A massive transformation could be in store for the corner of Haley and Santa Barbara streets in Santa Barbara.
A 48-unit, four-story building with a swimming pool and a gym on the top floor is proposed for 201 E. Haley St., the site of the former Mission Linen business.
Plans call for eight two-bedroom units, eight studio units and 32 one-bedroom units. There’s also a proposal for 6,632 square feet of commercial retail space on the ground level, intended for five to seven businesses.
The apartments would range in size from 428 square feet to 744 square feet. About 63 parking spaces are proposed, along with 52 bike spaces.
“The goal here is to provide smaller, more affordable type units for the community, more workforce-style housing.” architect Clay Aurell of AB Design Studio said.
The interior would include an open courtyard.
“Our goal is to try to create a nice courtyard project down the middle there,” Aurell said.
The applicants are Gelare Macon of Flowers & Associates Inc. and Matthew Taylor of Price Taylor Enterprises.
The project is the latest development proposed under the city’s average unit-sized density incentive program, which encourages developers to build rental apartments and affordable housing in exchange for bonus density. It’s also a couple of doors down from another housing project, at 219 E. Haley St., that proposes to build 35 units on four stories.
Haley Street, once a primarily commercial corridor, has transformed during the past few years into a place for high-end coffee houses, designer chocolate shops and a target for more housing. The street, a main connector from downtown to Highway 101 and the Eastside, is still experiencing growing pains, however, caught between two worlds, the past and the future, and somewhat of an example of the unclear picture of development that exists throughout the rest of the city.
The proposal went before the city’s Architectural Board of Review on Monday for a “pre-application” review. The developers will take the feedback and incorporate it into their formal application to the city.
The feedback was mixed. The board members liked the idea of placing housing in that spot, but they raised concerns about the massing and design.
“I just can’t help but think this is going to have a significant impact visually on the neighborhood,” board member David Black said. “I am still not convinced architecturally that there is strong compatibility with the neighborhood.”
There are cottage homes and bungalows across the street, and the development would get built between them and the mountains. The proposed entrance and exit to the development is on Santa Barbara Street.
Board member Lauren Anderson suggested stepping the building back from Santa Barbara Street to allow for more landscaping. It was a point echoed by board member Richard Six.
“The massing for these types of projects needs to be studied very carefully,” he said.
Board chair Kevin Moore hinted that he would like to see a smaller building on that corner.
“I, for one, am not totally sold on the idea that every project like this needs a gym and a pool and other amenities that end up creating additional massing,” Moore said. “Part of living in urban locations is that you do have access to gyms and other open space, so I am not sure they need to be included in a project like this.”
— 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.
