Crews were seen tearing down the last vestiges of the former Chrysler dealership across from the Santa Barbara Airport last week.
The dealership, at 6290 Hollister Ave., went under in 2010 after former owner Jim Crook failed to reach a deal to sell the business.
Crook had been in the auto business on the South Coast for 31 years, and said tight credit during the past two years had made things difficult for him to continue with the Chrysler dealership.
“I’ve done everything I can,” Crook told Noozhawk in 2010. “I just can’t do it any more.”
There are currently no plans for the lot, which is on airport property. The buildings were in uninhabitable condition and posed a health and safety risk, according to Airport Director Karen Ramsdell. The building was located in a runway protection zone and were placed there in 1971. It didn’t conform to the airport’s land use plan, but was allowed to stay as long as no significant changes were made.
Any future use of the property would have to comply with FAA regulations for runway protection zones and the Santa Barbara County Airport Land Use Plan standards, but could not include a building, said Ramsdell, adding that the space could be used in the future for parking for adjacent developments.
— Noozhawk staff writer Lara Cooper can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
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