BH: A Poodle Perspective
[ Excerpts from "It's A Dog's World After All," by Nick Welsh, SB INDEPENDENT, April 24, 2008 ]
The "building height controversy... shows no sign of going away... What’s striking in this is how upside-down the players have become.
"Spearheading the initiative effort to set the new height limit at 40 feet — down from the existing limit of 60 feet — is architect and former planning commissioner Bill Mahan. What makes Mahan so incongruous in this battle is that while on the Planning Commission, he was consistently one of the more reliably pro-business, pro-growth commissioners. In fact, while on the commission — where he reigned as the congenial and well-respected sage silverback — Mahan voted in favor of the two new buildings looming over Chapala Street that have since become the chief exhibits in the argument to lower Santa Barbara’s ceiling. But about the time he left the commission, Mahan experienced a religious epiphany about how all the proposed new big buildings are threatening to destroy Santa Barbara’s soul. And if not for Mahan, there would be no building height initiative campaign.
"On the flip side, there’s City Council member Das Williams, who has been consistently outspoken in his opposition to the initiative. Williams argued it would undermine developers’ ability to provide affordable housing. But of all the council members, Williams is the most flamboyantly no-growth. He can legitimately boast — and frequently does — that no council member has voted against as many development projects as he. More than any other politico I can think of, Williams has consistently sought to embrace and embody the most violently contradictory aspects of the local enviro community. Williams attempts to keep one foot in the Smart Growth camp — which holds that higher urban densities can prevent sprawl, promote mass transit, and accommodate affordable housing — and the other in the Not in My Back Yard posse, who are alarmed at any increase in traffic, congestion, and density. Some have accused the unapologetically political Williams of pandering, posturing, and trying to be all things to all people. There are times I think the same thing. But I give Williams high marks for trying..."
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For full-text of "The Angry Poodle" column, please go to:
SBI: Dog's World After All
The "building height controversy... shows no sign of going away... What’s striking in this is how upside-down the players have become.
"Spearheading the initiative effort to set the new height limit at 40 feet — down from the existing limit of 60 feet — is architect and former planning commissioner Bill Mahan. What makes Mahan so incongruous in this battle is that while on the Planning Commission, he was consistently one of the more reliably pro-business, pro-growth commissioners. In fact, while on the commission — where he reigned as the congenial and well-respected sage silverback — Mahan voted in favor of the two new buildings looming over Chapala Street that have since become the chief exhibits in the argument to lower Santa Barbara’s ceiling. But about the time he left the commission, Mahan experienced a religious epiphany about how all the proposed new big buildings are threatening to destroy Santa Barbara’s soul. And if not for Mahan, there would be no building height initiative campaign.
"On the flip side, there’s City Council member Das Williams, who has been consistently outspoken in his opposition to the initiative. Williams argued it would undermine developers’ ability to provide affordable housing. But of all the council members, Williams is the most flamboyantly no-growth. He can legitimately boast — and frequently does — that no council member has voted against as many development projects as he. More than any other politico I can think of, Williams has consistently sought to embrace and embody the most violently contradictory aspects of the local enviro community. Williams attempts to keep one foot in the Smart Growth camp — which holds that higher urban densities can prevent sprawl, promote mass transit, and accommodate affordable housing — and the other in the Not in My Back Yard posse, who are alarmed at any increase in traffic, congestion, and density. Some have accused the unapologetically political Williams of pandering, posturing, and trying to be all things to all people. There are times I think the same thing. But I give Williams high marks for trying..."
-----------------------------
For full-text of "The Angry Poodle" column, please go to:
SBI: Dog's World After All
Labels: Angry Poodle, building heights, General Plan, Plan Santa Barbara
Posted by Malcolm on
4/28/2008
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