De la Guerra Plaza Works Best As-Is

De la Guerra Plaza needs maintenance and repair not a makeover.

The plaza has been an access to government and festival area since the days of Comandante José de la Guerra (1828) through today.

The simple De la Guerra Plaza ovoid green space with road, parking, and sidewalk was accepted by the city in 1924. It has flexibility in use.

Nationally famous architects had proposed numerous designs of hardscape, crisscrossing paths, fountains, and statues. All failed.

The chosen design continues to work daily for everyone for business and government access and for special free speech rallies and festivals.

According to the State Historic Preservation Office, documentation indicates De la Guerra Plaza is California State Historic Landmark #307 along with Casa de la Guerra.

What the city really needs to do for the benefit of De la Guerra Plaza and all of Santa Barbara is to change from using potable water for landscaping to watering with recycled water. We should spend the money to bring the purple reclaimed water line into downtown for all our parks.

Changing De la Guerra Plaza into hardscape is harmful to climate change. Keeping it green is beneficial.

If there is money for plaza changes, then the sidewalks could be changed from the mix of standard gray and reddish cement in multiple designs to stabilized decomposed granite to tie into Casa de la Guerra or to flagstone to tie into the “Street of Spain” of El Paseo.