Urge the SB City Council to Prioritize Affordable Housing Units in the Proposed Redevelopment of Paseo Nuevo

Join SBCAN and housing allies at tomorrow's Santa Barbara City Council meeting at 2 PM to urge the Council to mandate the developer to maintain their commitment to include 80 units of affordable housing in the proposed redevelopment of Paseo Nuevo. The updated Disposition and Development Agreement (DDA) only includes 24 of the 233 units to be affordable (10% affordable).

Please sign this petition to ensure that your voice is heard at tomorrow's hearing. 

To give public testimony, attend City Hall in person at 2:00 PM (Item 12 expected at around 3:00 PM) or give public comment via zoom. Register using this zoom link.

This is the public comment letter submitted by SBCAN Co-President Dick Flacks:

"Dear Mayor & Council Members:

"I want to share some thoughts gleaned from much conversation and reflection. Mostly the below echoes recent commentary and probably many communications you've received. I do think these concerns are very widely shared by community members who have been trying to follow the Paseo Nuevo ball:

• The process is much too rushed, especially since key features of the proposal are in flux and key public concerns haven't been satisfactorily addressed.
• For housing advocates, we can't support a plan that doesn't guarantee significant affordable housing. The current version of the plan provides assurance of no more than the 10% affordability required. The "80" units are left to the will of the developer. There is no doubt that affordable and workforce housing is the most important thing people want to happen at Paseo Nuevo. Given the major concessions AB is getting from the plan, there can't be an agreement without guaranteed development of affordable housing -- ideally through collaboration with experienced affordable housing partners such as the housing Authority.
• It's not only the need for the housing that concerns many but the precedent this project sets for the larger downtown. Height concessions for Paseo Nuevo set a precedent for the future which are very troubling. Such concessions can only be mitigated by defining them as a necessary tradeoff for affordability and community revitalization (not because they are profitable for a particular developer). Moreover, the overall claim that the PN housing will help revitalization is undermined if this turns out to be luxury housing for rich out of towners and the like. Revitalization based on housing happens if a residential community is created, inhabited by people who work here. Council shouldn't sign off on a plan that will move in the opposite direction. Having a sizable affordable housing project as a feature of this plan offers at least some chance of setting the right model going forward.
• Another unacceptable matter is the undefined Nordstrom piece. I don't understand how that can be left undecided nor why. And furthermore, this plan pre-empts the overall State St. planning process.
• Council should decide that the plan cannot be accepted without a popular vote. There are at least 2 ways to do that: a charter amendment to extend the city's lease time limits, and/or a ballot initiative on the plan itself. SB history includes such popular vote on major controversial private developments: e.g. a plan to build a high rise condo on what is Alice Keck Park Garden, a plan for housing on what is Shoreline Park, the Fess Parker project (which voters approved) and others.
• A council move for a ballot measure could be leverage needed to negotiate an acceptable plan in advance.

"As you know, there's wide enthusiasm for large scale downtown housing development but not if the outcome is determined without full cognizance of the community's needs.

"Let's make best use of the Santa Barbara tradition of careful deliberation and community participation in planning."

For more talking points, please see this letter written and submitted by CLUE.