Edhat Staff
By the edhat staff
After two postponements, the De La Guerra Revitalization Project’s latest concept plan was heard at the City of Santa Barbara’s Historic Landmarks Commission (HLC) last week.
The proposal created by RRM Design Group aims to raise the entire Plaza, as well as De La Guerra Street between Anacapa Street and State Street, to be level with the existing sidewalk. It also plans to install new landscaping, a water feature, restrooms, a pavilion, stage, art nodes, lighting, and trash/recycling.
The grass will be removed and instead feature a bubbling water feature aimed to attract children and families. Low bubblers with nozzles flush with pavement will be surrounded by a Chumash mosaic centered on the pavilion building
stage for informal seating and people-watching.
The current circle street surrounding the plaza grazz will be eliminated as well as the roadway off State Street connecting to Anacapa Street. From Anacapa, motorists can turn right on De La Guerra Street by City Hall but the roadway will stop at the corner of the City Hall Building. This will allow for the plaza to extend a vehicle-free walkway and incorporate the historic Casa De La Guerra.
Rendering of proposed changes to De La Guerra Plaza (Courtesy of RRM Design Group)
One of the bigger debates was around keeping the grass or removing similar to European plazas it as the design shows.
In written public comment, AIA Architect John D. Kelley stated the grass should be eliminated to improve function and appearance, and to reduce maintenance and water use. Local resident Paulina Conn disagreed stating grass, shrubs, and shade trees are needed to cool the city and sequester carbon.
“People need nature for their physical and mental health NOT hardscape. Hardscape has ALWAYS been a stupid idea. Just because ancient Europe got rid of mud in their downtown cities with hardscape market places does not mean that our city that is built differently should put in a phony non-functional hardscape heat sink just to be a copy cat,” Conn wrote for public comment.
However the designers of the project pushed for removing the grass. “Lawn just isn’t sustainable,” said Lief McKay, principal at RRM Design Group. “It isn’t accessible, and it is virtually impossible to maintain in a pristine condition.”
The HLC voted 9-0 to support the design although four commissioners expressed strong opposition to a stage and pavilion next to the City Hall parking lot while the rest gave full support.
Commissioner Ed Lenvik had the strongest opposition stating he didn’t like the design of the pavillion and overall it’s not cohesive.
City Councilmember Kristen Sneddon and Chair of the De La Guerra Plaza Revitalization Design Advisory Committee, spoke as a local resident during public comment stating the Chumash history should be elevated and brought to the surface of the plaza instead of on the ground of the water feature.
Sneddon encouraged commissioners to be clear and decisive and to “be very specific so that we, this generation, older and young, can be the ones to actually see this realized.”
Project leaders were looking for guidance ahead of submitting their final application to HLC for review which will then need to go through the planning and review processes before landing on the City Council’s desk for final approval.
The full design presentation can be seen here.
Rendering of proposed changes to City Hall frontage in De La Guerra Plaza (Courtesy of RRM Design Group)
Looks pretty cool! It’s been decades since they’ve polished up DLG. Of all the local infrastructure that needed a facelift, this makes sense. Much more so than the underpass!
It’s been quite a few years since the city spent millions on fixing up the little plaza and they ended up tearing it out. I hope they don’t have the same designer they should spend money like it’s theirs not the taxpayers.
They should plant more trees. Permeable pavers could be used to keep the trees healthier. Maybe something that overpowers the smell of urine and poop. Grass only attracts dog owners and homeless. Maybe some Mimosa trees? I like the design. The rendering makes it look vast, and deceptively wide.
Seems about right – losing the grass, essentially. City, get it done and move on. Same with State St.
The photo of the flagstone and brick shows it ungrouted and looks like it will be permeable. The trees in the water color have a ring around them, and that is usually something like this:
https://urbanaccessories.com/products/grating/tree-grates/
Maybe stop spending money wherever it can be spent (underpass, De La Guerra, and on free housing for the homeless) and actually develop the rest of the city?
Let’s get some parks back in shape, remove the fences and get rid of the bums inhabiting every street corner and heckling citizens and tourists alike.
I hope we have some incumbents soon.
