Carpe Diem

I am trying to remain open-minded regarding the proposed 642 units at the Macy’s site at La Cumbre Plaza. While the proposed change in height is of concern, the fact that this site is not located downtown or along the waterfront is a plus. That the site is also located on as major bus line, close to freeway access, and only a block from Target and two grocery stores is also a plus.

Already, impact on traffic, open space, schools, and water have been cited. But if the site was vacant and the proposal was to build a Macy’s and an accompanying parking lot, wouldn’t open space and traffic also be cited? With respect to the impact on schools, enrollment rates have been declining for years in Santa Barbara, and the Hope School district’s (as well as SBUSD) enrollment numbers are less today than they were five years ago. Could it be that it’s too expensive for a family to rent/buy here or that many are simply deciding to have fewer children? As for water, I’ll wait to see some analytics. My sense is that the city’s future water supply largely takes into account demand at build-out.

For decades, Goleta — and to a lesser extent Lompoc/Santa Maria and Ventura/ Oxnard — has served as Santa Barbara’s housing relief valve. That doesn’t seem fair to me. Santa Barbarans need to throttle their NIMBY tendencies and where opportunity presents itself, consider changes that while difficult to accept, might help alleviate the current situation.