In my post-Sepsis recovery, I currently use a walker. I agree with Bill Russell when he says “The use of asphalt versus concrete sidewalks is hilarious.” It's also ugly - and extremely dangerous for people who have mobility issues and use a walker or wheelchair. I have to constantly do a step, stop, pick up my walker and place it carefully down on the asphalt in order to take another step. When did disability rights get shoved aside for government grifting rights?
Safety is a big issue with me. I had tears in my eyes last night listening to a YouTuber named Blancolirio talk about aircraft running into power lines, the term "wire strikes" is used and two incidents recently occurred. There are many deaths (numbers lacks any statistics) caused from these wire strikes, over 250 wire strikes occur per year in the U.S. And this situation is shared equally with both inexperienced and experienced pilots. I can think of an early warning system to avoid these wire strikes sensing flying conditions under 1000 feet and announcing continuous verbal messages of "wire strikes" warnings as a starter. Adding additional warning aspects exist. The basic problem is pilots forget the fact that wires are present, and the wires are difficult to see. The Southern California Edison and wildfire helicopter pilots are well trained on this subject ... but accidents still happen.
I am very annoyed by government people overlooking safety issues as Polly pointed out and experienced. When something doesn't look right, there's probably a safety issue. The mere fact of a different colored sidewalk square creates a distraction which in turn could cause an accident.
Motorcyclists, as I once was, are prone to "target fixation," staring at something off-road and crashing into it. I never found a cure for that problem, but avoidance techniques exist for those that are lucky to recognize the situation when it occurs. As a passenger with my wife driving down a SB street, I was transfixed with a person appearing to be standing in the street. As we got closer to the person, I noticed the person was standing out on one of those curb extenders or bulb-outs. And then it occurred to me has the city ever heard of "target fixation." Pedestrians are made a perfect target, an example of an accident waiting to happen!
Which organization said this was the, path forward, since the minute COVID restrictions were lifted?
What group stated without an open State St. emergency response and any hope of economic recovery was dead?
Was there an organization that immediately objected to and called foul on the "supposed" emergency ordinance passed by the SB Council that prohibited the Historic Landmarks from stepping in and stopping what has now proven the Disaster Called Old Town State St. planning?
Guess what, that organization is called Cars Are Basic, and every forecast of failure by the City of Santa Barbara from Mission to Cabrillo has unfortunately been proven.
This item by Mr. Boss "...response indicated that the fees for parklets are insufficient, as evidenced by the need to utilize Measure C funds for the Trex sidewalks on the 500 block. (over half a million dollars)...." is interesting. It is a waste of money. It is to make a playground of what us supposed to be the backbone of Downtown Santa Barbara.
The head of the Downtown Organization made it clear to the Council closing State St. was a fools path. Taking her lead, before COVID, CAB challenged the City to open State Street to what it was "prior" to the insanity of MIG plan to narrow the street. Use it as a test case to prove or disprove the 40 year old concept that has failed businesses and citizens of Santa Barbara. The Council answer was the 3 Brass Monkeys.
A reminder from the "PROMISE" by Dave Davis in the first 3 blocks of State St. narrowing: "If it does not improve businesses the City will retro-fit State St."
What was the response? MUTE. 20 years later with CAB standing before City Council demanding where is the promise the answer was "It is not a large enough economic area and will work when State St. narrowing goes to Cabrillo Blvd. Compounded failure is not success.
CAB finds it interesting one insane project "the road construction at the intersection of Las Positas and Stanley Dr.?????" It was for access to De Loreta Plaza. Access that the City had created 60 years earlier. CAB members walked it daily for months 60 years ago. Good riddance for political driven stupidity.
Bonnie thanks for this. (handing you a pick an shovel....let's dig up more dirt and failure)
Thank you Bonnie for continuing to shine a bright light on what’s going on at City Hall. Of special concern to all should be the continued tax increases, specifically the tinkering of Prop 13. Changing this protection of homeowners founded by the late, great Howard Jarvis, would be the final straw for many, resulting in further exodus from our community. Maybe that’s what “they” want? Adding to that, is the proposed 5% state capital gains tax on home sale profits. How is this constitutional? Who is promoting these additional regressive taxes? You guessed it, Unions.
We can expect higher taxes as the current 60% of city budgets go for salaries, pensions and benefits. How much higher can this percentage increase, 70%, leaving 30% for city services?
Still further is the erosion of property rights in terms of rent control, championed by 28 year old, Council Member Santamaria.
