How poorly run is the city of Santa Barbara? Areas of downtown need to tax themselves to provide the basic services government is supposed to provide.
“The assessment is a funding tool that allows property owners to pool their financial resources by assessing themselves to pay for certain district-wide activities and improvements.
The money would go to address cleanliness, safety, beautification, maintenance, identity, and placemaking, beyond what the city currently provides.
Through a recent survey, property owners identified key areas for downtown improvement, including tackling homelessness, enhancing public safety and security, and revitalizing the downtown area with special events and beautification projects.”
Watch as this backfires. The property owners will increase the lease and rent costs—and those stores will close. This is not a beautification, safety effort—it is a means of demolishing what is left of the downtown area and turn it into a slum.
Downtown Santa Barbara Property Owners Agree to Assess Themselves to Pay For Services
Money would go to additional cleanliness, safety, beautification, maintenance, identity, and placemaking efforts
by Joshua Molina, Noozhawk, 6/25/24 https://www.noozhawk.com/downtown-santa-barbara-business-owners-agree-to-assess-themselves-to-pay-for-services/
A majority of property owners in Downtown Santa Barbara agreed to assess themselves to pay for a variety of public improvements.
The city of Santa Barbara counted the votes on Tuesday during the council meeting, and a majority supported the formation of the Community Benefit Improvement District.
The assessment is a funding tool that allows property owners to pool their financial resources by assessing themselves to pay for certain district-wide activities and improvements.
The money would go to address cleanliness, safety, beautification, maintenance, identity, and placemaking, beyond what the city currently provides.
Through a recent survey, property owners identified key areas for downtown improvement, including tackling homelessness, enhancing public safety and security, and revitalizing the downtown area with special events and beautification projects.
“This is a historic moment,” said councilwoman Kristen Sneddon. “This is so exciting. I am so impressed with our whole community, actually. We are all in this together.”
Property owners who would pay a combined assessed value of $877,403.46 supported the formation of the new district; property owners who would pay $587,482.32 opposed.
About seven residential properties within the district will be exempted from paying.
Ballots were sent out to about 543 property owners, and 57% voted.
Council Opts Against Environmental Review
A proposed 25-unit housing project in Santa Barbara won’t need to undergo review under the California Environmental Quality Act.
The project calls for demolishing an existing 1,052-square-foot home and detached accessory building and replacing them with studio apartments at 515 W. Los Olivos St. No parking is proposed for the development.
The Council decided 7-0 that the project was exempt from environmental review at its Tuesday meeting.
The development did not qualify for an infill exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act, but city staff recommended an exemption because the housing is located less than one quarter-mile from public transit.
The original project called for six units, but in September of last year the developer, Steve Johnson, resubmitted the project under what’s known as “builder’s remedy,” a state law that allows developers to bypass some local zoning laws in areas where the housing element had not been certified.
The builder’s remedy project consists of a three-unit, two-story building and a 22-unit, three-story building. Five of the studios will be restricted to people earning less than 80% of the area median income.
Several neighbors spoke at the meeting against the lack of parking, but the councilmembers said their hands were tied because state law allows developers to build projects without parking if it is near a transit bus or train connection.
This is not a good idea. The project will backfire because the City will then reduce the amount of money they allocate for downtown Santa Barbara forcing the property owners to spend more.