AnonymousBy Natalia Govoni
Developers are awarded a Special Gift while Santa Barbara pays the Price.
On Tuesday, Feb. 13th, Mayor Murillo, Hart, and Friedman gave Developers a very $pecial Valentine Day’$ present. They voted to punt making critical decisions surrounding the Average Unit Density (AUD) housing program in favor of sending staff recommendations over to the Developer friendly Planning Commission for “further review.” This single action delayed any changes to the AUD program 6 months to 1 year and will now exclude more projects from paying their fair share of impact fees. These officials gave Developers a Big Gift which includes higher densities, reduced parking, and substantial increases in the size, bulk, and scale of projects. Each project received 33% to 233% additional units and faster approvals which translated into quick profits. In return, Santa Barbara received luxury apartments, increased traffic, more parking woes, and massive unattractive buildings all while hardworking taxpayers subsidize a big part of the Developers planning fees.
The AUD was supposed to alleviate some of our housing woes and provide rental housing for the middle class, but the reality is that it has actually made things worse for three IMPORTANT reasons:
1) Only the top 25% of income earners can afford rents
2) Affordable housing is being destroyed to build AUD units
3) For every 100 market rate units built, there is an increased demand for 25 below market rate units for lower wage workers. With 992 units in the pipeline, excluding the units that will be demolished or rehabilitated into market-rate units, the City will actually see a loss of 250 middle-class units.
While Tuesday’s decision was bad for Santa Barbara, it was a $weet deal for $pecial interest groups who poured money into the campaigns of Murillo and Hart last year. And, for those considering to donate to Hart’s campaign for Board of Supervisors remember Developer, Edward St. George. He wrote at least one check to Murillo in September of last year in the amount of $2,000.00.
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I totally AGREE with this article. Groups like CAUSE, PODER, Service Employees International and other unionized workers are Murillo’s biggest supporters. They failed to see that the AUD is causing rapid gentrification of the Eastside and across town and will push them out of town faster because of Murillo’s decisions. Murillo IS THE AUDs biggest supporter and continues to push Developer giveaways with ZERO payback to the City. – Taxpayers pay about 75% of the development fees of the projects. Developers reap the benefits. Residents see rents rise, homes demolished and new housing only for the top income earners. – IF Murillo had chosen to make decisions NOW money would be going almost immediately to middle-class housing and units would have been set aside for them in larger projects. Murillo has SOLD THEM OUT in favor of Developers!
Murillo is BAD for Santa Barbara. But I think her move with SBCAG and this will be her downfall. Her true self is shining through. She isn’t for “her people,” but the “man” (Developers).