All this will do is drive mom and pop landlord’s out of the market, resulting in corporate takeovers of the local rental market.
Who is promoting these new state taxes? None other than our own "progressive" state representatives: Senator Monique Limon and Assemblyman Gregg Hart. Continuing to vote merely "present" in order to evade personal responsibility, is not going to cut it this time.
Think long and hard before electing and Democrat and union-endorsed candidate again to any office - from schools boards to city, county and state offices. Past is prologue.
Tomorrow Gregg Hart will be holding sidewalk office hours. Carp Library from 9:30 to 11, Montecito Library 11:30 to 1 pm, and SB Earth Day Alameda Park 1:30 to 3.
Go ask him why he hasn't written a bill to stop this madness!!!!!!!!
B—what a “scoop” re: DSBIA. Love to know more about why this hasn’t made it onto the Council’s agenda. Great and completely under reported information. Thank you.
Thank you, Bonnie, for another summary of local and state progressive policy destruction.
When I consider this essay along with a news article and photo (on another publication) of Salud Carbajal supporting protesters claiming Social Security cuts are looming the term "CLOWN SHOW" comes to mind!
The use of asphalt versus concrete sidewalk repairs is hilarious. Does the city think we are blind? Are the Dems stealing so much taxpayer money they can't use concrete ... it must be because of the cost of concrete vs. asphalt. Geez, what is this world coming to?
Are these asphalt intended to be quick fixes for the worst sidewalk safety hazards, until there is time and money for a more permanent fix? Or are they in area where there is constant street tree root penetration that will require redoing these sections on permanent basis anyway.
We walk alot and there are some really treacherous areas of broken and uplifted sidewalks- classic city trip and fall risks. So I am glad to even get asphalt, when compared getting nothing done. And look forward to the onward process for the city to fix the rest of the 67% of necessary street/sidewalk repairs. Keep the heat on to get this done.
Does anyone think if Randy Rowse had not been elected mayor we would not be back to a 100% backlog on missing street/sidewalk repairs? Plus all new city taxes would have been frittered away to social issues and more city personnel perks and benefits?
My dad often would say, "Do it right the first time." Sometimes we like to take shortcuts, but then the outcome is usually not what we want. I can think of several Forrest Gump remarks that would fit how the city apparently thinks. There is no reason not to use concrete unless the city (1) likes to irritate the taxpayer, (2) is genuinely stupid, (3) doesn't really care about the beautification of the city, (4) the politicians are exiting the city with a "bang" because they are all retiring early, (5) on a hot day ruin your new sneakers, (6) marking an area where space aliens can land on, (7) provide a place to cook eggs and a hamburger, (8) it's an experiment to see if anyone notices, (9) it's a someone living in Dumasville recommendation, (10) a location for a visiting dignitary to admire the creativity by use of different artistic materials that contrast each other.
These Donovan columns are so insightful, fascinating to glimpse the sausage making. What amazes me are the easy fixes that are never considered. For instance: need more housing? Stop all short-term rentals, turn them back into real rental housing. Need more city income? The taxes paid by hotels will increase. Restaurants suffering? Shut down all the cartel carts flogging unrefrigerated food cooked on sidewalks and the taco trucks. Flower shops suffering? Shut down all the sidewalk flower hawkers. Business owners in this city are struggling in a tough economy, but somehow people who don't pay taxes and are not regulated or licensed are allowed to operate with impunity. Just like deporting the illegals, the City can start by shutting down the illegal underground economy that operates right in our faces.
Don’t blame the Democrats who run the state and the city - blame the fools who keep voting for them. If I was an elected politician I would do the same thing they do - 'allocate' as much money for my salary, pension and benefits as I could. Why not? All I need do is occasionally tell the stupid voters what a great job my fellow hustlers and I are doing and watch them vote us in again.
Bonnie, you’re absolutely right—the Santa Barbara political machine treats local taxpayers like a bottomless ATM. Measure C was sold as the “once-and-done” fix for roads, yet seven short years later City Hall slapped us with Measure I to pull another $15 million+ a year out of our pockets—on top of the $30 million Measure C is already hoovering up, and we’re still staring at deficits and asphalt “sidewalks” that look like tar-patch quilts. Enough is enough—quit raiding our wallets to paper over your own incompetence.
And while our city burns cash ripping out a half-built island at Las Positas and rehiring consultants, Sacramento is gunning for the rest of what we earn: a mileage tax that’s the equivalent of an 80-cent-per-gallon hike, nine different assaults on Prop 13, a payroll-tax bomb for small business, even a socialist-style “vacancy tax.” Every one of these schemes punishes productive Californians so the unions and bureaucrats can keep fattening their pension line-items.
