Author: Lea Boyd

The public bathrooms at City Parking Lot 1 (located at 9th Street & Elm Avenue) will be closed until Monday, Jan. 23, due to a main water line break below ground. There are portable bathrooms available adjacent to the temporarily closed structure.

Emergency work to repair the bank of Carpinteria Creek near 6th Street will be completed by the end of today, Jan. 18. The California State Parks project has involved placement of  approximately 10,000 cubic yards of 2 – 4 foot diameter rock to stabilize about 250 feet of creek bank and protect against further erosion caused in the Jan. 9/10 storms. The severe erosion put the nearby wastewater treatment plant and other public infrastructure at risk, as well as buildings and improvements located along nearby sections of 6th Street and Palm Avenue.

The Carpinteria Creek bike path remains closed due to large quantities of mud deposited during the storms on Jan. 9/10. The path will remain closed until mud and debris are cleared and the connector between Via Real and Carpinteria Avenue is once again safe for public use.

Please beware of dangerous materials (or animals!) that were swept downstream in the storms last week and could be in the debris on local beaches and creeksides Rattlesnakes, poison oak branches and and other hazardous materials are likely to be found along the shoreline. Please stay out of the debris to avoid risks.

Transportation of mineral sediment from Carpinteria Valley Debris Basins to the City Beach at Ash Avenue will begin on Wednesday, Jan. 18. Trucks will be driving down Linden Avenue to Sandyland Road, then placing the sediment on the beach. The return route is Ash Avenue to Dorrance Way to Linden Avenue. We apologize for any inconveniences the Santa Barbara County Flood Control (SBCFC) operation may bring, and we are working to mitigate impacts to residents. Street sweepers will be cleaning roadways, and special efforts are being made to reduce leaking from trucks transporting sediment.

Clearing of the Debris Basins is critical in order to restore capacity and functionality. The rocks, gravel and sand being transported would naturally flow down the creeks to the beaches without the benefit of the basin. While the debris basins help to reduce floods, they also intercept sediment important to maintaining the beach and protecting properties near it.

Each year in January, the Carpinteria City Council holds a meeting with City staff to discuss the organization’s work plan for the year. Open to the public, the meeting gives community members an opportunity to learn about upcoming programs and projects, and to express their views to City leaders. This year’s Work Plan Meeting will be held on Monday, Jan. 30 from 4 p.m. to approximately 8 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 5775 Carpinteria Ave. The draft Annual Work Plan will soon be available for public review on the City website at https://carpinteriaca.gov/city-hall/agendas-meetings/.

If your business was damaged due to the Jan. 9-10 storms and ongoing rains, please call the County OEM call center at (833) 688-5551 to let them know. State officials currently are assessing damages in order to allocate resources for a response.

In observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, Jan. 16, Carpinteria City Hall, Carpinteria Community Library and Carpinteria Community Pool are closed.

Santa Barbara County Flood Control (SBCFC) will be conducting critical clearing of the Carpinteria Valley Watershed Debris Basins in order to restore capacity and functionality. Rocks, gravel and sand will be transported to the Carpinteria City Beach where debris from the watershed would naturally flow without the benefit of the basin. While the debris basins help to reduce floods, they also intercept sediment important to maintaining the beach and protecting properties near it. This causes beach narrowing, shoreline erosion, and threats to public and private properties. Mineral sediments will be prioritized for shoreline deposits, and materials will be tested for contaminants before they are deposited. Under Emergency Permits, sediment will be hauled in truckloads. The City and County will work to mitigate project impacts, including air quality and truck queuing. Street sweepers will work throughout the operation to keep roadways as clean as possible. Please read more HERE.

The City of Carpinteria tennis courts at Carpinteria Middle School will be open for free play on a first come, first served basis on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Monday, Jan. 16. The pickleball court will be open all day, and the tennis court will be open to free play until 2:45 p.m. Enjoy the holiday!