Questions Grow Over Mega Housing Project Behind Old Mission Santa Barbara
Patricia Martellotti
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The historic Old Mission in Santa Barbara could someday have a towering new neighbor.
Mission LLC is proposing an eight-story apartment building with more than 250 units directly behind the mission.
The proposal has generated pushback, even among people who are in favor of expanding the housing supply.
“Well I think it’s wrong and I think the majority of the community feels that it’s wrong. I’m the biggest housing advocate around. But this is just the wrong place,” said architect Brian Cearnal of Santa Barbara.
City leaders are reviewing the plans carefully to address concerns about scale and safety.
“Between that and Foothill Avenue… could get pretty crowded pretty quickly in an emergency… we think that’s a problem,” said mayor Randy Rowse of Santa Barbara.
Leaders of the mission are worried about the size of the project.
“This could mean quite a bit of traffic added to an area that’s already difficult to navigate,” said Father Joe Schwab of Old Mission Santa Barbara.
Right now the church is waiting for more information before deciding whether to hold a community meeting.
Meanwhile, for many, the key question remains: will this new building fit into the historic heart of Santa Barbara?
“It really doesn’t have any architectural fit with the neighborhood… and it could even tower over the mission,” said Schwab.
“Very active archaeological area for resources… so all of those things are big question marks,” said Rowse.
“It’s a modern apartment building that you would expect to see somewhere in Los Angeles,” said Cearnal.
The project will now go through city review, which could include public hearings, giving the community a chance to weigh in.
The developers are moving forward under California’s Builder’s Remedy law, which can override certain local zoning rules for housing projects.
The developers could not be reached for comment.
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