The future of downtown Santa Barbara’s De la Guerra Plaza could include a contemporary water feature, arches, new restrooms, and a stage area for events.
The city’s Historic Landmark’s Commission will meet on Wednesday about 3:50 p.m. to talk about the latest version of the plan put forth by the De La Guerra Plaza Revitalization Design Advisory Committee.
The proposal also calls for the elimination of the horseshoe roadway, and flattening of the area to one level.
The parking in the plaza would be removed, but angled spaces would be added on De la Guerra Street, next to City Hall.
The committee has met 12 times over the past 25 months to discuss the plan.
“The concept is the culmination of over two years of work with substantial public input along the way, as well as collaboration with the Historic Landmarks Commission throughout the process,” said City Councilwoman Kristen Sneddon, who chairs the committee.
During that time, city staff also conducted an online community survey asking the public what it wants to see the plaza look like.
The plaza was once a vibrant city center that was home to events, festivals, demonstrations and people hanging out on the lawn.
However, the city has neglected the spot, which sits between City Hall and the backs of several State Street restaurants and businesses, and now it sits mostly vacant, with the exception of unhoused people who frequent the area.
The city has wrestled with what to do with the plaza for decades. It’s the front yard of City Hall, and it’s a half-block a way from the State Street promenade, so the space has taken on a new and increasingly important significance in recent months.
The online community questionnaire was conducted over two weeks — Oct.14-28, 2021 — and about 342 people responded.
According to the city’s staff, a majority of the respondents wanted activities taking place at the plaza, including festivals, events, music, entertainment, concerts, and leisure activities such as strolling and sitting.
Those who responded made 501 comments, and 85 of them noted that homelessness was an problem in the plaza.
Among the most talked-about items in the plan is the proposed splash area, an in-ground water feature.
“The design will aesthetically complement the historic space with its quatrefoil shape,” a city staff report states. “It will also provide cooling to the air surrounding it, white noise for those in closer proximity, and entertainment with a pleasant focus much like a fireplace.”
The water spouts would be limited in how they shoot the water, and the feature would be turned off during events on the other side of the plaza.
“The water feature is an example of responding to input and collaboration,” Sneddon said. “It is a low-flow, low-profile, recycled-water feature that is an asset to the plaza, especially for children and families. When it is on, it offers a cooling feature to the plaza, and when it is off, the plaza can be used, as always, for events on a flat surface.”
The staff report for Wednesday’s commission meeting states that the water feature will operate on a pump system. The water used would be stored in a below-grade tank, filtered before exiting, and then be collected back into the loop to be filtered and used again.
The small amount of water loss is primarily due to evaporation, the report states.
In addition to the water feature, the city is looking to build bathrooms near the plaza, and is working with a property owner on the project.
Sneddon said Old Spanish Days is on board with the proposal, and that the new configuration actually provides them more room to set up for the annual summer Fiesta celebration.
She is looking forward to a revitalized plaza.
“We as a committee are very pleased with the concept and our work to date, and really believe the design will offer many who visit and frequent the plaza a positive experience,” Sneddon 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.
