Last Thursday, the long-delayed and much-disputed building across the street from the Montecito Inn held its grand opening. The site of the former 1950s-style Union 76 gas station at the corner of Coast Village and Olive Mill roads is now a swanky three-story mixed-use development. Five residences — called the Villas at Olive Mill — sit atop Folded Hills’s Montecito tasting room, Heather James Fine Art, and Village Properties Realtors.
After submitting the initial application in 2004, owners John Price and Tod Berlinger had their patience tested by 28 hearings and four lawsuits before getting the final green light in 2017. John Price is the founder and president of Price Management, which owns gas stations and car washes in the Santa Barbara area, and Berlinger is the company’s CFO.
About 250 guests attended the opening bash, including almost every elected official in the city and county. Addressing the crowd from the balcony of one of the tiny units was former mayor Helene Schneider, who acknowledged the project’s long and winding road and lauded Price and his wife, Janna, for their vision, persistence, and grace in creating a “beautiful gateway into Santa Barbara and Montecito.”