The wealthy, reclusive owner of the Santa Barbara News-Press rebukes editors for coverage of an article about actor Rob Lowe's petition to build a mega-mansion. It's the latest in a series of problems that leads to an 'editorial bloodbath'.
"Santa Barbara residents on Friday wondered what would become of the Santa Barbara News-Press following an editorial bloodbath within the 151-year-old local institution's stately walls."
Five editors including chief editor, Jerry Roberts, and a columnist who had been with the paper for 46 years, resigned from the paper citing editorial interference from the owner, billionaire Wendy McCaw. McCaw had intervened to suppress a story about a drunk driving conviction of the paper's publisher, Travis K. Armstrong, and rebuked editors and reporters for reporting the address of actor Rob Lowe's planned mansion.
From the Santa Barbara Independent:
"...[T]his latest episode began on June 21, when the Montecito Planning Commission narrowly approved [actor Rob] Lowe's request to build a mega mansion on a vacant parcel of land he bought for $8.5 million at 700 Picacho Lane.... Lowe has settled down in Montecito, where, like everyone else, he got the itch to build his dream house. With all the bells and whistles -- including pool houses, cabanas, garages, and guesthouses â€" it weighs in at about 15,000 square feet. Even by Montecito standards, that's large. Lowe's immediate neighbor Fred Gluck complained that the 24-foot-high fence Lowe proposed to construct for privacy purposes would substantially diminish the scenic views he now enjoys. Gluck, by the way, is no lightweight. ..
After settlement efforts by Gluck and Lowe's attorneys went nowhere, Gluck appealed to the Planning Commission. There he argued (correctly) that Lowe's plans exceed Montecito build-out guidelines by about 20 percent. But then it turned out, so did Gluck's. Ultimately, the Montecito planning agency concluded that since everybody in Montecito is building castles these days -- mansions are apparently the luxury homes of yesterday -- it would be unfair to say no to Lowe. Aside from the wealth and celebrity of the players involved, this was a typical Santa Barbara land-use story."
Thanks to Larry Armstrong
FULL STORY: X-Dogs: The Last Stand

Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

San Francisco Muni Raises Fares a Second Time
A 10–cent fare hike for adults is part of the agency’s plan to chip away at a growing budget deficit.

Electric Grid Capacity Could Hamstring EV Growth
Industry leaders say the U.S. electric grid is unprepared for the increased demand for power created by electric cars, data centers, and electric homes.

Texas Bill Supports Adaptive Reuse in Commercial Areas
Senate Bill 840, which was preliminarily approved by the state House, would allow residential construction in areas previously zoned for offices and commercial uses.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions