Downtown Vons Confirmed to Close

If Carafelli would make those 38 units into time share condos, she'd really have a winning formula for success here in this three story mixed use town...

Ah.....the rumored downtown Whole Foods Market! Why not? Who thought SB could support three Trader Joes's?

Just what SB needs another shopping center for rich people. What is not acknowledged is that the rich are a small minority of the people that live in SB. The medium income for people that live in SB is quite abit lower than the national average. The majority of the people are already financially stress from the high cost of housing now they have to travel a longer distance to get reasonable cost food. Compared to other communities SB is doing a very poor job of serving its general population. From health care for children to recreational facilities that the general population can afford SB is pathetic in comparison to communities with far less wealth. Now these people are not even afforded reasonable place to get their food.

If Santa Barbara is so terrible, FireEagle, you are more than welcome to find somewhere else to live.

Boring, CitizenWatchdog. This is what is always said by people who don't want to hear the truth about their precious little exclusive enclave, a version of "If you don't like my personal slice of heaven, get out".

Sadly, you are currently stuck having to live among people who have to work for a living and who would like places to live, shop, and enjoy their days off with their families.

As much as you clearly detest anyone below a certain income level, or anyone who dares to speak up about the endless march of development to benefit the wealthy only, you are going to have to live with these folks.

Why?

Because the rich twits with the soft hands and the silk suits are incapable of raising their own kids, mowing their own lawns, fixing their own toilets, cleaning their McMansions, etc. They NEED the "support staff" of people who shop at Vons, thrift stores, who have to rent their housing, who drive little old economy cars, and so forth.

I actually hope you DO get your way and drive out all the working people, and replace them with the kind of people you feel deserve to live in your personal paradise of Santa Babylon

Why?

Because then the latte-sipping slugs who tiptoe down the aisles of the overpriced chi-chi markets, who hog the roads with their gas guzzlers, and who are barely capable of dressing themselves will end up exiting in droves for a place where there are enough servants to babysit them.

Then maybe SB will return to the one-time vibrant, creative place it once was.

One of the above posts (not mentioning any names) is definitely from LA...Either that or the mentality has absorbed you (sorry LA, didn't mean to offend).
Thanks for your closed mindedness.

It makes me laugh to hear of someone lives here 'part time' as if the rich cultural history of our city has been absorbed in a single moment, rendering the person 'native' and purifying their motives to develop in accordance with the people's wishes.

The developer in this case should consult with Jeff Shelton in this regard. His vision for the city is one that includes housing for the non-wealthy...

below this line is just a rant ....
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Vons downtown is/was a place void of nutritional food.... There are isle upon isle of overpriced white flour non-food . They are selling health depleting dangerous man-made foodstuff to an 'economically challenged' working class of people- with little or no health care to compensate for what they are eating. Every package of Vons food should contain a health insurance voucher (sort of like green stamps from the old days) to offset each individuals impending future health claims. It's amazing what a difference 4 miles makes. Vons of Montecito is selling completely different healthier food than their downtown store (and the prices are not any higher).

Another Trader Joes would not bother me at all. Not perfect, but not overtly greedy either...they operate with a cost-plus business model in which they pay their vendors in cash and rely on 'volume' sales to make large profits. . That is why their prices are so much lower than everywhere else. They also give part-time employees health benefits and retirement savings..... Imagine that.....

The reason people come to St Barb is because of what it is not, not because of what it is. Short buildings without crowding, a view of the sky, walking on a sidewalk but not rubbing against a building, and with a view of the hills. The plans for up into the sky buildings and down into the ground parking is the Los Angelization of Mama Barbara.
Those who cry against the NIMBY, not in my back yard, NIMBY is just what the neighborhood needs. The Monster Pimple next to the Alano Club and across the street from the city's planning department is just the example of what not to do.

Greed is an addiction. So much development in such a crap economy? Another three story building? Do we need more? How about taking that Vons location and making a city co-op. The local growers could sell 7 days and artisans could sell dry goods etc...a non-profit mercantile.
Something that joins the community instead of dividing it.

Couldn't disagree more with Bird.
People come to Santa Barbara for where it is. First and foremost is the geography- the mild climate is ten degrees better than surrounding socal all year hot or cold.
Second is what Santa Barbara is- small highly featured town that has amenities well beyond its population or tax base and distinct look and feel.
Third is who is here, generally attracted by the first two. Santa Barbara has a wealth of experience and talent that often comes from places where talent has to go to get experience that makes them wealthy enough to choose where they want to live.
What it isn't has more to do with the geography than anything else. You just couldn't make it big when there is only the sliver of flat land and no real harbor.
Population pressure on paradises everywhere means that it will continue to press real estate prices upward and force choices about sprawl vs density. Sustainability practices favor density. Keeping views with density is possible but requires more planning, more creativity, which both cost developers more and thus push pricing up too.
The best line about Santa Barbara is that you measure wealth by how long you've lived here. Whether in a garage flat or a mansion, here is better and if you don't think so, you are wasting your time not being where you think its better.

Mixed use Blows! It's a sham for developing mass, look across the country and show where it is working, it's not here.