Highway 154 Is Closed Due to a Rockslide

I can’t say I have ever agreed with Wendy McCaw on anything ever. And I don’t agree with her hysteria and contempt in this case. However, downtown does need to be sorted out around parklets and promenade traffic and making sure the retailers and restauranteurs have a good infrastructure, guidelines, and planning. I grew up here and I remember going to other beach towns and marveling that Santa Barbara had a remarkably upscale downtown compared to many beach towns (in my youth that vibe stopped at “lower State.”) So it does seem like there’s a pull towards becoming more like a standard beach town–it’s an easy norm to slip into and not recover from. I think if State Street continues to be left just to find its own way without planning or standards, our unique vibe will be lost. If the retail and restaurant community is supported with clarity and the shared street space is planned, then downtown will thrive. Rather than freaking out about the downsides, it’s better to figure out how to support the many many people who are bringing so much creativity to our downtown. We must also support the relatively few people who need better alternatives for housing and health care. But scapegoating them and catastrophizing downtown doesn’t fix anything. I think it’s better to find positive collaboration and leadership to turn the creativity of Covid response into the next chapter of downtown. I’ve watched Santa Barbara reinvent–and mostly triumph–many times for 60 years. I also know how much work it has taken for our once-tiny town to meet challenges and pressures and still keep our spirit. I have never seen complaining or bad-mouthing lead to anything good. But I have seen local individuals, politicians, citizens, artists, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, musicians, engineers, educators, farmers, journalists, etc. step up with great ingenuity. Thanks Siteline for your reporting on the downtown conundrum and please keep it up.