Landlord and developer Ed St. George wants to demonstrate that it is in fact possible to fight City Hall and win. In past months, St. George has emerged as an outspoken critic of City Administrator Paul Casey and has gone so far as to spearhead a campaign to have Casey fired. Casey, St. George contends, has not provided adequate leadership in a time of crisis and more specifically has failed to tame the red-tape dragon that he contends the city’s Community Development Department has become. St. George is now seeking City Council support for major changes he hopes to make to a four-story development plan approved — but not built — at 711 North Milpas Street.
In going directly to the council, St. George is hoping to bypass the city’s traditional development review process. To date, two councilmembers — Eric Friedman and Alejandra Gutierrez — have indicated they think the changes proposed by St. George are beneficial enough that they justify the unusual path he’s seeking. The project — on the site currently occupied by Capitol Hardware — would be considerably higher — by seven feet — than the development project approved by the council last year after a knock-down, drag-out meeting five hours long. It would also designate that 20 percent of its 82 rental units would be affordable. Under the current approved plans, none of the rental units are affordable. All can be priced at whatever the market will bear.
St. George’s proposal would also give preferential weight to applications by police officers and teachers. In addition, St. George is proposing to change the boxy, modern architectural style of the approved plans with the white stucco walls and red-tiled roofs of Santa Barbara’s ubiquitous Spanish-colonial style.