DESIGN DICTATORS TO 'EXPLORE' STATE STREET MESS THEY MADE; TAXPAYERS ON THE HOOK AGAIN

Noozhawk breathlessly reports that AIA Santa Barbara, the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects, is holding a high-minded pow-wow to 'explore' the State Street Master Plan. Because, naturally, the best way to address a problem is to have the same people who created it host an exclusive, by-invitation-only discussion about how brilliant their design principles were. It's like inviting the chef to review his own inedible concoction, only instead of food poisoning, we get a permanently car-free, retail-free wasteland.

They're bringing in some 'expert' to discuss the 'design principles and planning strategies' that shaped this masterpiece. One can only assume these principles include 'how to effectively alienate businesses,' 'the art of maximizing empty storefronts,' and 'innovative techniques for creating a pedestrian-only corridor that pedestrians actively avoid.' Meanwhile, small business owners who actually *pay* taxes and create jobs are likely busy trying to figure out how to pay this month's rent in the wake of the 'visionary' changes forced upon them by these architectural mandarins.

The real story Noozhawk missed, of course, is the subtle dance between these 'visionaries' and the endless stream of taxpayer-funded studies and consultants. Every time a 'master plan' rears its head, you can bet there's a developer-backed donation lurking in the shadows, paving the way for lucrative contracts for the very firms whose 'design principles' are being lauded. It’s a self-licking ice cream cone, only the ice cream is made of public funds and melted hopes for a vibrant downtown.

While the architectural elite pontificate at SOHO – probably to a crowd of other architects and city staffers – the rest of Santa Barbara is left wondering when someone will actually design a plan that benefits the local economy and not just the consulting class. Perhaps a 'Master Plan' for *actual* economic recovery, instead of just another excuse for a PowerPoint presentation, would be in order?