First published in the Coastal View on September 21, 2022.
Thank you to the writer last week who detailed the history of Lots #3 and #4.
As a 56-year resident of Carpinteria, I too have seen lots of changes to that area. I remember the train depot that occupied a big portion of #3 and a used car lot/ broken-down truck storage on Lot #4; neither added any quaintness to our community back then, nor do they today.
The idea of a tiny hotel, where I can enjoy a rooftop lunch with a view of the ocean, feels like the absolutely perfect upgrade of that space and smart planning. I will never accept calling commercial parking lots, in our downtown, as “open space” and feel that label is being used to confuse our community into thinking it’s something it’s not.
Voting No on Measure T allows our city to finally transform those lots into something beautiful, quaint, charming and respectful of our downtown. Thank you to our city leaders for their vision and commitment to the vitality and health of our community.