Outrage over plans to flatten beloved Santa Barbara arts district to build a luxury hotel
A beloved enclave in California known for its eccentric charm may be demolished to make way for a sprawling 250-room luxury hotel, sending locals into outrage.
A beloved enclave in California known for its eccentric charm may be demolished to make way for a sprawling 250-room luxury hotel, sending locals into outrage.
The proposal for the 101 Garden Street hotel, set in Santa Barbaras Funk Zone, was approved by a 4-2 vote at a heated hours-long Santa Barbara Planning Commission meeting back in February.
However, another meeting set for November will determine whether or not the project set for the 4.5-acre property will move past the proposal stage.
Since then, locals, who define the area based on its unique display of quirky homes and colorful art installations, have expressed concern over the colossal proposal. They have cited concerns such as the housing crisis, area affordability and irreplaceable charm.
Rendering of the massive proposed 250-room Santa Barbara hotel, set to feature high-end amenities like roof deck, two spas, and a library and media salon
Locals, who define the area based on its unique display of quirky homes and colorful art installations, have expressed concern over the colossal proposal
The hotel has no public space and won’t be a good neighbor, critics claimed (Pictured: A clothing store in the Funk Zone)
You all, I assume, have homes to live in, right? Jill Johnson, owner of Loveworn, a clothing boutique in the Funk Zone, said, addressing the city council.
I just spent two months looking for a little teeny, tiny place by myself, and I own a thriving business in town and I can’t even find a place to live...
Some have argued the gigantic hotel would redefine the district and change the aesthetic to one more closely in line with some of the coastal town’s most exclusive resorts.
What we know: The second-largest hotel in the city of Santa Barbara will be built on land zoned for housing, during the peak of our housing crisis, by relying on outdated environmental reports and specifically excluding any community benefit despite being located in the heart of the Funk Zone, said Brittany Zajic, president of Keep the Funk, a nonprofit group that’s appealing the project told the city council.
The hotel has no public space and won’t be a good neighbor, Zajic claimed, accusing the project of being disingenuous to the original site plan - a decades-old idea brought about in 1983, including a housing and community space.
The plan only resurfaced in 2019 by landowners and Newport Beach-based Dauntless Development representative, Shaun Gilbert.
But, after hearing the mounting concerns over the proposal Gilbert raised a counterargument that could offset locals overarching worries.
Gilbert, along with developers, aimed to blend into the Spanish Colonial style associated with the area and its rare charm.
In addition to style conformity Gilbert also noted a $500,000 affordable housing donation to help close the gap as well as offering several affordable housing units.
These affordable housing units and the donation to the housing trust fund will help offset the housing demand, planning commissioner, Sheila Lodge, told the city council in support of the development.
Art on display in Santa Barbaras beloved Funk Zone
The Funk Zone area of wineries and restaurants, Santa Barbara, California
City Planning Commissioner, Sheila Lodge, urged locals to support the proposal as it was already approved and only the city council members will vote at the upcoming November 19 meeting. (Pictured: Stearns Wharf off the coast of Santa Barbara)
Lodge then urged locals to support the proposal as it was already approved and only the city council members will vote at the upcoming November 19 meeting - taking no further public comment.
I’m sure it’s happening everywhere else in California. Rents are really high for business owners, and living expenses, an employee who works in the Funk Zone, Tatum Becker, said.
It’s just kind of crazy and inaccessible for people. But also, why would you want to visit a place that has no soul and no people in it?
The DailyMail.com has reached out to Shaun Gilbert and Dauntless Development for comment.
