Landlord Dario Pini’s plans to build a two-story addition to a single-family home on the 1900 block of Chino Street on the city’s Westside squeaked through the Santa Barbara Architectural Board of Review (ABR) by a vote of 4-3. Several neighbors objected that the new structure was out of character with the smaller single-family homes surrounding it and that it would intrude into the backyards of the five adjoining properties. But the real issue was Pini’s reputation as a code-busting landlord. ABR member Gary Mosel objected Pini was proposing “a boardinghouse” with too many rental units and too few parking spaces for the neighborhood. But other ABR members countered that Pini’s architect, Gil Barry, did a superb job responding to neighborhood concerns and scaling back plans. As approved, Pini can now build a four-unit addition — with four bathrooms — to the front house, which has already been expanded from two units to four.
Pini Plans Clear ABR
Thursday, January 24, 2013


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I watched this meeting. The 3-4 vote minority opinion on ABR has outlined plenty of substantive issues that a 4-3 majority on the city council can accept to justify shrinkage of this boarding house complex in its single home residential neighborhood.
Just run with those points when filing the appeal to city council.
Architect Gil Barry may have scaled back the plans from an artificially huge mass and bulk, but that does not mean the plan has been reduced enough.
And don't get me started on the ironic hypocrisy of Gil Barry promoting a huge low housing project after he was one of the loudest no growthers a few years ago. The slow economy indeed has caught up with him.
John_Adams (anonymous profile)
January 24, 2013 at 8:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)