Santa Barbara City Council denies Milpas Gardens appeal
Tracy Lehr
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The Santa Barbara City Council took its staff’s recommendation to consider and deny the appeal of the Architectural Board of Review’s approval of a housing project at the corner of 418 N. Milpas and 915-923 E. Gutierrez.
Mayor Randy Rowse was the tie-breaker in the 4-3 vote.
Rowse joined Mike Jordan, Eric Friedman, and Meagan Harmon in denying the appeal.
Friedman said he was concerned the appeal, based on health and safety concerns, didn’t meet the legal standard.
The project is slated to be four stories on less than an acre, with at least 90 units.
At least 16 would be set aside for low- to moderate-income renters, and one would be slated for workforce housing.
The project would include studios, as well as one- and two-bedroom apartments.
Eight longtime current tenants must be assisted to move or remain on-site.
Robert Ludwick, who owns the property and brought attorney Beth Collins to the meeting to speak on his behalf, chose not to comment following the vote that will allow him to move ahead with his plans.
He appeared disheartened by the project neighbors who spoke in opposition to the development.
The project got its “Milpas Gardens” name from a nursery that used to be located on the land.
Collins and her colleagues shared slides showing the income levels needed to qualify for the affordable, workforce, and market-rate units based on the area’s median income.
It is in Wendy Santamaria’s District 1.
She said she is a renter and that the residents who spoke out against it are her constituents.
She applauded their efforts despite the outcome.
“We need more housing being built, but it needs to be affordable and first and foremost for our workforce and our working families,” said Santamaria. “I’m going to be working hard to make sure we get that in the future.”
The Architectural Board of Review approved the Milpas Gardens project earlier this year.
Natasha Todorovic said the appeal in her name was funded in part by a GoFundMe campaign.
She still has concerns for health and safety, including traffic, flooding, earthquakes, and more.
“What we are trying to do is protect Santa Barbara, and for whatever reason the Eastside keeps getting dumped on — every bad project goes on the Eastside,” said Todorovic.
She lives across the street and describes it as a cottage neighborhood.
“We absolutely understand the need for housing, but it is the right housing done in honor of the neighborhood, respectfully, so it is livable,” said Todorovic.
California communities are under pressure from the state to address the housing crisis.
Residents said in Santa Barbara it is more of an “affordability crisis.”
One speaker called it a “density giveaway” that waives parking requirements.
Jose Arturo Gallegos said he used to live near the area. During public comments, he told the council he was concerned the Milpas corridor would look like a “mini-Manhattan” if it is built.
“I already knew what the decision was going to be, I knew that way ahead of time,” said Gallegos.
Councilmembers heard dozens of public comments before deliberating.
They also visited the location on Monday, the day before the vote.
For more information visit https://santabarbaraca.gov