The word “awkward” got used a lot by members of the Santa Barbara City Planning Commission last Thursday as they unanimously recommended approval of the largest development to hit Milpas Street since the Santa Barbara Bowl was built during the Great Depression. By a vote of 7-0, the commissioners gave developers Ed St. George and Alan Bleecker their blessings to build a four-story, mixed-use project of 82 apartments at 711 North Milpas Street.
While many of the commissioners waxed enthusiastic about the project’s virtues — 16 affordable units being chief among them — they had little choice. That’s because the City Council had already entered into a development agreement with the developers that all but guarantees their right to build what’s been proposed.
The project has been kicking around City Hall since 2015, causing much heartburn inside City Hall and among neighborhood activists because of its looming size and angular contemporary architectural style.