Throwing more regular community events downtown is one of the ideas for revitalizing Santa Barbara’s struggling State Street, although the city may want to simplify its permit process to make it happen.
At a recent City Council meeting, the city presented a long list of projects underway or under consideration, including throwing more block party-style events on State Street and allowing more live music.
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Nina Johnson, senior assistant to City Administrator Paul Casey, has been organizing the city’s efforts and said “there are a few groups working on block parties and events.”
There was a recent, well-attended Our Common Table event — a free, communal dining experience on State Street in front of The Granada Theatre — hosted by Santa Barbara’s Lois & Walter Capps Project to bring neighbors together. The dinner was modeled after a similar Capps Project post-disaster Montecito event earlier this summer.
“The Granada Theater is interested in planning an event to mark the start of the theater season,” Johnson said. “There are conversations underway from different groups.”
Downtown Santa Barbara organizes the monthly 1st Thursday events and the annual Downtown Holiday Parade, and is committed to marketing and promoting efforts that drive the business, cultural, community and environmental vitality of downtown, explained Kate Schwab, marketing and communications director for the nonprofit membership organization.
“We love the idea of more community events and more community events that will bring our locals downtown,” she said. “We would hope that our locals would support that.”
For 1st Thursdays, art-related venues and galleries offer free access to visual and performing art from 5 to 8 p.m. on the first Thursday of every month. The venues provide art openings, live music, lectures, artists’ receptions, wine tastings and hands-on activities.
“The monthly event has been planned for a decade and needs to be refreshed with new offerings that appeal to the community and more participation from businesses,” Johnson said.
“More creative events and performances can bring residents downtown to meet with friends, browse shops and eat dinner.”
Johnson said community events are “successful when you have individuals or community groups with a vision and organizational skills to plan events and the funding to make it happen.”
“There are significant costs to produce events, with many community sponsors typically sharing the costs and providing in-kind assistance, including the city,” she added.
A more streamlined approach to permits and approval could encourage more groups to propose creative event offerings, Johnson said.
Events in Santa Barbara are required to go through a permitting process overseen by the Police Department’s special events division to determine if officers beyond the regularly scheduled deployment should be assigned to perform traffic control or public safety.
Evaluators consider the event location, date, time, impact to residential and/or commercial areas, risk assessment, law enforcement issues and traffic before recommending approval of a proposed large-scale community event, according to Onalisa Hoodes, SBPD services coordinator.
When applicants are planning large-scale events that are expected to have major impacts on the surrounding area or events that will close several blocks, it “depends on the event” if a planning meeting is required, she said.
Some events may not require extra-duty officers, but the organizers request them, she added. Staff evaluates those requests to determine if they serve the city’s interests and may assign officers, according to city staff.
The SBPD event application fee is $60. Depending on the event, Hoodes said, there may be other fees for coastal exemption permitting, vending and no parking sign permits.
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— Noozhawk staff writer Brooke Holland can be reached at bholland@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
Santa Barbara Police Department special event permit application
