The Grand Avenue proposed development is a hazard and a blight.
We live in a firescape. The location of this development, 1609-1615 Grand Avenue, is a neighborhood of narrow streets and dense housing. The parking exit for the development empties onto the narrow California Street, the steepest street in the city: a horrible emergency exit. Emergency evacuation in a fire could devolve into a catastrophe. Imagine the calamity of a nighttime evacuation. The Oakland Berkeley Hills fire of 1991 killed 25 people in a similar hillside community.
This six-story development would be visible from almost any vantage point in the city. The viewscape of the Santa Barbara Riviera is one of the defining images of our town. That image would be obliterated by a building completely out of context with its setting. It defies any understanding or sympathy with our urban heritage. It is a monstrosity.
We implore the City Council to undertake a comprehensive CEQA review of this ill-conceived proposal. Proper daylighting of the elements of this project will reveal ample deficiencies sufficient to deny approval of this absurdly inappropriate and dangerous project.
