Page 87 - The Montecito Journal Magazine Winter Spring 2008

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The Caruso Plan
In February 2007, Montecito saw its version
of a knight in shining armor: LA developer
Rick
Caruso
bought the property for $50 million. After
announcing the purchase, Caruso and his team
dove right into learning from residents their fondest
memories of the Miramar, an indication that
Caruso’s vision was to rebuild the hotel as such to
give former visitors a familiar place to return.
Caruso’s apparent desire is to tap back into what
the Miramar was for many years: a casual, family-
friendly resort. But he hopes to add a “Montecito”
twist to that concept by adding a casual elegance
with top-notch service, highly rated food, and a
nod to a lifestyle Montecito residents are familiar
with. “This resort is literally one of the all-time most
beautiful pieces of property along the coast,” Caruso
says, “We want to take it back to its roots.”
The Caruso plan for the historic Miramar
property is slowly making its way through the Santa
Barbara County planning process, and some changes
have been made to the design and scale along the
way. However, Caruso stresses that the overall vision
for the property has not changed. “It’s about an
attitude in designing the project; architecture has
less to do with it,” he says. Caruso, who has four
children, is designing from his family’s vantage
point. “We want to go to a resort and feel pampered,
but still be able to relax and feel welcome with our
family,” he said. Relaxed, beachy, and family friendly
is what he is looking for.
Unlike Schrager and Warner, Caruso plans to
demolish the site and start fresh. The existing
cottages, apart from being in disrepair have small
rooms and bathrooms, an unwelcome feature not
conducive to a modern resort. The Montecito
Planning Commission, after several multiple-
hour meetings, has asked Caruso to change
the architecture from what can be described as
“plantation style” to a more “cottage style” design,
among other changes. When asked if these changes
will affect the outcome of the project, Caruso said,
“Our vision doesn’t change because the height of a
building has to come down a little bit or a building
has to be moved out of the setback. It’s more about
creating a property that people can walk around and
enjoy: beautiful landscaping, a wonderful pool and
access to the beach, a beach bar, and more. It’s about
a lifestyle.”
Although there is some opposition to Caruso’s
plan, what can be agreed upon is that what stands
on the site does not fit
anyone’s
vision. Only time
will tell what the future holds for the Miramar
property, and it may be years before the site is
developed back to what it once was: a special place
where family, friends, and neighbors go to lie in the
sand and soak up the sun.