Presidio Springs senior living community redevelopment wins project design approval

Despite continued displacement concerns from residents and compatibility doubts from city planners, project designs were approved for a 10-year long redevelopment of Presidio Springs senior living community on Wednesday.

The project, led by the Housing Authority of Santa Barbara, will demolish five existing structures and replace them with two, three to four story apartment buildings. When construction is finished, the complex will provide 284 units instead of the current 122. Since the project was last reviewed on July 15th, current senior residents’ anxiety has heightened around the demolition of their homes and the health consequences of long-term construction.

At the Historic Landmarks Commission meeting Wednesday, Housing Authority director Rob Fredericks acknowledged many residents in the room who would rather see Presidio Springs remain the way it is.

“But there is a crushing need for affordable housing in our community, and the largest growing homeless population in Santa Barbara is senior women,” he said.

Units at Presidio Springs would remain low-income and designated for seniors, and current residents are promised a redeveloped unit. The Housing Authority is planning on taking a staggered approach to the construction, relocating current residents to accommodate them.

Still, yesterday’s meeting brought five residents in fear of their lives being uprooted. Valerie Wroten, a resident who has publicly opposed the project at past meetings, said she’s primarily concerned with health as a potential construction nears. 

“Our peaceful surroundings will be turned horrific,” Wroten said. “Many of us will not survive this.”

She came prepared with findings from scientific studies on the danger of seniors living in active construction zones, like respiratory and cardiovascular strain, mental distress, elevated fall risk and social isolation.

“I know that we need more housing, but where’s the concern for us, Rob?” Wroten said to Fredericks. “Would you allow your parents to live in an active construction zone for 10 years?”

As for the commission, reactions to the updated designs were mixed, some even opposite each other.

In the newly approved designs, building roofs were changed to Santa Barbara’s idyllic red tiles, responding to previous recommendations from the commission to lean into romantic Spanish Colonial Revival architecture. The designers also added more awnings, wooden elements to add more color and depth and changed the main color of the buildings from white to beige.

Commissioner Ed Lenvik said the project doesn’t fit the community.

Since the project is under state density bonus laws, which require projects to provide a certain amount of affordable units for funding, it can’t be turned down easily. Lenvik was frustrated with this constraint, saying it seems like the city can’t add more housing without “destroying” Santa Barbara.

“I continue to be disappointed in what we have here,” Lenvik said. “Disappointed that the city, as a developer, is not setting an example.”

Commissioner Cass Ensberg said the applicant did a substantial job, and liked the changes that were made. Others maintained their opposition to the large size and density. 

Commissioner Dennis Doordan said that what’s important is that the project creates a net gain of housing.

“Well Santa Barbara, this is what it looks like,” he said.

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