••• A branch of CalPrivate Bank is coming to the Upper Village space between RH and the service station.
••• Loveworn opened a shop at 905 Linden Avenue in Carpinteria.
••• Women’s swimwear chain Everything But Water, which has has more than 60 stores in the U.S., confirms via a sign in the window and its website that it’s opening at 1253 Coast Village Road, as reported here in December.
••• I’m a little late on this, but the Santa Barbara County Civil Grand Jury released its 2024-25 consolidated report, which includes hot-button topics such as water management, cannabis taxation, e-bikes, unpermitted street food vendors, inmate deaths, and the housing situation. If you’re unfamiliar with the role of the Grand Jury, this will help:
In California, each county grand jury writes reports after looking into the operations of various local government entities. These reports are sent to the local agencies, who then are required to write a response to the jury’s findings and recommendations that are addressed to them. The agencies can agree with the jury’s findings and recommendations, and this can lead to changes in how policies are implemented. Agencies can also disagree with the jury, which can happen just as often. In these cases, the agencies explain their position and their actions in their responses.
••• According to the Historic Landmarks Commission’s July 16 consent agenda, the city is planning on putting a decorative steel fence around the Moreton Bay fig tree on W. Montecito Street.
••• Electronic duo Empire of the Sun plays the Santa Barbara Bowl on September 28.
••• Through August 13 at Caldwell Snyder gallery on Coast Village Road: paintings by Melissa Chandon. Below: “Bocce.”
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I’m not getting “decorative” from that fence. Seems like the city should call in the Shelton brothers on this and give the Morton Bay fig a fence that’s worthy of it
I was just going to post the same thing Cynthia. I clicked the link thinking there would be a Shelton brothers design. The fig tree deserves one!
Yes … great call and couldn’t agree more. That tree is amazing … the proposed fence not so much.
Couldn’t agree more about using Shelton to add some cohesiveness to other downtown efforts (i.e. the underpass walkway project). This proposed fence couldn’t be more boring and looking a bit like it belongs in a cemetery.
I encourage you all to contact the HLC about the fence, because I wouldn’t assume any of the commissioners are reading this. The meeting is Wednesday and the item is on the consent agenda, so do it soon. The email is [email protected].
Perfect. Done.
‘Decorative’ for the purpose of this proposed fence means a security protective fence for the HISTORIC TREE to prevent willful or negligent ecoterrorism. It would be a shame to lose the 120+ year old tree and the largest of its kind in the USA.
Last week the city started removing these trees along Milpas because they could not manage the related infrastructure costs around its large root expansion.
In 2019 a similarly aged tree fell in Los Angeles, we want to protect the tree quickly, not waste time and energy deliberating the style of fencing. https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-pueblo-tree-falls-20190309-story.html
If you spend any time along that block of Montecito Street there is a hobo camp feel to it. The park managed by the City Parks dept is known simply as ‘Moreton Bay Fig Tree’. It welcomes the Amtrak travelers to downtown Santa Barbara. No doubt the area should be cleaned up and the tree should be protected, but please consider the cities need for security around the ‘tree protection zone’ and promptness to this important historical and heritage tree and it’s proximity to both a high traffic and high vagrancy area. It’s sad the city has come to this where it can’t afford to continue to protect and maintain its many parks (or house its own people)-let alone valuable historical assets. The fence as proposed is an immediate improvement to the rental temporary chain link fence which has been used in the past. In November our new city manager Kelly Macadoo responded quickly to those who wanted to see the temporary fence removed, this proposal shows a willingness to address problems quickly and effectively and should not be punted back to design brainstorming at risk of losing the tree for the reasons and rationale originally stated to fence off the area-which is still not addressed: homeless parking and encampments in the west beach neighborhood. (https://keyt.com/lifestyle/community/2024/11/13/park-setting-next-to-the-famous-santa-barbara-fig-tree-reopens/)
Please don’t let design perfection prevent prudent progress for a city department that is already overstretched financially.
PS
Is Shelton the only creative/designer (or iron/metal worker) in Santa Barbara you can think of? We have many contributing artists and craftspeople here in our community.
I would dispute much of what you posted. For 21 years I’ve lived right down the street from the tree but my first time seeing it was in 1981. The tree is in perfect health and location to live happily for decades to come. Unlike the tree in LA that you linked to. That tree was in a plaza, most likely surrounded by pavement, not wood chips and lawn like our tree.
The trees on Milpas are not Morton Bay fig trees, they are commonly known as Indian Laurel, yes both are Ficus, but not the same. And since you brought it up I’ve also noticed the amount of abuse the Milpas trees suffer. Entire branches torn off by trucks over the years and the trees don’t seem to mind. They are planted in the most awful location on sidewalks surrounded by pavement. Again, they seem perfectly happy and in no danger from Ecoterrorism. . . I believe. You could drive a truck into the side of the Morton Bay fig and it would be fine, the truck, not so much.
I would prefer no fence of any kind around the tree, like it used to be. Some people like to go to church and worship, I like to walk under and sit between the giant raised roots. It’s more my kind of church. It should be open at all times.
Would you refresh our memories regarding the Upper Manning Park tennis court demo-what’s the plan? Thank you
In late May, the Parks Department said that it “expect[s] construction to begin next month as the construction contract is going to the Board in early June.” https://www.sitelinesb.com/new-kids-adventure-playground-in-the-santa-ynez-valley/
Great Idea!! I first set eyes on the Fig Tree, in 75′, after getting out of the Army. What I vividly recall, were the number of people sleeping, in the massive root beds, as though it were a bed, along with their encampments. Those folks back in the day, were defined as “street people”. There was one thing I was always curious about. And that is, how long is it going to take, for all that human excrement, to leech into its’ root bed, and kill it? Fortunately, fifty years later, she’s still standing. And with that new fence, another fifty, and maybe more.