New Housing Project on Milpas St. will Demolish Car Wash, Nightclub, & Parking Lot
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) — Santa Barbara’s Eastside is bustling with activity on Milpas Street, and that includes one of Santa Barbara’s last full service car washes.
Javier Morales says he’s gonna be out of work once this car wash gets demolished, and he’s sad to see it go.
The car wash and its parking lot will be shut down to make way for a new housing development, and it’s going to impact the regulars and workers who rely on the income.
“When this place finishes, they have to looking for another job. They have to move to another place. So it is bad for us. It's bad for them,” said Morales.
The developer will also be demolishing a nightclub to make way for 23 units.
The structure will include a mix of one, two, and three bedroom units.
Poles are already up to show the height at 44 feet— 3 stories above the traffic.
Cliff Ghersen is worried it will ruin the character of the neighborhood.
“A lot of the contractors are using what's called the builder's remedy to skirt around some of the height and density restrictions which are in place, which, you know, we've had for many years, which make our city a more desirable place to be,” said Ghersen, who lives in Santa Barbara.
The architect we spoke with says they are excited for the project, saying they hope it’s the beginning of a new wave of housing for the Santa Barbara community.
They said they plan to maintain Santa Barbara’s unique aesthetic when they design the building.
“If they have to do it, they have to do it right. Yeah, I think it's going to be a good thing,” said Alma Medina, who lives in Santa Barbara.
Many residents we spoke with said their biggest concern is the increased strain on parking it will cause.
“We have too many cars on on streets that are too small. In Santa Barbara, if those people had to park in the neighborhood, the neighbors in the residential area would be very upset behind here. So I would say they would have to make sure that they have enough parking for the number of units that they're proposing,” said Ghersen.
The project includes 13 vehicle spaces in a parking garage, six covered vehicle spaces in private garages and a bicycle storage room.
The Latest Breaking News, Weather Alerts, Sports and More Anytime On Our Mobile Apps. Keep Up With the Latest Articles by Signing Up for the News Channel 3-12 Newsletter.
