Barbara County Vintners Association, the region is home to more than 275 wineries and 70-plus different wine grape varieties. So, the question becomes where to begin?

For a quintessential Santa Barbara County wine experience, there is nothing like going straight to a vineyard (or five), with tastings typically in the $20 to $30-plus range. Many are accessible within an hour’s drive of the city of Santa Barbara’s urban confines.

If you’re looking to vineyard hop and leave the driving to someone else after multiple tastings, companies like Coastal Concierge, Destination Vine, Rooted Vine Tours and Stagecoach Co. Wine Tours offer day-long private and/or group outings with transportation.

If you’re making your own adventure, pick a vineyard that matches the vibe and varietals you seek, as each has its own flavor, literally and figuratively. Make sure to call ahead to see if reservations are required.

On the modern estate end of the spectrum is Santa Maria’s Presqu’ile. Opened in 2013, this 13,000-plus square foot, stone-clad tasting complex – with wine caves, walls of windows and bright wooden accents – stands out amid its seemingly endless rows of vines. To maximize a visit, book a horseback tour of the grounds or a “Wine & Bocce” experience – yes, there is a regulation-size Bocce court here.

Santa Rita Hills’ Melville offers various 90-minute “Beyond the Barrel” tours that will appease the wine novice and aficionado alike. Beyond simply swirling glasses, you typically get to venture into the vineyards, learning about the soil, climate, process and more along the way. Post-trek, hit the massive Mediterranean-inspired tasting room and park it on the patio for green mountain views.

For Bordeaux and polo lovers, Happy Canyon Vineyard - which is tucked on the eastern edge of the Santa Ynez Valley – is bliss with two regulation-sized polo fields on-site serving as the icing on the cake. Private tastings are available at its Piocho Ranch, but you’ll want to book such an exclusive experience two-plus weeks in advance.

In the Santa Maria Valley, Foxen has evolved into a multifaceted powerhouse, with two unique tasting rooms, one of which was once lovingly known as “The Shack” (a wooden, former blacksmith shop) and the other being a solar-powered, modern complex completed in 2009. Impressive buildings aside, its hearty Pinot offerings also dazzle.

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Experience small-town charm and new-world wine in Los Olivos

You don’t have to dream of a magical small town with streets lined with tasting rooms and locally bred bistros – it exists in Los Olivos. Geographically in the middle of Santa Barbara County and approximately 40 minutes northwest of Santa Barbara’s epicenter, you’ll find this wine utopia easily walkable and navigable.

Beyond having a designated driver for your own vehicle, you can easily snag a Lyft/Uber, or companies like Golden Rooster have private shuttles for larger groups.

Along its Grand Avenue main drag and surrounding cluster of streets are more than 30 tasting rooms from some of the region’s heaviest hitters. Among them are Carhartt Family Wines, Dragonette Cellars and Refugio Ranch Vineyards. Amid the more unique experiences, hit Stolpman Vineyards’ outdoor patio for a tasting, which has a covered, garden-like setting.

To make the most bang for your Los Olivos adventure buck, make sure to ask your favorite tasting room about any current in-house and town-wide offers. As with many estates and wine-centric businesses, if you buy a bottle, your tasting (often $20-plus) may be free or discounted. There have also been money-saving programs between partnering tasting rooms (e.g. if you buy a tasting at one spot, you get a ticket for half off at another). The bottom line: Just ask! This town of approximately 1000 residents is as friendly as it gets.

Leave the car at home on the Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail

While Santa Barbara County’s dreamy estates and Los Olivos provide an opportunity to explore the region’s terrain, you don’t have to leave town to get your wine fix. In fact, there is a Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail centered on Santa Barbara’s tasting-room-heavy neighborhoods – including the Funk Zone and Presidio – as well as select spots in nearby Summerland and Goleta.

In a city that is generally refined, head to the edgy, warehouse-clad Funk Zone for a true urban experience.

Margerum is tucked just off State Street, and you’ll likely want to take home a bottle or two of its celebrated M5 Estate White Rhone Blend. Make sure to indulge in its mega cheese and charcuterie board, while you’re at it. Municipal Winemakers caters to the younger crowd, with conglomerated old filing cabinets as décor, indoor bistro lighting, and big, colorful branding often draping its bottle offerings.

To experience a little bit of all the latest Santa Barbara wine buzz under one roof, hit the Santa Barbara Wine Collective, which builds flights featuring hotspots from throughout Santa Barbara County.

Tasting fees – often running in the $20 to $30-plus range - can add up. If you’re planning to pop in several city spots, the Urban Wine Trail Membership Card can save you some major dough in the long haul. For $200, it gets you a free tasting at all 33 wineries along the trail as well as discounts on bottles. You can order one in advance of your trip or pick one up at a participating winery.

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River View Park in Buellton is now sporting a new bicycle skills course that is open to the public and features rollers, berms and jumps for riders of all levels.

More than 100 community members turned out on opening day, Sept. 17, to celebrate the official dedication of the 100-yard mini pump track course, according to Paul Smith, youth recreation coordinator for the Buellton’s Recreation Department.

“I’m so glad we have a place to ride that is close to my house,” said one middle schooler who regularly rides the track with his friends and is a part of Buellton’s Trips for Kids mountain bike chapter, also a project supporter.

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Smith proposed the idea of a new track to the Buellton City Council and received unanimous support. Using time as their advantage, several volunteers broke ground near the east end of the park and worked for the last year to create a space for adults and kids to improve their bike handling.

Watching kids hit the dirt jumps, local resident Efren Padilla who volunteered to work on the course recalled his own childhood.

“As I kid, I would build jumps all around town so I had places to ride my bike, but they would always get taken down," Padilla said. "Now, it’s nice to be able to legally build trials for kids and know that they will have a place to ride their bike and progress at the sport.”

In addition to Padilla, Smith said expert trail builder Chris Orr, who helped design and build the mini pump track, and DJ Dunn of Santa Ynez Valley Youth Recreation have been key partners in getting the project off the ground, donating their time, expertise and equipment to complete Phase I in time for opening day.

“It’s good to be able to work in tandem with the city and see an idea that will better the community become a reality," Dunn said.

The track is now regularly used by community residents and is a positive space for both kids and adults to enjoy, Smith said.

The course at River View Park is open daily from 8 a.m. to sunset.