Revised plans for Santa Barbara’s new downtown police station drew decidedly mixed reviews and a got a decidedly mixed vote — 4 to 2 — by members of the Architectural Board of Review (ABR) but one that managed to get the green light to proceed at the special meeting held Friday, February 12.
Members of the ABR were unanimous in their “appreciation” that the new renderings were less “austere” than earlier architectural plans for the four-story structure (three above ground and one below). The station is to be built at the parking lot on the corner of Cota and Santa Barbara streets where the Saturday Farmers Market now takes place. But there were plenty of misgivings expressed as well.
When built, the new structure’s parking lot — 244 spaces — will dominate the building’s Cota Street face. Commission Chair Kevin Moore expressed alarm at the “dead frontage,” adding “Cota Street is going to be essentially devoid of activity.”