Hal Conklin, a giant of Santa Barbara politics, art and history who helped transform the city into a vibrant cultural destination, died Friday after a fierce battle with brain cancer. He was 75.
Conklin served on the City Council from 1977 to 1993, and was sworn in as mayor in 1993. But he had to step down only one year in after a court ruling upheld a new term-limit law that prevented elected city officials from serving for more than four consecutive terms.
He was diagnosed with brain cancer last September, and underwent immediate brain surgery to remove tumors. He endured and stayed involved through interviews and Zoom meetings, but recently entered hospice at Serenity House.
As a council member, Conklin was the consummate compromiser and deal-broker. He relished the role as public servant, and brought an air of dignity to the position.
He mastered interpersonal communications skills, whether talking to the homeless or business executives. Classy and gracious, he was in the rarified class of politicians who was both soft and powerful at the same time.
Conklin’s most significant impact was his leading role in shaping a downtown arts and cultural district.
“You cannot talk about downtown and the arts without talking about Hal,” said Dave Davis, the city’s longtime community development director. “He built almost by hand the structure of Paseo Nuevo.”
Conklin, in conversation or during public speeches, would frequently tout the glow of the Santa Barbara Cultural District, hyping its concerts and shows, restaurants, museums, 1st Thursday art and wine events, clubs and the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
He was a supporter of the restoration of The Granada Theatre, helping to raise millions of dollars for the project. He also was a board member for the Arlington Center for the Performing Arts.
While on the City Council, Conklin was one of the main drivers behind the redevelopment of downtown, taking it from generic surf and T-shirt shops, and building Paseo Nuevo, which today, even amid retail shopping’s slump and decline, still stands as a hub and destination for tourists.
He wrangled redevelopment money to fund downtown development and the arts, including the mall and The Granada.
Early in his council tenure, he helped rebuild Stearns Wharf, which had been badly damaged in a fire, and had stood as an eyesore for years.
Amid calls to tear it down, Conklin fought to rebuild the iconic, historic structure, and worked to make it a destination for locals and tourists.
He pushed for a balance of restaurant and shops, but made sure that admission was always free, and that no further development would be allowed, ever, on the wharf.
Now, it is a place where people can fish alongside sightseers and tourists enjoying a crab meal.
Conklin, along with Paul Relis, was a leader and guru in the recycling movement, helping to create the Community Environmental Council in the aftermath of the disastrous 1969 oil spill in the Santa Barbara Channel.
In an email that went out Friday afternoon, Sigrid Wright, the CEO of the CEC, said, “Hal lived a life full of heart and purpose and adventure.”
He spent his final days in Serenity House near TV Hill, which at one point had been the CEC’s headquarters.
“It seemed fitting that the sparks of this fire could be seen throughout town, lighting up the night,” Wright wrote of Thursday night’s nearby Loma Fire.
Conklin during his council tenure was also involved in the restoration of Santa Barbara’s historic railroad depot. He envisioned the station as a regional transit hub, Davis said. His efforts earned state and national awards for the monument, and he was a “railroad historical fanatic.”
A year ago, during the COVID-19 lockdowns, he started a video series called the Santa Barbara Leadership Team, which brought together business and government leaders to talk about ways to improve downtown and State Street.
Conklin was respected no matter the setting or crowd.
While politicians and elected officials come and go, Conklin walked around with a statesman-like aura, and anyone who encountered him knew that his passion was rich, his knowledge was deep, and his experience was untouchable.
He took his ambassador role more broadly than in just Santa Barbara. Conklin served on the boards of the League of California Cities, including time as president; the National League of Cities; and was a member of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
Conklin was also a religious man. He attended Free Methodist Church of Santa Barbara on the Mesa and co-wrote a movie review column with Pastor Denny Wayman. The column, Cinema In Focus, was a popular Noozhawk feature that approached movies through a lens of spirituality and traditional conservative values.
“Working with hundreds of leaders throughout the world, Hal was a leader of leaders and a mentor of mentors,” said Wayman, who retired in 2016 but remains active in the church and community. “As a Christian, he accepted his responsibility to be a servant of God in the world and in the church.
“Of the many responsibilities he had, he served as chairman of the Free Methodist local, state and national boards, the Eden Reforestation Projects and Transformational Leadership boards, and was an active member in our local church for the last 35 years.”
Conklin’s community devotion and activism, Wayman added, were “expressions of his commitment to serve God by serving others.”
“Hal leaves a void that cannot be filled by anyone else, and we will miss him greatly,” he said.
After Conklin left public office, he worked for decades as the public affairs director for Southern California Edison Co.
He enjoyed a resurgence in the public eye in the past decade, and, like a great athlete past his prime but still full of passion, ran for mayor in 2017. He placed third.
“I don’t think any elected official in our memory has changed the face of Santa Barbara as much as Hal,” said Santa Barbara County First District Supervisor Das Williams, one of Conklin’s friends.
“Hal had the warmest countenance, but it was not just manners or magnetism. He loved deeply. He was invested in raising up new leadership and mentored me.”
He said Conklin’s legacy will live on.
“His work helped downtown remain the center of the community, laying the groundwork for future councils to make Santa Barbara a livable, bikeable, bus-able, walkable community it is in the midst of becoming,” Williams said.
Mayor Cathy Murillo on Friday requested that the flag at City Hall be lowered to half-staff Monday.
“He’s to be admired as someone who gave his life to public service,” she said. “He’s respected among the elected officials in this community and beyond. People far and wide will remember him for the good work he did.”
Santa Barbara Unified School District trustee Laura Capps remembered Conklin for his passionate leadership.
“Our hearts are heavy with the passing of our longtime family friend, Hal Conklin, yet we are buoyed by the inspiration of such a life lived so fully, graciously and spiritually grounded,” she said. “We love Hal because he was a seeker. His inquisitive, hopeful, and open mind and heart led him to foster connections, build community, and be guided by compassion …”
Capps listed a lifetime of activism that spanned his early days in Santa Barbara, when he arrived to be a part of the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions, through his visionary leadership of the Community Environmental Council, the League of California Cities and Common Table Foundation.
“Hal Conklin is synonymous with the spirit of Santa Barbara, which will live on,” she said.
Services for Conklin were pending Friday night. He will be interred at the Santa Barbara Mission.
— 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.