Op-Ed: Surfliner “Out”

By Alison Johnson

Caution: August 25th Coastal View News article word choice shenanigans in quotes:

“The whole idea is to have a connection with the community,” states developer Hollis, not a Carp resident.  The whole idea is money.

“The plans ‘would ideally’ include a local event space for art & music features.” We already have an ideal local event space, our Lynda Fairly Carp Arts Center.

“The Inn ‘will’ generate $500,000 for the city.” A total guesstimate. Whereas citizen-approved Measure X took in $3.5 million dollars in sales tax for Carpinteria in 2020-2021. 

You absolutely cannot guarantee tourists will take the train (Californians love their cars) and be willing to pay to sleep practically on the RR tracks, with guaranteed window-rattling whistle blasts multiple times each day and night. 

And where will this Monopoly money be spent? Not on teacher salaries, not on schools. Why don’t the enthusiastic city employees explain where each and every penny of this assumed income will go before November’s vote?

“Not an ‘outdated’ train station look, but a clean & coastal look.” Who isn’t charmed by the original ticket station building in the Community Garden?

Built in a designated Tsunami Hazard Zone, will its height incorporate guaranteed sea level rise?  

“… ‘could’ affect future parking and construction.” Yes on Measure T2022 exists purely to prevent construction on our Parking Lot #3 and the adjacent open space. 

We are a small, enchanted beach town that needs to vote to Keep Carp Classic. The kind of people who love Classic Carp prefer a little sand in their hot dog, waking up with the scent of campfire smoke in their hair and waving to the dolphins while sipping coffee in the cool, coastal morning fog.


Op-Ed’s are written by community members and organizations, not representatives of edhat. The views and opinions expressed in Op-Ed articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of edhat.
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  1. BIGUGLY – I agree. I wish we could have done that with SB and Goleta as well! NIMBYism isn’t really all that bad. People who work hard and pay ridiculously high rent/mortgage/property tax to live in these beautiful towns, should have some say. There’s a lot of things I don’t want in my “backyard,” so call me NIMBY all you want. Voice loves to come in and call us “NIMBYs ” as if it’s an insult. Nope, proud NIMBY here. Here’s a list of things I don’t want in my community (backyard): oil rigs, drilling, expensive hotels, out of town developers tearing up our green space to make themselves even richer, etc…… If you want that crap in your community, move to LA.

  2. Visit the Funk Zone in Santa Barbara and see if filled with visitors coming up from LA on any given weekend by train and enjoying the town and our beaches. It sounds like the OP doesn’t get out much or hasn’t seen the numerous hearing son the topic over the years. Her sound bites sound amateurish and ill-informed of locals (or how money is allocated or how budgets are created or how taxes work).

  3. Carp is in desperate need of revitalization. I suppose these Anti hotel people prefer the Motel 6 clientele (#1 location for police calls in SB County) over those with class, money and no felonies. Or maybe they like the community that indentured immigrants who are forced to live 6 to a bedroom create and foster? Not sure but that whole stretch needs revitalization and that happens when you build new and create something new, not hold onto some fuzzy nostalgia from decades ago…

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