Here’s the partisan truth: the Democrats who run this state—and their rubber-stamp majority on the Santa Barbara Council—will never stop chasing new revenue streams until taxpayers stand up and slam the door. No more sales-tax gimmicks, no more bond “bridges to nowhere,” and certainly no GPS tracker on my odometer. Open State Street, cut the bloat, and let hardworking families keep what they earn.
Of late we have been enjoying the SBIFF downtown theater for some excellent general audience films, in the classic old school fashion - strong acting, good story lines, excellent filmography. The Penguin Lessons, the recent Gene Hackman retrospective: Mississippi Burning and The French Connection, and just yesterday, the new release Warfare.
This brings us to State Street midweek for their matinees. We are among the only people in the theater, passing empty storefronts and sparse pedestrian traffic. It feels eerie, sad and neglected. A rolling horror show of a downtown, yet with an excellent daytime entertainment option at the SBIFF theater.
Thanks, Bonnie. I, too, wanted to know about the fiasco at Stanley and Las Positas. There was bound to be a catastrophic wreck in the near future. However through my rose colored glasses, I saw it as a hopeful sign that if that fiasco could be stopped and reverted, then there may be hope for an eventual reversal on State Street!
Great article as always, Bonnie. The city politicians are sensing the "natives are restless' and the political types are throwing out some bones to quell the noises made by the restless natives. Of course, and as usual, the politicians can't be trusted ... no more than before their recent throwing out some fresh bones.
Natives were not restless enough when the last 2024 election locked in this hyper-activist new city council majority 4:3.
Sneddon, Santamaria, Gutierrez and Harmon. now control our city. Do you even know them? They now own you. City voters need to work hard to get good, comprehensive thinking city council representatives elected in all districts; not just one's own district.
Narrow focus agendas, and low-voter turnout districts picked up by special interests on the cheap is destroying our entire city from within.
As the city "leaders" are turning SB into Dumasville, perhaps the locals should look outside the county, state, country and solar system for a strong, independent leader with brains. Maybe Elon could entice the locals to buy the city government and repair it and sell it back to the local taxpayers. Turn managing and operating the city into a commonsense proposition.
I have long advocated turning the downtown into a special enterprise district, that allows private development and control of this area, rather than the free for all liabilities this area suffers being a public space.
This became obvious when viewing the strict conduct rules posted at the entries to Paseo Nuevo, compared to the often trashed out, hands-off melee that the public space of State Street was forced to operate under.
I still contend the decline of State Street was already happening before the rise of online shopping. And it was due to the unsavory nature of what had allowed as unrestricted public conduct in public spaces.
Bonnie, your articles with the updates on the running of the county/city are a lifeline for me to keep me current even though the message is more than a little dismal. Also good to read the other readers comments. Thank you for the time and effort you put into your articles.
Another good one, Bonnie. This morning I was walking out of one of my Funk Zone jobs and ran into a city employee. This person is seen on quite a few city board and commission meetings. I don't want to ID them but I'll say this, they asked me what was the most pressing issue to me these days. (I haven't seen this person in about a year)
Without me even answering they said, "Did you see the 418 N. Milpas project has been appealed to the council?" I didn't know and we talked for about ten minutes, actually I mostly listened. I did mention they should check out SBC and read your post from last week since it said everything I would have told them, but you wrote it better.
I'll leave with you with this, sadly. The MIlpas appeal will be denied. The reason is the State will fine the city 500k for every approved unit they deny the developer. And I was told the ABR would have liked to have denied the project but could not. Two members voted against it as a protest, knowing the others would pass it. Same thing will probably happen at the city council vote.
In my post-Sepsis recovery, I currently use a walker. I agree with Bill Russell when he says “The use of asphalt versus concrete sidewalks is hilarious.” It's also ugly - and extremely dangerous for people who have mobility issues and use a walker or wheelchair. I have to constantly do a step, stop, pick up my walker and place it carefully down on the asphalt in order to take another step. When did disability rights get shoved aside for government grifting rights?
