MONTECITO, Calif. – Rick Caruso, founder and CEO of Caruso Affiliated, and owner of the Miramar Hotel property, and Jean and Stan Harfenist announced that they have reached an agreement that will result in the withdrawal of the environmental CEQA lawsuit that had been filed by the Harfenists. As part of the settlement the Harfenists also withdrew the appeal of the project they had filed with the Coastal Commission. The Harfenists had filed the lawsuit and appeal on behalf of themselves and a group of neighbors who live adjacent to the Miramar property. The settlement includes an agreement calling for the parties to work cooperatively to improve the drainage problems at Oak Creek.

The Citizens Planning Association (CPA) also filed a letter withdrawing their separate Coastal Commission appeal. Today’s announcement clears all hurdles for the Miramar project, and will allow Caruso to immediately proceed with developing the project.

“I am pleased that we have put this chapter behind us, and we can proceed with real planning for the hotel. From day one we have worked with the community to ensure that this is a good project for everyone, and our agreement today helps achieve that. I want to thank the Harfenists and the Miramar neighbors for working closely with us over the past several months to find a solution. I also want to specifically thank Ron Pulice, who played a critical role in facilitating these discussions, and did so for no reason other than to do what was best for the community. This agreement would not have been possible without his help,” said Caruso.

“And I want the Montecito community to know that, more than ever, I am totally committed to the development of a first-class family-friendly resort hotel at the Miramar site so we can finally bring back the tradition of the Miramar,” added Caruso.

The Harfenists said, “We are pleased that we have been able to reach a solution between the neighbors and Mr. Caruso. Throughout this process we have been supportive of a new hotel at this site, but we had concerns that we felt needed to be addressed. This agreement accomplishes that goal. It is a win-win for the entire community, particularly for our Oak Creek neighbors and for Hedgerow-area residents. On behalf of the Miramar neighbors group, we want to thank Mr. Caruso for reaching out to us to find a solution, Mr. Pulice for his generous and tireless efforts, and Citizens Planning Association for their efforts on behalf of the community. We look forward to seeing the development of the hotel move forward quickly so we can all enjoy the return of the Miramar.”