Regarding the apartment building on Milpas/Gutierrez, it’s a monstrosity that will be a blight on the community for decades to come if the people don’t speak up. There has been no thought given in the design process to enhance the neighbourhood with the design of this development. The historical aesthetic requirements that other areas of Santa Barbara require to new builds appear to not matter in this area of the city and that is a shame!
…couldn’t agree with you more. I’ve even made the drive to SB specifically to shop TCP when I temporarily relocated to a city south of ours. It was always the Jewel in the local grocery scene, and a genuine “farm to table” concept/experience for local growers and consumers alike. It will be greatly missed. 😔
Every time you discourage apartment owners, you encourage hotel-building. A simple grasp of opportunity cost would teach the city council that their actions do not match their words.
It's amazing how city council constantly talks about affordable housing being our number one priority, then nearly every piece of legislation they approve will either increase the cost of living in SB, increase the cost to provide rental housing, or discourages the development of new housing. City Council, do you want to know why housing is so expensive in Santa Barbara? It's you!
Well put
Agreed with Bob 1. Never set foot in La Paloma any more.
I was just at La Paloma last week and lord, the carnitas are so good, I’ll be sorry to see them go.
Yes.......the Paradise menu I long for. I have loved La Paloma but still miss a Paradise Burger
Wow, this is a trip down memory lane. I grew up about two blocks from the Chase bank building, and graduated from Arcadia high school. This was in the 1970's, across the street from the bank was an original style Jack in the Box with the metal "Jack" on a pole next to it. That was our high school hang out after games. The corner with the hotel was a dirt field, later some office buildings with grass courtyards. Those grass courtyards were another great place for us to hang out and dream of living in places like SB. The other corner that you photographed with Camelback in the background was desert. Another play area, not so much in the summer since everyone had pools.
Lucky for me I had some close friends from grade school and high school that decided to move here, we had discovered the allure of SB when we visited friends going to college here. In the 40 years I've lived here I've been back almost as many times. Have to agree with your friend J., at this point in life I would much rather drive up the coast and explore more of CA.
I agree 100%
I see Shelton continued this design into the lights of the new pedestrian underpass walkway. Cool!
La Paloma would have done itself a favor by keeping the Paradise Cafe menu. It was a popular place and everyone I know misses it and has moved on.
Thank you for going and this report so I don't have to. I think I would just stay in PS instead.
Phoenix, like LA is an enigma. You can find everything and nothing at the same time. You can walk among the most beautiful scenery in the world, and then find yourself in an urban concrete hellscape without a single path. The beauty of the Sonoran cannot be understated but that beauty is mostly on the edges of the Valley with North Scottsdale pulling the most weight. Food is among the best in the nation (pizza is a blood sport) but its also full of the most mediocre stuff you can imagine - cheddar cheese, mayo and an black olive on a slice of white bread anyone?
A city made up mostly of emigrants from the cold and random carpet baggers from afar, Phoenix struggles from a hodgepodge of design, poor urban planning and lagging infrastructure, while its people offer up an ethos that straddles the freedom of the west with a strong side of hearty independence that stems from life before AC and federal water.
Next time try a stay at the Hermosa Inn with a dinner at Lon's to enjoy some Old Phoenix or find your way up north to Cave Creek and enjoy the quiet scenery of the Sonoran. If you can, go in the spring and witness what is arguably the most beautiful arrival of the springtide in all the world. There are few places as beautiful as the Sonoran Desert in the spring. Truly magical and awe inspiring place full of peace, quiet and abundant life.
Where is everyone going to park their cars who move in to the new (unappealing) apartment building on Gutierrez at Milpas?????
Menu looks very inexpensive..
For me, the aesthetics of this project are terrible. I think that's what needs to change. However, if you add more low income units to this project it would never get built. Construction is just too expensive. Even the current incentives to build are not enough in many cases. Take the old Jiffy Lube site on Carrillo/De La Vina. The owners got a big apartment approved. Would have been great, another community of people living and shopping downtown. But it got sold. So now a Valvoline Oil franchise will go it and for decades it will be there - until cars don't run on oil. Great fit? Good use? Nice look? Not so much. Take your pick: No development at all or more market rate apartments. I do agree 100% we need a balanced community. Having a bunch of spoiled trust funders or only elite income types isn't what SB is about. Adding in 15% of lower or moderate income units helps a bit at least. Let's not see the glass as always 85% empty. The Housing Authority has been hundreds of units in town over the last 10 years for low income workers. It's wonderful. We need more and so let's set aside land for them. The City, BTW, has tons of sites which are not needed or else underutilized, like downtown parking lots. Build apartments over these surface lots which maintaining much of the parking for the public. There are 6 ways to Sunday to fix things and yet we are stuck here on Monday morning. Keep in mind also that the more units are built, the more prices will stabilize eventually. Supply-demand, micro economics basics do hold true over time. Lastly, if we don't get more people downtown, how is State street, the retail scene ever going to bounce back? How it will downtown ever be vibrant again? It's not a fertile land with a few dead zone. Quite the opposite. It is a desert with a little oasis of people and activity here and there. I'm pretty sure nobody wants this. Let's not keep doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. Most
I feel seen.
Did I scoop you or tip you off?
Despite the monstrous nature of this project, what's up with demolishing 8 low-income units? Even if those 8 income-restricted units are replaced in the project, will this be another loophole where those eight count toward the required low-income allotment? The other market rate units in the project will drive the need for additional local services that pay minimum wage. How does this project help our real problem of insufficient worker-affordable residences? Projects should be required to replace removed low-income housing units PLUS meet their other inclusionary housing mandates.
Wait, I'm confused. It's from L.A. - aren't we supposed to hate it? /s
I stopped on that corner so many times 15 - 25 years ago after nights at WildCat. If they're smart about it, they'll be open late on Friday and Saturday and catch that hungry late night crowd. Worked for Blue Owl.
Outdoor lighting is already enforced by Santa Barbara County Planning & Development's zoning enforcement, which is a reactive, complaint-driven program. Roughly 5% of their annual complaints are outdoor lighting related and most of those are in Montecito.
Yeah, too bad the veg option is twice that!
Drone Patrol by the noisy neighbors? Or by their Private Security Operatives?
I think this is brilliant, an easy walk from State St. or people can park in the Ortega Street public lot. The prices seem reasonable. Can't wait.