Safety is a big issue with me. I had tears in my eyes last night listening to a YouTuber named Blancolirio talk about aircraft running into power lines, the term "wire strikes" is used and two incidents recently occurred. There are many deaths (numbers lacks any statistics) caused from these wire strikes, over 250 wire strikes occur per year in the U.S. And this situation is shared equally with both inexperienced and experienced pilots. I can think of an early warning system to avoid these wire strikes sensing flying conditions under 1000 feet and announcing continuous verbal messages of "wire strikes" warnings as a starter. Adding additional warning aspects exist. The basic problem is pilots forget the fact that wires are present, and the wires are difficult to see. The Southern California Edison and wildfire helicopter pilots are well trained on this subject ... but accidents still happen.
I am very annoyed by government people overlooking safety issues as Polly pointed out and experienced. When something doesn't look right, there's probably a safety issue. The mere fact of a different colored sidewalk square creates a distraction which in turn could cause an accident.
Motorcyclists, as I once was, are prone to "target fixation," staring at something off-road and crashing into it. I never found a cure for that problem, but avoidance techniques exist for those that are lucky to recognize the situation when it occurs. As a passenger with my wife driving down a SB street, I was transfixed with a person appearing to be standing in the street. As we got closer to the person, I noticed the person was standing out on one of those curb extenders or bulb-outs. And then it occurred to me has the city ever heard of "target fixation." Pedestrians are made a perfect target, an example of an accident waiting to happen!
Open State Street?
Which organization said this was the, path forward, since the minute COVID restrictions were lifted?
What group stated without an open State St. emergency response and any hope of economic recovery was dead?
Was there an organization that immediately objected to and called foul on the "supposed" emergency ordinance passed by the SB Council that prohibited the Historic Landmarks from stepping in and stopping what has now proven the Disaster Called Old Town State St. planning?
Guess what, that organization is called Cars Are Basic, and every forecast of failure by the City of Santa Barbara from Mission to Cabrillo has unfortunately been proven.
This item by Mr. Boss "...response indicated that the fees for parklets are insufficient, as evidenced by the need to utilize Measure C funds for the Trex sidewalks on the 500 block. (over half a million dollars)...." is interesting. It is a waste of money. It is to make a playground of what us supposed to be the backbone of Downtown Santa Barbara.
The head of the Downtown Organization made it clear to the Council closing State St. was a fools path. Taking her lead, before COVID, CAB challenged the City to open State Street to what it was "prior" to the insanity of MIG plan to narrow the street. Use it as a test case to prove or disprove the 40 year old concept that has failed businesses and citizens of Santa Barbara. The Council answer was the 3 Brass Monkeys.
A reminder from the "PROMISE" by Dave Davis in the first 3 blocks of State St. narrowing: "If it does not improve businesses the City will retro-fit State St."
What was the response? MUTE. 20 years later with CAB standing before City Council demanding where is the promise the answer was "It is not a large enough economic area and will work when State St. narrowing goes to Cabrillo Blvd. Compounded failure is not success.
CAB finds it interesting one insane project "the road construction at the intersection of Las Positas and Stanley Dr.?????" It was for access to De Loreta Plaza. Access that the City had created 60 years earlier. CAB members walked it daily for months 60 years ago. Good riddance for political driven stupidity.
Bonnie thanks for this. (handing you a pick an shovel....let's dig up more dirt and failure)
Thank you Bonnie for continuing to shine a bright light on what’s going on at City Hall. Of special concern to all should be the continued tax increases, specifically the tinkering of Prop 13. Changing this protection of homeowners founded by the late, great Howard Jarvis, would be the final straw for many, resulting in further exodus from our community. Maybe that’s what “they” want? Adding to that, is the proposed 5% state capital gains tax on home sale profits. How is this constitutional? Who is promoting these additional regressive taxes? You guessed it, Unions.
We can expect higher taxes as the current 60% of city budgets go for salaries, pensions and benefits. How much higher can this percentage increase, 70%, leaving 30% for city services?
Still further is the erosion of property rights in terms of rent control, championed by 28 year old, Council Member Santamaria.
All this will do is drive mom and pop landlord’s out of the market, resulting in corporate takeovers of the local rental market.
Orange County here we come!
Who is promoting these new state taxes? None other than our own "progressive" state representatives: Senator Monique Limon and Assemblyman Gregg Hart. Continuing to vote merely "present" in order to evade personal responsibility, is not going to cut it this time.
Think long and hard before electing and Democrat and union-endorsed candidate again to any office - from schools boards to city, county and state offices. Past is prologue.
Tomorrow Gregg Hart will be holding sidewalk office hours. Carp Library from 9:30 to 11, Montecito Library 11:30 to 1 pm, and SB Earth Day Alameda Park 1:30 to 3.
Go ask him why he hasn't written a bill to stop this madness!!!!!!!!
