Although housing — and how to build more of it — is all the craze in Santa Barbara these days, the city’s Planning Commission on Thursday will talk about whether to allow a 250-room hotel proposed near the Funk Zone and the beach.
Garden Palms LLC’s proposal for the 101 Garden St. hotel includes 119 standard guestrooms and 131 extended stay guestrooms, with full kitchens. Plans also call for restaurants, bar, lounge, roof deck with trellis and 267 parking spaces.
“Two distinct guest experiences will be provided: 131 rooms will be available for extended stay and 119 rooms available for lifestyle accommodations,” wrote Kenneth Marshall, principal with Dudek, in a letter to the Planning Commission. “We look forward to working with the city to bring this hotel experience to Santa Barbara.”
The seven-member commission won’t be voting on the project, called the Garden Street Hotel, at Thursday’s meeting, but it will provide comments for a concept review hearing. The day before, the project will go before the city’s Historic Landmarks Commission for comments.
The site is part of the Cabrillo Plaza Specific Plan, which the city approved in 1983, and the proposed project is consistent with the plan, according to a city staff report.
The Specific Plan allows several uses within this area, including a hotel or motel with up to 250 rooms, and ancillary uses such as meeting rooms (not to exceed 350 persons); restaurants and/or cocktail lounges with service not to exceed 250 persons; stores or shops; health club; and other similar uses.
About 228 parking spaces would be located within an underground garage, and an additional 39 surface spaces. Guest amenities would include a library, media salons, meeting rooms, fitness room, market, and guest laundry.
This is the second major project proposed for the intersection of Garden and Yanonali streets. Its retail and restaurant project proposal earned positive feedback from the Planning Commission two weeks ago.
The Planning Commission meets at 1 p.m. Thursday at City Hall, 735 Anacapa St., and the Historic Landmarks Commission meets at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at the David Gebhard Meeting Room, 630 Garden St.
— Noozhawk staff writer Joshua Molina can be reached at jmolina@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
