(My reply is to you Tish, regarding your vision for tasteful development).
"Tower of Squash!" hehe
Thanks for the overview
It looks boring and uninspired - positively blockish and almost Soviet structure. I wish it had more visual interest. I know we need more housing and cost is an issue but this is not very friendly to plants /open spaces and architectural interest. There is an opportunity to do something much better with a little more creativity and work I would say .
I love your concept of tasteful development for the La Cumbre location! ... beautiful architecture, varied heights and setbacks, outdoor green space with water features. And nice courtyards, some housing above retail, etc. Pedestrian friendly, mixed use would be great. I'd just like to see this whole vision on a smaller scale than what's being presented right now with 6 stories. A lower profile would be more sustainable and blend more harmoniously with the natural environment. Less dense = greater balance and well-being.
Tish - agreed!!!
I’d love to know how they are allowed to build so close to both the freeway and the train tracks!? Very strange to me, as no other buildings are that close to either.
This is the area for urban density but blank square boxes with dark cut-out entrances depress and discourage pedestrian activity.
Residences above shops. Varied set-backs. Generous porchere openings, colorful tile, community courtyards with water features and landscaping. Thrill the eye and heart.
These ugly barracks deaden the soul.
Creating a little joy and beauty won’t break the bank… and more people will want to spend time in the space.
Yes, the Clark beach house and cabanas are part of the Bellosguardo property. They were used at times by Clark family, friends, and staff.
SB is NOT London or Paris. High rise buildings are ruining the beauty of this town . We already have bad traffic, and this kind of high density will make it so much worse! Get real- very few would stop driving on a regular basis. I am all for some mixed use housing and nice town squares, but not these massive developments. So sad!
It's nice to see a party finally planning to utilize a rooftop deck. I don't understand why this town doesn't have any rooftop dining like Santa Fe or La Jolla. Santa Barbara is the perfect place for them with our mountains on one side and the ocean on the other.
If entering the property from the driveway closest to the beach, there is a cluster of small buildings at beach level, below the estate driveway. Are these structures associated with the Clark estate? If so, what is/was its purpose?
Journalists are so often arrested and jailed in Turkey.
You summarised Istanbul so well! Thank you ❤️
Usually-empty parking lots are a perfect location for new housing. (I wouldn't judge Macy's business on the day before Christmas). I agree the architecture in this development is uninspired. They should just stick with the traditional look with maybe some twists. The "modern" buildings are just flat and drab. Would that the view from State would be as nice as the view from Hope. For inspiration, send the architect on a trip to Spain and Portugal. Lots of great ideas there.
I agree with one of the other commentors that at some point we have to stop building to accommodate cars and start building to accommodate people. Density is not the enemy. I have lived in two very dense cities (London and Paris) and they were the most exciting and people-friendly places I have experienced. In this climate, maybe walk? Bike? For disabled (like me) scooters? And how about we all slow down so pedestrians don't feel assaulted as we walk along State? You won't die if it takes you an extra five to ten minutes to get to Gelson's.
This opens up a whole host of opportunities. How about housing in the CVS lot on State/Laureles? One top of Gelson's or the adjacent strip mall? Imagine living with Gelson's downstairs! Never run out of milk again! There are so many one-story, usually ugly, strip malls in this area. How about three or four stories with parking underneath? If there is anyplace in SB should support more density, it's Upper State.
Thanks Erik for this cogent rendering of a complicated and interesting development.
Maybe Macys can move back into their still vacant spot in Paseo Nuevo.
Thank you so much! I’ve been so puzzled by that project every time I drive by.
“keep things affordable”? All but 39 will be market rate. And because this is a brand-new build, it will be some of the highest rents in the area. Remember when The Marc went it? I’d wager that was the start of $3k/mo for 1 beds here in town.
ugly, unimaginative, un-inspired. merry christmas!
I absolutely agree with Tamale Snob! The tamales at Comedor are like no other. The Comedor tamale is light on masa with a delicious flavorful filling. Definitely need to give it a try!
Behind the old Saks off 5th / now Amazon bldg?
If there was ever a graffiti palette waiting to happen ….
Stephen, you have it backwards. She did not leave Bellosguardo to the city, but to a private foundation. The city has incurred no expense. The foundation has applied to the city for permission to open for public tours.
Imagine paying 1.2 million for 1.2 months a year in a shared house? Where other random [people sleep and do the dirty (and worse) in the beds... Nothing about the economics of these houses makes sense. There is no upside, especially when they were all sold in the biggest bubble in decades. Besides the poor economics and upside, you are at the mercy of a corporate entity that may or may not be in existence in 5 years time... Who the heck buys these?
Very glad to read that the property will not become housing for the homeless or a high priced Medicare scam addiction center. Bring on the empathy and the learning!
