Biltmore Employees Are Planning a Protest March

••• On Thursday morning, employees of the Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara will protest on Coast Village Road and by the hotel, carrying signs announcing their years of service. “It’s because 400 employees are furloughed and without any health insurance,” emailed one. “And no clear communication from corporate. They are avoiding layoffs to not pay severance. Staff is learning any information about their futures through media sources and not the Four Seasons.” And from another employee: “We are waiting [to hear] if the resort is going to open leaving us with our medical benefits.” As reported here the other day, there’s a rumor floating around that Marriott has bought the property and will convert it to a St. Regis.

••• On August 7, plan your outings accordingly: “The Old Spanish Days Fiesta parade will take place on Friday, August 7, starting at noon and will feature classic cars and decorated vehicles and will travel with a police escort through Santa Barbara neighborhoods bringing the Fiesta joy to you. Stay at home, say hello and shout Viva la Fiesta and the caravan parade passes by and honors this Old Spanish Days tradition in a safe and enjoyable way.”

••• The August 10 meeting of the city’s Architectural Board of Review includes this at 115 W. Anapamu: “a five-story, 30,948-square-foot, mixed-use building with full basement. The proposed building would provide 34 new affordable studio apartments averaging 450 square feet, an approximately 3,575-square-foot Co-Occurring Disorders Center, and an approximately 4,290-square-foot Integrated Care Clinic focused on serving people with mental illness. The proposed Integrated Care Clinic would consist of three medical exam rooms and three dental exam rooms and their required support functions, such as labs, waiting rooms, and storage, and staffing would include an on-site behavioral therapist as well as doctors and dentists. One van-accessible parking space is proposed in a surface-level garage in the proposed building. As a Supportive Housing project located within one-half mile of a public transit stop, residential parking is not required for supportive housing units. The proposed project would be located on a 15,013-square-foot site with an existing eight-unit affordable apartment building to remain. The two one-story bungalows that currently house the existing clinic and disorders center would be demolished.”

••• And a new house is in the works for the ocean side of 1553 Shoreline Drive. From the August 6 agenda for the city’s Planning Commission: “The applicant proposes to construct a new approximately 2,440-square-foot, two-story residence with an attached approximately 593-square-foot two-car garage, a 21-square-foot attached storage area, and a 31-square-foot attached mechanical room. The project also includes a new patio, pool, spa, and approximately 110 linear feet of fence on a 23,333-square-foot vacant lot on the coastal bluff.”

••• Back in January, the Independent ran a rumor that UCLA Medical Center would be opening two clinics in the area, one near Cottage Hospital and one on Coast Village Road. The latter would appear to be at Coast Village Plaza.

••• I was disappointed to see that the L’Occitane store at Paseo Nuevo is not temporarily closed (as per Google Maps), but gone for good. A fair amount of the mall is vacant, with flyers trying to entice businesses to open pop-ups there.

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