I agree. Idt these desert colors look good at all + they look out of place. The design standard seems to be morphing from Spanish to Cal Desert. (Granted, in the industrial area there is flexibility. But should it be expressed in this way?)
These latest iterations/interpretations are NOT the way forward. If you want to add color to our current, narrow interpretation of Spanish architectural, the only template we seem comfortable using, take a trip to Barcelona. It's much more colorful and playful. Authentic too, almost by definition. Fortunately much of the side of this building on Haley will be obscured by the next building going up at the corner, two parcels over - up the street. (Love's Towing did not sell out I was told so there will be gap canyon). However, I believe that the corner building has the same developer, certainly the same construction company per the sign, and so may have the same look. Regarding the other apartments on Garden, with the scrunched together look, I'm certain this is what the city asked for. Straight up and across is always the cheapest way to build. A developer would rarely voluntarily modulate the facade and fenestration. But one can create beauty and interesting features in other ways. Europe has tons of facades that have uniform depth from the street, but have incredible awnings, reliefs, decorations etc. Here we have less uniformity perhaps, with no beauty certainly, so what's the point? The goal was sacrificed by being rigid or adamant. There is no try.
Failing to plan is planning to fail. The resident population of SB is not the driving factor in planning to preserve our community nor how many professionals are required to do that planning well. We need time for the required and necessary public input, the inevitable challenges to plans, and the time delays in public-sector contracting and funding once a plan is agreed upon.
Having toured the building I can confirm the section in question is an elevator.
Backside of Cliff Room!
The Grand on State is the bee's knees! As Diana Krall would say, it's where the hip and groovy people go. The jazz is hot and the drinks are cool. It's just what we need in town! They have a $25 seating and a $40 one. Highly recommend.
Beige is a historically appropriate color for downtown Santa Barbara (think adobe). We've just become too used to stark white with a red tile roof
That said, I hope that windowless section is for an elevator or staircase because, yeah, it looks like a patch to fuse two things together
Brilliant list! Thank you for writing this, I love your food recommendations Erik.
That old pink building, before it was sold a few year’s ago, was the warehouse for Santa Barbara’s most iconic pink building that had housed Victor the Florist since 1931ish (? I think?). That old warehouse literally became “ground zero” leading up to Valentines Day and Mother’s Day’s to be able to handle the sheer extreme volumes of flowers needed to fulfill the hundreds and hundreds of floral orders. The first time that I/we walked past what I had alway’s known as the “warehouse”, was no longer standing. I was already trying not to hyperventilate because we had just tried to go to breakfast @ Judge and it was under new ownership.
This is at the entrance to city parking lot 9, behind the Lobero theater.
SB is actually late in these plans. I have been wondering about this for years. These ideas need to start soon....or...... make canals in the city. Look at the Netherlands & China's Sponge City, look at DubaI. You can add the underwater wall like Venice. You can bring in sand to broaden beaches, raise areas pron to erosion, But canals should be considered. They are functional, keep traffic away from the coast, create better drainage, which we desperately need. Create an entire new way to shop, tour, see: Netherland inner city flood control canals & China's Sponge City
Hi, I'm a coastal scientist that studies sea level rise. That's not a reliable stat because the Santa Barbara tide gauge records have large gaps, and it's a long-term average which obscures the acceleration we've seen in recent decades (globally, the annual rate has more than doubled since the 90's). Unfortunately, the next 100 years won't be like the last.
A more accurate NOAA source is their 2022 Sea Level Rise Technical Report: https://earth.gov/sealevel/us/resources/2022-sea-level-rise-technical-report/.
NOAA's Santa Barbara projections are graphed here: https://coast.noaa.gov/sealevelcalculator/. As you will see, it's the same as the city's graph
Yes, they are rising, but at miniscule levels much much smaller than the presentation says:
The monthly extreme water levels include a Mean Sea Level (MSL) trend of 1.15 millimeters/year with a 95% confidence interval of +/- 0.85 millimeters/year which is equivalent to a change of 0.38 feet in 100 years.
https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/est/est_station.shtml?stnid=9411340
Yes, the city has no business having three full time employees working on this. Check out the new $11 million State street underpass. A good portion of the plants and trees are half dead. This is a city project! When the time comes that water is lapping along Cabrillo blvd, then we talk to the Dutch. They have been doing this type of engineering for decades.
Excited to hear about Cross Hatch Winery Tasting Room coming to town. Have always enjoyed their wines, and exceptional winemakers Michelle and Ryan.
Does Little Mountain still add on the annoying 5% charge "for whatever"? Just raise your prices instead of the shenanigans! I refuse to return there until they drop this nonsense.
Right because moving the breakwater and harbor will cost less. Sea levels are rising, it's a fact, get used to it.
Sea levels are rising and the city should not plan?
Had the Frosnapper today- deeeeeelicious!
Any updates on Popup Bagels?
It is insane that a city with only 88k people has a department filled with professionals who are paid to come up with this stuff.
Also insane that people actually think the oceans are going to rise several feet in the next few decades and the most important issues we face from this global catastrophe is whether we should move bike paths and toilets facilities.
The city has lost its way and its mind.
This stuff is not the business of a city of 88k people. This kind of stuff is why the city is broke and falling further and further into debt. Trying to predict the outcome of rising oceans which will impact all 8billion people on earth, so that our parks and rec department can forecast revenue and budgeting? What the actual F????
Meanwhile, every student of SB history knows that the real coastal destruction is from the current location of the breakwater / harbor and the best thing we could do to fix coastal erosion is to move the breakwater and the harbor. But no. Let's try and plan for and engineer a solution to a problem that may or may not happen over decades while our city falls apart today. Awesome work city of SB! You're doing a heck of a job.
Any mention of Sterns Wharf besides a pointer marking it on your top slide? With sea level rise waves could reach the bottom of the Wharf on a routine basis during a spring storm.
Great list!! I have to get the patatas bravas every time I go to Little Mountain. I need to try the Pastrami sandwich. Thanks for the tip!!
Agree, but the Oat morning bun is better than anyone else’s.
Funny u touted the Strut! I live near MC and have had sandies from them often. Had the Strut for the first time and it is outstanding. As a former East Coast guy, I miss a corned beef /pastrami etc, but this’ll have to do! Phatty (chick salad) from S Coast is another fave
So much news to unpack here, but overall I'm thrilled to see this update from Laura Knight about trying something new that's more true to her. Congratulations on taking those steps, it's so hard to give up what has been so familiar for so long. :)