B—what a “scoop” re: DSBIA. Love to know more about why this hasn’t made it onto the Council’s agenda. Great and completely under reported information. Thank you.
Thank you, Bonnie, for another summary of local and state progressive policy destruction.
When I consider this essay along with a news article and photo (on another publication) of Salud Carbajal supporting protesters claiming Social Security cuts are looming the term "CLOWN SHOW" comes to mind!
The use of asphalt versus concrete sidewalk repairs is hilarious. Does the city think we are blind? Are the Dems stealing so much taxpayer money they can't use concrete ... it must be because of the cost of concrete vs. asphalt. Geez, what is this world coming to?
Are these asphalt intended to be quick fixes for the worst sidewalk safety hazards, until there is time and money for a more permanent fix? Or are they in area where there is constant street tree root penetration that will require redoing these sections on permanent basis anyway.
We walk alot and there are some really treacherous areas of broken and uplifted sidewalks- classic city trip and fall risks. So I am glad to even get asphalt, when compared getting nothing done. And look forward to the onward process for the city to fix the rest of the 67% of necessary street/sidewalk repairs. Keep the heat on to get this done.
Does anyone think if Randy Rowse had not been elected mayor we would not be back to a 100% backlog on missing street/sidewalk repairs? Plus all new city taxes would have been frittered away to social issues and more city personnel perks and benefits?
Why can't they fix the concrete sidewalks with concrete? It's not rocket science.
My dad often would say, "Do it right the first time." Sometimes we like to take shortcuts, but then the outcome is usually not what we want. I can think of several Forrest Gump remarks that would fit how the city apparently thinks. There is no reason not to use concrete unless the city (1) likes to irritate the taxpayer, (2) is genuinely stupid, (3) doesn't really care about the beautification of the city, (4) the politicians are exiting the city with a "bang" because they are all retiring early, (5) on a hot day ruin your new sneakers, (6) marking an area where space aliens can land on, (7) provide a place to cook eggs and a hamburger, (8) it's an experiment to see if anyone notices, (9) it's a someone living in Dumasville recommendation, (10) a location for a visiting dignitary to admire the creativity by use of different artistic materials that contrast each other.
I had two pictures showing the asphalt sidewalks. The one that was removed showed a longer replacement, not next to a tree...
These Donovan columns are so insightful, fascinating to glimpse the sausage making. What amazes me are the easy fixes that are never considered. For instance: need more housing? Stop all short-term rentals, turn them back into real rental housing. Need more city income? The taxes paid by hotels will increase. Restaurants suffering? Shut down all the cartel carts flogging unrefrigerated food cooked on sidewalks and the taco trucks. Flower shops suffering? Shut down all the sidewalk flower hawkers. Business owners in this city are struggling in a tough economy, but somehow people who don't pay taxes and are not regulated or licensed are allowed to operate with impunity. Just like deporting the illegals, the City can start by shutting down the illegal underground economy that operates right in our faces.
Don’t blame the Democrats who run the state and the city - blame the fools who keep voting for them. If I was an elected politician I would do the same thing they do - 'allocate' as much money for my salary, pension and benefits as I could. Why not? All I need do is occasionally tell the stupid voters what a great job my fellow hustlers and I are doing and watch them vote us in again.
Thank you Bonnie for the information and reporting.
Bonnie, you’re absolutely right—the Santa Barbara political machine treats local taxpayers like a bottomless ATM. Measure C was sold as the “once-and-done” fix for roads, yet seven short years later City Hall slapped us with Measure I to pull another $15 million+ a year out of our pockets—on top of the $30 million Measure C is already hoovering up, and we’re still staring at deficits and asphalt “sidewalks” that look like tar-patch quilts. Enough is enough—quit raiding our wallets to paper over your own incompetence.
And while our city burns cash ripping out a half-built island at Las Positas and rehiring consultants, Sacramento is gunning for the rest of what we earn: a mileage tax that’s the equivalent of an 80-cent-per-gallon hike, nine different assaults on Prop 13, a payroll-tax bomb for small business, even a socialist-style “vacancy tax.” Every one of these schemes punishes productive Californians so the unions and bureaucrats can keep fattening their pension line-items.
Here’s the partisan truth: the Democrats who run this state—and their rubber-stamp majority on the Santa Barbara Council—will never stop chasing new revenue streams until taxpayers stand up and slam the door. No more sales-tax gimmicks, no more bond “bridges to nowhere,” and certainly no GPS tracker on my odometer. Open State Street, cut the bloat, and let hardworking families keep what they earn.
