Agree
"Santa Barbara may finally enforce short-term rental laws."
What is this year-long pilot program really going to do for the town? $1.2mil to prosecute a few bad actors and a lot more long-time, honest citizens who are our neighbors. What will we have after the year is over, and the million is gone? Neighbors in legal trouble and a few mansions on the real estate market to sit unoccupied as second homes. How will this solve our housing crisis?
Prosecuting neighbors who use their property to generate a little income to help them stay in their hometown (or long-lived hometown) is disgusting. Using a home to operate a business is a centuries-old tradition. And after the lawyers have done all their work, taking their "cut" with some of the fines going back into city coffers... they can't force any of these homeowners to convert into LTR.
So, again, what will this positively do for our town? I'm sure some corporate places that buy homes to only use as investments and STRs will shut down. Great. The city couldn't go after those exclusively?
And in a time when the annual budget is in a deficit, with more proposed, the Council thinks it's ok to flush $1.2mil down the toilet? What could that money have gone to fund instead? Schools, libraries, roads... the list is long.
Eric Friedman (council member) asked about the validity of the data, and it was an excellent point. Right now, every STR is going underground or closing up shop, so they won’t be found out.
A not-well-thought-out plan that also wastes a big part of the budget. All so a couple of lawyers and retired cops get a one-year bonus, and a few corporate homeowners get rousted.
"only capturing results from a certain segment like people who walk up to their booth on State" That's odd, I'm certain I've filled out an online survey. If it was online, it would be accessible to anyone, anywhere, with internet access.
https://santabarbaraca.gov/news/share-your-thoughts-state-street-master-plan
Why is one architectural firm designing so many of these projects? If one of the goals of the City's Architectural Board of Review is to avoid homogenization in the ongoing redevelopment of Santa Barbara, its seems depending on one firm and predominant design aesthetic is an odd way to achieve that goal.
Isn't it great that our highly paid, highly compensated SB city employees never actually have to make and decisions to enact any new rules or changes? All they have to do is shrug their shoulders and the city will simply hire highly compensated. consultants and pay them 20x to do the exact same job that the employees are supposed to do!
What a gig. No accountability. Guaranteed pensions. Guaranteed annual raises. 1/100,000 chance of being fired (and usually only if it's a felony). Oh, and 30 hour work weeks too! Who needs things done on Fridays anyway.
SB has the highest number of city employees per capita in the State of CA and yet they still cannot perform their duties and seem to require outside consultants for every project, every role...
We should fire 50% of the city's workforce. Wait a year and see what actually happens. My guess, nothing changes. These people are inept. On almost every measure, Santa Barbara is a broken state. The City government needs to be completely rebuilt.
It seems like mountain views will be a thing of the past in downtown SB. I feel a bit guilty prioritizing that over needed housing but I speak from my 220 square foot studio apartment (having chosen SB 23 years ago over high-rise coastal towns exactly for those views). I came for the nature. It makes our town special; 4 story buildings don't. IMO.
Are the developers flocking into the Funk Zone taking into consideration of sea rise?
I don't think so.
Bring back the Light Blue Line.
https://www.independent.com/2021/09/22/bring-back-the-light-blue-line-to-santa-barbara-streets/
Azul on Anapamu
St Bib has been offering slices for quite some time. now. I'm worried Three Monkeys might have the same fate as so many in that space. The food is SO good but every time I've been, there was no line.
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No address for the property, no map of the creek, local media is drive- by coverage.
If you can't drive up& down State Street I would think that's a negative.
We have friends visiting in early August and we are wondering how and if we can obtain tickets?
Richard Enloe
Your name seems to suggest state street is closed. But I have good news, my friend - I was there last night and it was open!! Open to people and kids walking and biking, bands playing music, people dancing and dining, enjoying a wonderful public space.
It’s only closed to loud, dirty, polluting cars that put pedestrian lives at risk. But don’t worry, cars have over 700 miles of roads in the city and 3000 parking spots in downtown where they can still go. They’ll be a-okay with one less mile
Hired experts to conduct a survey with sample bias (only capturing results from a certain segment like people who walk up to their booth on State, ignoring people who aren't going to State because they don't like it's current condition), response bias (did you do the survey? all multiple choice responses were geared towards keeping the promenade, and any fill in answers/comments didn't make it in the report). They even included young kids in their "survey". These experts also cited many other examples around the country of outdoor promenades, which were in cities much larger than SB with promenades smaller than ours, and left out of their presentation that only 38% of the examples they cited were successes and failed to disclose the very high vacancy rates in those areas. That 79% is not indicative of the entire population of SB.
It’s laughable to think social media comments are an accurate representation of what people think… thankfully that’s why the city hired experts to conduct online and in-person surveys. Sorry, but y’all are vastly out-numbered. 79% support the promenade
You're right Dan. City council caved to a very vocal minority in supporting the reduced parklet fees which only benefit a small group of businesses downtown, all bars/restaurants, to the detriment of all other businesses on State St. and restaurants off State. The continued closer will further erode the retail component on State and lead to more vacancies, again all for the benefit of a handful of restaurants.
Aron Ashland did not speak the truth in his letter. I'm the gardener for the former Paradise Cafe, currently La Paloma and we have the same issues with homeless as those businesses on State. He also states the majority of city residents support the current closure of State. If he followed local media on Facebook, Instagram and Nextdoor he would know there are equal opinions on both sides. But I watched him and others on Tuesday at the council meeting. I was so disappointed to see the five council member side with Aron, Bob Stout, Richard Yates and the 400 emailers and vote to reduce the square foot charges to $2. For the past year city staff has been working on the fees and I believe, fairly. What a crazy, mixed up message this sends to all city employees. No matter how good you do your job, if a group of people can marshal 400 protests then your work is thrown out.
Oh pleaseeee let the Simple Feast space become a permanent Tamar restaurant! I cannot deal with them only serving weekday lunches anymore
Unfortunately rational decisions don't apply here.
The avoidance of interaction regarding the Plaza leads the way.
The age of the building will no doubt require extensive seismic retrofitting for a change of use.
Might have to wait for a succession of ownership.
Very true
The Three Monkeys banh mi are legit! So many times when you get banh mi at a place that is....let's call it up-market? - the bread is some French baguette or the like - wayyyyyy too bready. Hats off to them for both the excellent fillings (I tried the pork) and the spot on bread. Pricey, but worth it.
Regina, you are absolutely correct. How many friggin' hotels do we need?
How about making it the new police station? It would save the Saturday Farmer’s Market which must vacate the Cota/ Santa Barbara St. location to make room for the proposed police station.
"Naturally, I also hope that the open-minded, forward-thinking people of Solvang, whom I know exist, vote him out."
And note that Clarke wasn't elected into the position. From the Independent's article: "Last November, Solvang held its first by-district election. Clarke lost his bid to represent District 4 but was subsequently appointed by a divided council to fill the vacant District 1 seat left by then-Councilmember Mark Infanti when he won an uncontested race for mayor."