SBSTONER: “Maybe stop spending money wherever it can be spent …… free housing for the homeless”
Also SBSTONER in the same comment: “get rid of the bums inhabiting every street corner”
Ok, so you don’t want to provide them housing, but you demand we get rid of them. How? How do you reduce the homeless population without providing them the ability to house themselves?
I didn’t understand the “low bubblers with nozzles flush with pavement,” so I clicked on the link and saw a photo of what that looks like. Interesting. Has anyone seen such a thing in person? Kind of like a fountain made of broken sprinkler heads. Is the water recycled? If so, how will it be kept clean? Curious.
I meant, is the water recirculated through the bubblers?
Unlikely. When creating an interactive fountain usually the water isn’t recycled as it would need to be filtered and treated, like pool water.
The bubbler idea looks pretty cool, but I agree with VOICE on this – it will probably not be recycled if the intent is for small kids to play with and touch it. Might be cheaper (but not as fun) to fence it off so it’s like a fountain, using recycled water.
Overall though, I think this is a great idea to spruce up our City Hall area. Let’s hope they can keep this new plaza as urine free as possible though!
I think “why re-invent the apple” is better phrased as “why re-invent the lawn”. This redesign looks to me like they are trying to create classic plaza.
This would also be a good location for street vendors
https://www.aquaworxusa.com/products/accessories/
Those fountains have a chlorine and acid injection system as well as some pretty intense filtration to make the water safe. However, I am certain that somewhere out there in the small group of hardcore, meth, tranq addicted, people living rough there is at least one who will test the system for us by using this fountain as a bidet.
You can down vote me for saying the fountain will be used as a bidet, but you can’t say it won’t happen
It’s true that any fountain can be misused. Seems like this one is less appealing for personal bathing, since there will be no edge to sit on. But sure, someone will do something inappropriate, here, there, everywhere.
Ditch the water feature, AND grass. We live in a dry, Mediterranean climate. Look, the design will NEVER please everyone. Just like State St. Pick something and make it happen. Most folks never even go there.
If you give up grass, you’ve got to put more “green” in that courtyard.
You need trees, shrubs…not succulents, to cool that area.
Imagine how inhospitable walking in that plaza on all that stone in September/ October will be.
Say what you will about grass, but it cools its surroundings and plays an important part in our air quality.
Dirt, I guess. Hardscape is much hotter. Any water features are absurd given the water shortages, which will increase. And the pipes and sprinklers soon would be exposed and broken off: somebody looking for a lie-down finds the sprinkler in the way, and off it is hacked. I would picture the tables/booths/grandstand situation as it is during Fiesta, the one time that plaza really will be used and wanted as it traditionally is laid out, and go from there planning-wise. I think trees would get too much hard usage to have a chance to grow and thrive.
The sprinkler heads are supposed to be flush with the ground, so I assume the area around them is permeable and the water flows down, and then is probably recirculated back up into the bubblers. I hope the mechanisms can’t be messed with. The sample photo shows a toddler walking on the area. If it stays fairly clean it could be nice. Might seem somewhat cooling. I suppose some folks might lie down in that area, just as some people jump into fountains.
Looks like a parking lot. why does this city want to build another underused parking lot?
NONAME – DeLaGuerra Plaza is a historical extension of City Hall but does not lead directly to the main entrance to City Hall. The main entrance has always been considered the entrance accessed via Anacapa Street. I see nothing gained by removing the grass, plantings and trees behind City Hall to be replaced with mosaic, bubblers, flagstone and brick. Definitely a change to the history of this area. IMO this is an unnecessary expense. The “design group” and others declare “lawn isn’t sustainable.” How long has the existing lawn been in the area? If it isn’t sustainable might as remove the lawn in front of City Hall I observed last time I was there. Is there really a need to spend money to (raise)the plaza and the streets listed to be level with the sidewalk? People have traveled through this area for years and I’ve never read of any problems that would make this change an improvement. I’d guess there should be a change if the current area presents a hazard and liability to the City. Is the area a liability? I agree the area off State Street leading to DeLaGuerra Plaza should be cleaned as needed, but, toilets?
Why re-invent the apple?
and isnt this where the Saturday Farmers Market will move when construction begins for the new Police Headquarters??
The look is definitely not Santa Barbara.