Of late we have been enjoying the SBIFF downtown theater for some excellent general audience films, in the classic old school fashion - strong acting, good story lines, excellent filmography. The Penguin Lessons, the recent Gene Hackman retrospective: Mississippi Burning and The French Connection, and just yesterday, the new release Warfare.
This brings us to State Street midweek for their matinees. We are among the only people in the theater, passing empty storefronts and sparse pedestrian traffic. It feels eerie, sad and neglected. A rolling horror show of a downtown, yet with an excellent daytime entertainment option at the SBIFF theater.
Thanks, Bonnie. I, too, wanted to know about the fiasco at Stanley and Las Positas. There was bound to be a catastrophic wreck in the near future. However through my rose colored glasses, I saw it as a hopeful sign that if that fiasco could be stopped and reverted, then there may be hope for an eventual reversal on State Street!
I read this "SB Detail" Report by Ms. Bonnie Donnovan titled
"Did you Know the Roadmap To Recovery" and I quote just two
major and Key Statements from Ms. Donovan below>
"Stop the Press; A woman came to see me and share some information:
Why has this been withheld from us?"
I have another Title "Major Events Withheld from SB Citizens"
I have been very direct to everyone here and so has another well-known
Citizen in Santa Barbara ... Former FBI Executive Tom Parker in his article
to the SB Independent "Perceptions of Political Corruption
Too Often the Harbingers of Stark Reality"
https://www.independent.com/2020/02/22/perceptions-of-political-corruption/
One of the MAJOR Problems in the United States currently is DISCLOSURE
of Serious Events that affect all of us as Citizens. Without this information
we are all IN THE DARK and cannot make informed decisions.
We have a right to "Transparency and Accountability" to what happened to our
former President JFK, our current President Trumps two Assassination Attempts,
the Biden Laptop, the Unlawful Use of Lawfare, the Epstein Files not to mentioned
what is Going Down in this Lil Ole Beach Town. It's all connected and called
PUBLIC CORRUPTION & OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE.
Howard Walther, Member of a Military Family
Great article as always, Bonnie. The city politicians are sensing the "natives are restless' and the political types are throwing out some bones to quell the noises made by the restless natives. Of course, and as usual, the politicians can't be trusted ... no more than before their recent throwing out some fresh bones.
Natives were not restless enough when the last 2024 election locked in this hyper-activist new city council majority 4:3.
Sneddon, Santamaria, Gutierrez and Harmon. now control our city. Do you even know them? They now own you. City voters need to work hard to get good, comprehensive thinking city council representatives elected in all districts; not just one's own district.
Narrow focus agendas, and low-voter turnout districts picked up by special interests on the cheap is destroying our entire city from within.
As the city "leaders" are turning SB into Dumasville, perhaps the locals should look outside the county, state, country and solar system for a strong, independent leader with brains. Maybe Elon could entice the locals to buy the city government and repair it and sell it back to the local taxpayers. Turn managing and operating the city into a commonsense proposition.
I have long advocated turning the downtown into a special enterprise district, that allows private development and control of this area, rather than the free for all liabilities this area suffers being a public space.
This became obvious when viewing the strict conduct rules posted at the entries to Paseo Nuevo, compared to the often trashed out, hands-off melee that the public space of State Street was forced to operate under.
I still contend the decline of State Street was already happening before the rise of online shopping. And it was due to the unsavory nature of what had allowed as unrestricted public conduct in public spaces.
Bonnie, your articles with the updates on the running of the county/city are a lifeline for me to keep me current even though the message is more than a little dismal. Also good to read the other readers comments. Thank you for the time and effort you put into your articles.
Another good one, Bonnie. This morning I was walking out of one of my Funk Zone jobs and ran into a city employee. This person is seen on quite a few city board and commission meetings. I don't want to ID them but I'll say this, they asked me what was the most pressing issue to me these days. (I haven't seen this person in about a year)
Without me even answering they said, "Did you see the 418 N. Milpas project has been appealed to the council?" I didn't know and we talked for about ten minutes, actually I mostly listened. I did mention they should check out SBC and read your post from last week since it said everything I would have told them, but you wrote it better.
I'll leave with you with this, sadly. The MIlpas appeal will be denied. The reason is the State will fine the city 500k for every approved unit they deny the developer. And I was told the ABR would have liked to have denied the project but could not. Two members voted against it as a protest, knowing the others would pass it. Same thing will probably happen at the city council vote.