One of Santa Barbara’s most well-received housing developments is headed to the corner of Chapala and West Ortega streets.
The members of Santa Barbara’s Historic Landmarks Commission gushed over architect Tom Meaney’s project before giving it unanimous design approval.
“I think it is a homerun,” Commissioner Michael Drury said. “It is exactly what is needed downtown.”
In a rare instance for Santa Barbara’s design review process, the commission touted the project in just about every way. They said it was perfect for downtown, and a model project for the future.
“It is a beautiful project,” Commissioner Keith Butler said.
The owner of the project, JoAnn Van Wyk, has proposed a three- and four-story mixed-use development with 39 rental units, along with 5,119 square feet of commercial space.
The proposed development is separated into multiple buildings, with paseos connecting the structures. The site is the longtime Volkswagen dealership that left the city nearly a decade ago. Meaney showed a spiffy animated rendering video to illustrate the project.
Santa Barbara has long experienced an affordable housing crisis. The city approved the average unit-sized density incentive program in 2013 to encourage developers to build rental apartments. The high cost of land in Santa Barbara for about 40 years prevented developers from pitching new rental apartments. The ordinance, however, allows developers to pitch apartment projects that are profitable financially.
The developers are able to charge market-rate rent for the units, although 10% of the units must be set aside for below-market rents, per the city’s inclusionary housing ordinance.
While much of the community favors affordable-housing units, debates often erupt over height, size, bulk, location and affordability. It’s common for people to support rental apartment housing in the abstract but oppose it in their neighborhood.
It’s not common for design review boards to heap such dynamic praise on a project. This project, however, was met with wide favorable support, and even sparked a discussion about tolerance for noise downtown. The new homes would go near the Wildcat Lounge and be a block away from State Street.
Cass Ensberg, an architect and a member of the commission, said she was excited about the project and that it was “beautiful.” She said that with such a strong need for downtown housing, people need to work together to understand the diversity of neighborhoods.
“We all as a community have to come together and be good, existing neighbors and be good new neighbors,” Ensberg said. “Wherever you are in the equation, be sensitive to each other and work together as a neighborhood to bring out the best.”
She noted the design of the four separate buildings, all connected by paseos.
“It’s quintessential Santa Barbara,” Ensberg said.
Commissioner Dennis Doordan said that if the city is trying to encourage downtown development, “it is inevitable that the soundscape downtown will change.”
Commission chair Anthony Grumbine said the new development will be “the best-looking Chapala building, and I don’t say that lightly.”
The project will return to the HLC for minor revisions to the types of tile, balcony details and sound screening.
Commisioner Robert Ooley also called the project “beautiful.”
“Mr. Meaney, I consider you to be a modern master,” Ooley said.
Ensberg put the final mark of approval on the project:
“Maybe we are witnessing the birth of a future landmark, given another 100 years or so,” Ensberg said.
— 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.