This article was underwritten in part by the Mickey Flacks Journalism Fund for Social Justice, a proud, innovative supporter of local news. To make a contribution go to sbcan.org/journalism_fund.
Inside a cavernous ballroom at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara, businesspeople, politicians, and civil servants, among others, mingled for Santa Barbara’s fifth-annual State of the County event on Thursday. Put on by the Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce, the event focused on Santa Barbara’s economy, business prospects, and local government. Housing — and how to provide more of it — took center stage.
County Executive Officer Mona Miyasato headed up the featured speakers’ talks. She said that only about 5 percent of Santa Barbara County’s physical land is available for urbanization, with large portions of the county either owned by the government or set aside for agriculture…