It’s disturbing to see so much time, money and attention given to Santa Barbara’s State Street “Master Plan” and so little attention to its cost and funding.
I doubt that the city has the money to execute this plan, and if “bonds” are the answer remember that that cost will show up in our real estate tax as one more way to make Santa Barbara unaffordable.
Before any more time and money is spent on this project there should be a thorough review of the cost and the city’s ability to pay for it.
Anything less is malfeasance on the part of city officials.
George Lilly
Santa Barbara
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It is so sad all the comments by folks with no idea what actually happens for State Street business. Being a business owner downtown for 35 years, maybe I can shine a light on the misinformation and lack of information.
Parades haven’t gone away, they just moved over a few blocks. E-bikes are a problem that needs to be solved. Tell Mayor Randy Rowse and the City Council to get off their asses and do something NOW.
Any business in this economic climate relying on a possible looky-loo randomly discovering their business while driving by isn’t going to survive anyway.
Parades are terrible for retail business — people who want to shop stay away (no parking, traffic, crowds) and people going to the parades don’t shop. It’s our worst sales day of the year.
Let’s keep the street closed to cars and do the pedestrian walk right, not this half-assed thing we have now. Cars will not help and it’s time to stop living in the past with your fond memories of cruising. Exactly how many sales did that turn into?
The retail business economy and Santa Barbara’s anti-business/shitty permitting structure/insane amount of taxes are the main cause of retail failure.
Do State Street right with the city, community, businesses and media all working together to put on weekly and multiple fun events to drive folks downtown.
The city isn’t doing it, the Downtown Organization does barely anything. No one is taking this opportunity to make downtown a success.
Robert Ficarra
Santa Barbara
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Keeping nine blocks of State Street closed is akin to being arrested without bail! It was closed for the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID emergency is now over!
If a “master plan” (eventually) concludes that creating a pedestrian mall somewhere on State Street is a good idea, then conclude it and announce it.
Should a pedestrian mall include one block, or two blocks? Three or four blocks? Five or six blocks? Seven, eight or nine blocks? Cars, no cars? Parades, no parades? Bikes, no bikes?
Figure it out …
Until then, reopen the street. Nine blocks of our beautiful town are being held hostage!
Joseph Garred
Santa Barbara
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The June 29 article, “Gaviota Rest Areas Close Again for Summer Due to Water Shortage,” reports on the closure of the Gaviota rest stop and how the state spent almost $5 million of our tax dollars in 2021 to fix the water shortage problem there.
Now the state is going to close the rest stop again for four months because $5 million wasn’t enough and they didn’t fix it at all?
I am fed up with the state incompetence. Our state government is worthless. People need to be fired. The public needs to be fired up!
Why can’t the state put in porta potties in the meantime and keep them open so our citizens are cared for while driving Highway 101?
Keep writing about this, Noozhawk. Find out who is responsible.
Bart Bader
Goleta
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The construction work on the roundabout at San Ysidro Road and Highway 101 should be commended. It is pleasing to the eye, and seems to move traffic much more smoothly. I appreciate the thought and care in the design.
There is one aspect, however, that causes some concern, and I am hoping it can be addressed before something terrible happens.
As you exit the northbound freeway at San Ysidro, you will first cross over the designated crosswalk BEFORE you reach the yield/stop at the roundabout.
That means there is really no safety indication for the driver to be warned that there is an actual crosswalk at all. The pedestrians crossing have to only assume the drivers know that a crosswalk even exists.
Further, at dusk, the haze settles in along with the sunset, and it makes it very difficult to see any pedestrian coming from either side of the crosswalk.
Summer is here, many guests continue to stay and enjoy the Rosewood Miramar Beach, and perhaps want to walk or bike to Coast Village Road or to the Upper Village.
Every time I drive up, and take that exit, there is a voice in the back of my head saying this is a tragedy waiting to take place.
While I am unsure of the solution, it is something Santa Barbara County needs to jump on and address, before this becomes a lesson learned the hard way.
Eric Mozilo
Montecito
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In 1776 representatives of the 13 colonies declared: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Independence Day celebrates the declaration of independence from the British empire.
In the intervening 250 years this statement has been analyzed and redefined many times. I think when the phrase “all men” was written it referred to the human species and not gender; thus, everyone was created equal.
But today some political factions like to exploit the idea that somehow one group or another is disenfranchised. These same politicians exploit these folks and make promises that are never kept.
And when they wrote “the pursuit of happiness” it didn’t mean ingesting enough intoxicating material so that a person couldn’t think clearly.
Somehow over time Independence Day has lost its original meaning and become a contest as to which household can create louder explosions than the other.
It’s hard to understand how people can afford legal and/or illegal fireworks to create their amateur displays when many of the same people complain they can’t afford food and shelter.
Ron Fink
Lompoc
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As Santa Barbara confronts a serious budget shortfall, our next mayor needs more than good intentions. They need a proven record of fiscal responsibility.
That’s why I support Eric Friedman for Santa Barbara mayor.
I’ve known Eric for nearly 20 years through our work with local nonprofit organizations.
Together, we served on the board of an organization that expanded critical mental health services into the North County. Eric helped lead that effort with a thoughtful plan that balanced bold goals with sound financial management.
As a result, more families gained access to essential care while the organization remained financially strong.
Eric has brought that same disciplined approach to City Hall.
After the COVID-19 pandemic, he led the effort to return $17 million in one-time revenues to the city’s reserves rather than commit them to ongoing expenses.
He also championed the creation of a pension trust fund and had the courage to oppose a budget that relied too heavily on reserves.
Strong financial leadership means protecting essential services today while planning responsibly for tomorrow.
Eric Friedman has consistently demonstrated that leadership, and I am proud to support him for mayor.
Cynder Sinclair Ph.D.
Santa Barbara
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