Carpinteria City Council votes in favor of urgency ordinance to prevent formula businesses from moving in

CARPINTERIA, Calif. - Carpinteria City Councilmembers spent hours considering an urgency ordinance that would establish a temporary moratorium on the establishment of formula businesses in the city.

It has been on previous agendas, but never led to a vote until Monday night when four councilmembers voted in favor of the plan after meticulously defining "formula business."

Councilmember Roy Lee recused himself from the vote citing his own Uncle Chen restaurant in the Carpinteria.

Attorneys representing shopping areas spoke during public comments before the vote.

Afterward, the council decided to exempt the Casitas Plaza Shopping Center off Carpinteria Avenue and Shepard Place Shops off Casitas Pass Road.

Many local businesses are already in those locations.

The council defined "formula business" as any commercial business operating as a retail sales, restaurant/food service, hotel, or motel establishment that has more than seven locations nationwide.

They also said they would have at least two common defining features such as facade and color scheme.

Carpinteria resident and former Linden Ave. business owner Nicole Coleman said she can understand both sides of the issue, but she wants the community to help local businesses.

"I would rather support a business because I know that Jane lives around the corner from me and she needs to send her kids to camp," said Coleman, "And you know we all then flourish and the town is better for it and that is what keeps us unique."

Other small communities including Ojai have similar ordinances intended to keep their areas from being like any other small cities in the United States.

Their formula definition does not include office space, banks, credit unions, grocery stores, nonprofit businesses, pharmacies, gas stations or theaters, and performing arts spaces.

And if a formula business in operation at a location seeks to relocate the ordinance will not apply.

The city council will get a chance to make the temporary ordinance permanent at the next council meeting on July 11.