John Wiley
By John Wiley
Construction at sites around town is going strong in the current build up of new developments and major upgrades at others. As the Miramar passed beneath our wings the exteriors were starting to look complete.
The new pools at Montecito Golf looked inviting. Stadium construction at SBHS is transforming from bare earth into a terraced bowl. The new auto dealer on Hitchcock has a robust concrete shell, maybe to make it safe in event of a car fire?
In order to preserve the natural beauty of Santa Barbara county, it makes sense to increase density within already built up city limits. Density over urban sprawl.
How about a local politician with a backbone that is willing and able to defy the Sacramento mandate for “more building”? The cities of Goleta and Santa Barbara throw their hands in the air and just say “but we’re forced to approve these projects”. HBJ, Williams, and Carbajal are not coming to anyone’s rescue and have bought into this nonsense. Slow growth is a rallying cry that the vast majority of our community agrees is needed..
I was not aware that there was a Sacramento mandate for more building in Goleta and Santa Barbara. I am, however, aware that the Funk Zone is more aesthetically pleasing than what was there before. Far better to have developed the Funk Zone on top of old warehouses than to have developed on More Mesa. Santa Barbara has a housing crisis, and houses and businesses will be built whether you like it, or not. Better to think about smart growth that includes denser housing and business districts that can be more efficiently served by public transport, walking or biking. I think we mostly agree on this subject. You are looking for slow, managed growth. One way to manage growth intelligently is to think about how to build new structures on currently existing urban footprints.
Nice pix John, thanks. We’ll pick up the new Ferrari at the dealership, swing by the club for a swim and dinner, and then go watch a kickball game at the high school.
The cost of housing has driven many out of town. That is why we have traffic. Building homes in the Funk Zone won’t supply housing for workers, but will supply housing for lots of people who don’t live here already. – That will increase the need for more lower costs jobs and more commuting into the City.
We grew. It ruined us. We are now no growth. There is no housing crisis in Santa Barbara. The only crisis is too many people demand to live here on their terms, when they can’t afford to buy what is available. That is their crisis; not ours.
At least someone gets it! I know a lot of locals and not one of them has moved into or is planning on moving into any of the new developments. They have been taken over by people from out of state that probably have at least two cars per unit (more if there are roommates). I hear a lot of new people talking about how they work from home for companies that aren’t even here. Why exactly did we want or need this explosion of growth? Oh yea, to generate more tax dollars for the city workers so they can keep their high salaries and pensions.
John , perhaps a more telling story would be pictures of the traffic at Storke/Hollister & Los Caneros with all the Build up of housing
Interesting you should mention traffic, because on most flights we see slow or stopped traffic at various places on 101. Especially during Summer travel season, and including in places where new lanes have recently been added. Is the answer more lanes, more car pooling, more mass transit, self-driving cars, more urban planning, or all of the above?
Local Coastal Plan will ruin Santa Barbara. The new LCP will be at SB City Council August 7th. It puts AUD density i.e. 27 dwelling units per acre with NO size limit in the Funk Zone. On the Mesa you can put 3 homes on many properties. The City has permitted business down in the Coastal Zone where they should not be permitted (office space and restaurants in a manufacturing zoned propertie) with no parking. The California Hotel Project is severely under parked and new businesses already want to expand their square footage, which increases the parking need. The City ignores the fact that business submit one design for X seats for a restaurant to wine tasting room but then expands it 3 fold, which increasing the parking demand. City Coastal Exemptions are not Appealable and are usually granted with false information presented. There is no real enforcement, which means it is a revolving door of complaints with no action being taken. – No wonder you can’t find parking and why we will soon see METERED parking on the streets. – Property owners and businesses, who need employees, and who don’t provide parking want to make sure there is no free parking anywhere for employees. Our residential neighborhoods and elsewhere will be filled with vehicles or employees will buy passes for the waterfront or Garden lot which will reduce parking for tourists. If you want to stop the City from turning the Funk Zone into Santa Monica say something to the City Council – SBCityCouncil@santabarbaraca.gov and show up on August 7th to the City Council @2pm: 735 Anacapa, 2nd Floor, and speak out.
@John. Maybe it’s a different reality when viewed from above? Most local residents are frequent commuters on the 101 and follow this issue closely. Most of us intuitively know that the regular slowdowns on the 101 buildup is really simple: bottlenecks where 3 lanes reduce to 2. Until we get 3 lanes from Ventura to Winchester Canyon we will have regular backups.
Two decades of “progressive” city budget mismanagement is now devouring us. No city budget growth; and no city population growth. Elect your city representatives on those two promises. Can’t over look the reason the city wants more growth – to feed their own salaries, perk, benefit and pensions. People who live here don’t want more growth. Once elected suddenly they want more growth once they see what the city expenses have become. “Progressive” is now a dirty word.
The one disturbing peoples’ day is you, with your ridiculous assumptions and charges.
That Miramar makes me ill every time I drive by. When I grew up next door there were little cottages, on the boardwalk, around the pool, the whole hotel was only cottages. The downfall started in 1960 when they built the 2 story “Motel 6” looking 2 story buildings, even on the boardwalk. Now it is much worse, those huge buildings are down right ugly. Like all the other over building in Santa Barbara, it’s sad.
So it is just an inconvenience when the 101 is shut down like during the debris flow and we have to use boats to get fire, police and critical care hospital workers here because they can’t afford to live here on their terms. That’s good to know.
So I assume these photos were taken this weekend? Sunday? Therefore I assume that this plane was one of many small jobs which were looping around downtown, over the mesa and in between disturbing the attempts of many to enjoy a nice warm day outside in shade. So once again inconsiderate behavior is acceptable to satisfy the curiosity of those not affected. Modern times.
I am sure you do. But you probably do not live where this stuff is epidemic. Btw, my car is quiet and stays on the roads with other cars, thereby mitigating the noise and pollution it generates. These hobby planes and those carrying real estate sales people and tourists should do the same–stay off shore where the noise is not a problem. Simple courtesy.
Progressive has always been a dirty word among reactionaries and even conservatives, the very ones who gave us the financial meltdown of 2007/8, two wars that are still requiring US treasure and blood after nearly a decade and a half and repeated tax cuts that favour the rich while middle and working class wages have stagnated. And you whine about municipal growth or stagnation??? Which rock have you been hiding under – infowars’?
What on earth are you complaining about???? I live under the flight path for small craft heading into SBA and have noticed none of the traffic you mention. From my standpoint I can go for hours without hearing a single plane go overhead then in the late afternoon or evening there may be 3-4 over the space of a couple of hours. That’s hardly the density you allude to. Maybe it’s the Idiocracy running this country that’s encouraging us all to twist the facts to suit us.