Great post. I am a normal visitor of your web site and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the nice site. I will be a frequent visitor for a long time.
Well, Alex, great people have been surprising small people for many generations. Best for all if you stay in the Spearmint Rhino.
Excellent read. I just passed this onto a friend who was doing a little research on that. He actually bought me lunch since I found it for him! Thus let me rephrase: Thanks for lunch!
I live not far from Macy's, but was unable to go to the meeting last night. My concerns are the low number of affordable units, parking and traffic mitigation. The affordability part is well-discussed and obvious, but nobody talks about parking. One assigned spot per bedroom is what they need, plus visitors spots. The city hates this because they think people will just ride bikes and take the bus, but I can guarantee anybody who can afford $2750/mo for a one bedroom is gonna have a car. And if the city doesn't make them put in enough, people will park over by Lure and Islands and customers will be angry. Same with traffic mitigation; that section of State St is already a mess, and this project will generate a lot more car trips than Macy's ever did.
Honestly, most of those developments seem like a better use of the land than how they're currently used. I do agree that it would be preferable if they could be part of an overall development plan, but I'm glad that in the absence of that from the city/county, we're getting what look to be well-designed projects that'll add vibrancy to our community. It can't all be NIMBYism in SB.
I hope that the Dracaena dracos (Dragon Trees) at the Monastery site are saved or rescued. These trees probably date back to the original owner and are considered vulnerable to becoming endangered.
Do you mean Shake Shack? Where did you hear that?
Last year I watched the folks from Visit Santa Barbara give a presentation to the city council. They did a survey of tourists, asking what are the top things to do. The top two were the FZ and State street with the FZ at 49% and State st at 48%. I found that very interesting since the FZ gets no help from the city, no $250k during Covid, no $800k study to chart it's future, no $55k for painted bike lanes. . . I personally like the funk of sidewalks that are sometimes dirt, or Gray ave with no sidewalks or curbs. Yes the funk is disappearing with new projects but that's life. As far as why some lots are still empty it might have to do with the city using the area as a dump. Who knows what's under the surface of those lots, it will be interesting to see when the developers break ground.
I think the purpose of the pedestrian gates at the railroad crossing is to let pedestrians get off the tracks if they're on them when the train approaches. The barrier that comes down has a small part that blocks the sidewalk, and then the pedestrian gates are set up to open outward, so if you're between the barriers when they start coming down, you move to the side and go out the gate.
Of course, it's silly, because you can still just open the gate from the outside and go through. There's nothing stopping you (except a feeble "do not enter" sign). But I think what I described is the intent.
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I support the Quality Inn conversion. We live just off State and our property is backed by transitional housing, and low-income regular working families. We have had ZERO issues living among these apartments, and it hasn't brought down the value of our home.
This is a great use of this property: walkable to groceries, medical services, a park, public transportation, etc.
...And, of course, the new Shake Shake, going in right where Santa Barbara Winery used to be, at the corner of Yanonali & Anacapa (thanks for destroying the Funk, new (local) landlord!
Now we are talking, Rob. Converted hotels are perfect for permanent housing. Interim housing is a waste of money. The Red Rose in one of them. La Posada another.
Because one of the top reasons more businesses, particularly local/small businesses, aren't moving into these vacancies isn't the rent, it's the excessive governmental regulation. More government intervention won't help this.
Boy, that article in the Independent is truly depressing. A law from 1990 ! The units by the Mission are the most offensive...
560 units literally right next to the Mission? God, help us. I’m all for redevelopment of places like La Cumbre plaza and much of downtown, but the projects proposed for the Riviera and now right next to the Mission are terrifying.
Thank you for the update on Peacock farms, I have been missing them at the SB and Ojai farmers markets. They have the best golden raisins!
The empty Avis building reminds me, there was for a time an idea to fine owners of long-time vacant storefronts. What happened?
Why Sitelinesb can't offer the reader magnification with a finger spread I have no idea.
Can't we have something beautiful? Can't we use architects who know how to create wonders, someone like Jeff Shelton? Must we turn Santa Barbara into mall city? How disheartening.
Except women will qualify, not just men
Agree completely. And very little outreach to neighborhoods directly affected.
I looked at the other projects. They are downtown and very close to hwy 101. Not the case here. And on an extremely prominent corner. This will be very different in a negative way
You seem to be leaving out women that don't have children. I know they don't fit your narrative, but it seems like a pretty big oversight.
Great tour and very informative. Good of you to cover the potential massive developments in the pipeline - maybe SOMOFunk and others are re-evaluating and will be back with a 80ft+ design in exchange for a couple dozen affordable units. Now the City has rolled over on the issue, why limit your designs to a measly four stories.
