Bonnie, thank you for writing about Franceschi House which is just one of many failures of responsibility by the City and County of Santa Barbara. I’m sure that others can add to this list but off of the top of my head we have lost the beautiful estate and gardens of Val Verde to mismanagement of funds, including a sizable endowment. Dr Austin who worked a lifetime to be able to gift this house to our community for the public to enjoy is no doubt turning in his grave although atleast the house was sold and has been gloriously maintained by a private party instead of being allowed to decay as Franceschi House has. Fast forward to a few years ago when our historic waterfront carousel was dismantled and sold. Next on the list is Bellesguardo which was also left to the our community for public enjoyment and has so far been slow pedaled. Our beloved State Street, once voted one of the most beautiful main streets in America, has been degraded to an unrecognizable state of stench, filth, and retail vacancy. How much longer will our community sit idly by while our ‘leaders’ destroy all that has made this City one of the most beautiful and desirable places to live? Our history including these beautiful structures of merit that cannot be reproduced must be protected and invested in for the public to enjoy. Instead our taxpayer dollars go towards unsustainable City and County staff salaries and pensions, homeless and immigrant services, etc, etc.
Bonnie, thank you for writing about Franceschi House which is just one of many failures of responsibility by the City and County of Santa Barbara. I’m sure that others can add to this list but off of the top of my head we have lost the beautiful estate and gardens of Val Verde to mismanagement of funds, including a sizable endowment. Dr Austin who worked a lifetime to be able to gift this house to our community for the public to enjoy is no doubt turning in his grave although atleast the house was sold and has been gloriously maintained by a private party instead of being allowed to decay as Franceschi House has. Fast forward to a few years ago when our historic waterfront carousel was dismantled and sold. Next on the list is Bellesguardo which was also left to the our community for public enjoyment and has so far been slow pedaled. Our beloved State Street, once voted one of the most beautiful main streets in America, has been degraded to an unrecognizable state of stench, filth, and retail vacancy. How much longer will our community sit idly by while our ‘leaders’ destroy all that has made this City one of the most beautiful and desirable places to live? Our history including these beautiful structures of merit that cannot be reproduced must be protected and invested in for the public to enjoy. Instead our taxpayer dollars go towards unsustainable City and County staff salaries and pensions, homeless and immigrant services, etc, etc.
Thank you for including our perspective