Santa Barbara’s State Street Blues. It’s the first time in history a city has spent $150 million to ensure its “Main Street” is no longer a street.
If you’ve been following the “Create State” Committee’s latest greatest hits, you know the draft Master Plan has finally dropped. It’s a 300-page opus that cost us a million dollars in “consultant” fees—basically our very own Magical Mystery Tour through the pockets of Santa Barbara taxpayers.
But as I paged through the Title Graphic, it became clear that the city isn’t just asking us to imagine a new downtown. They’re asking us to Carry That Weight—specifically the $150 million price tag for a project that turns our historic “civic spine” into a one-mile-long bike path.
Click Read More below for the whole rep;ort.
For decades, State Street has been the rhythmic pulse of Santa Barbara—a historic boulevard connecting the mountains to the sea. However, the recent shift toward “parklets” and pedestrian-only zones has sparked a heated debate about the future of our downtown. Below is a letter from Ed Fuller, a concerned community member who argues that the current path of urban planning may be doing more harm than good to our city’s legacy and economic health.
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In May 2020, eight blocks of State Street — from Sola Street to Gutierrez Street in the area known as Lower State — were closed off to car traffic to enable restaurants and merchants to spill out into the street and meet the ever-changing state and national guidelines due to the pandemic.
Our local government and the Santa Barbara Police appear unable to address the variety of issues recently brought forth by the Natural Cafe owner which has chosen to close its doors after 30 years on State Street.
Ever since the closure of State Street the once iconic “Main Street” of Santa Barbara no longer seems the same.
Should State Street be reopened?
For more on the closure of the Natural Cafe and the myriad of problems that plague State Street click “Read More” below.
Illustration John Messer Ever wonder what the future of downtown Santa Barbara might look like? Amid our current pandemic disruption...
State Street is the main artery in Santa Barbara loaded with shops, showrooms, restaurants, bars, movie theaters, and coffee shops....
