Imagine an apartment complex, almost the size of the senior center near the second corner of the four corners of a downtown “that draws people there to shop, recreate, and in the end also produce tax revenue.” NOT! Then let’s imagine room for 100 to 200 parking spaces to accommodate the said occupants of the proposed Fallas Fallacy. And “where” do multi-use buildings come into this proposed “revitalization”?
One hundred studio apartments in the center of town would simply help drive more shopping, restaurants, and activities to the new downtown at Betteravia and Bradley!
Remember that there used to be multi-use buildings on all four corners at one time, yet time and poor planning have razed them. It is blatantly obvious that Ms. Soto’s comments in the Sun (“Santa Maria developer eyes Fallas building for a proposed housing complex,” July 7) show zero business sense, and even less forward thinking vision. Why not just go ahead and tear down the opposite corner too while they are at it, and build a second set of high-rise apartments? Central planning always works, every time!
NOT!
It would be best for the people of Santa Maria to vote upon such a life-altering project for the next generation of Santa Maria. Not just left in the hands of politicians and central planners. Just like when they promised that tearing down that area in the first place was for “the city’s future best interest.” Just like they didn’t envision the downtown being physically moved to Betteravia/Bradley while economic and just poor planning saw consumer traffic migrate out of the downtown, possibly for the foreseeable future.
Let those who actually have skin in the game vote for their future. The people and business community of Santa Maria should have the final say to how such major change needs to be implemented. Because this is the first step in what will either kill the downtown or actually implement the needed actions to get it off of life support.
Rob Scott
Santa Maria
This article appears in Jul 21-28, 2022.
