On Wednesday April 30th we had a successful and fun evening with our personal tour of the Santa Barbara Bowl. Learning about the history, the physical transformations of the Bowl over the years, the operational procedures, the bottom-to-top and behind the scenes tour and ending with local wines and delicious hors d’oeuvres on the stage was truly special. Over 80 Riviera Association members spent time with Rick Boller, CEO of the Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation and some of his staff. It was also a great opportunity for Riviera residents to get to meet and spend time with old and new neighbors.
We look forward to our next visit to the Santa Barbara Bowl!
The wildfires that ravaged the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Pacific Palisades and Altadena this past summer have kept more than a few residents of the Riviera awake in the middle of the night. Increasingly, residents of high fire risk areas like ours are asking themselves what they can do to protect their property if not their lives. The answer from nearly all the experts—from Cal Fire, fire scientists, and insurance companies—is the same: harden your home by increasing the defensible space or fire buffer around your property. The key is to make sure that the area 0 to 5 feet from the perimeter of your home is kept completely clear of flammable plants as well as patio furniture, barbecues, or wood piles. Not surprisingly, some insurance companies are requiring homeowners to certify that they have undertaken wildfire mitigation prior to issuing insurance coverage, as Dan Crocker points out in his companion article. An Executive Order issued by Governor Newsom in January directs the State Board of Forestry to accelerate its work to adopt regulations known as “Zone 0,” which will require an ember-resistant zone within 5 feet of structures located in the highest fire severity zones in the state.
The good news is that there are increasing numbers of resources to help us in reducing our risk from fire, many of which are free or low cost. The city of Santa Barbara Fire Department offers free defensible space evaluation, which you can arrange by contacting 805 564 5737. The Firewise program provides both a blueprint and technical assistance for assessing your neighborhood’s fire risk and creating a plan to minimize it. As few as 8 homes are required for this program, as described in detail in the SBFireSafeCouncil.org site. There are already active Firewise communities in Santa Barbara, including in Mission Canyon and Eucalyptus Hill.
Now, a group of Riviera Residents on Foothill Lane, Las Canoas Lane, Las Canoas Rd, and Tierra Cielo are creating one, complete with its own website—sbfiresafelanes.org. Debbie MacInnis is one of the neighbors spearheading this effort. She says that “the risk of fire is so great that we realize that we just have to do something. This step-by-step program really makes it clear just what you need to do. And the guidance from the Firewise team is very comprehensive. It is well worth the time and investment. The unexpected upside is that we have gotten to know our neighbors and have a much greater sense of community.”
To be included in additional information about Firewise or other fire mitigation efforts in the Riviera, please send a note to fireandsafety@riverassociation.org.
– Julie Chapman, Chair, Fire & Safety Committee
More information forthcoming in our next newsletter and at our Spring Meeting!
We have useful information on our website under “WILDFIRE CHECKLIST” and encourage everyone to sign up for alerts at ReadySBC.org and gather other helpful information at sbfiresafecouncil.org. It has also been recommended that a great source for early warnings is the WATCH DUTY app, a private sector nonprofit entity with crowdsourced alerts from dedicated volunteers.
The city of Santa Barbara and Marborg plan on replacing your trash containers starting in April. Your trash containers will be replaced with gray wheeled containers that will be required to be left curbside for automatic pickup. This will be followed by replacement of garden waste and recycle containers. New curbside pickup will start around July. If you want Marborg to continue to pull your trash containers as they have been, there will be an additional fee. Waivers may be obtained from Marborg for seniors over 80 years old or for individuals with disabilities. The Riviera Association will continue to follow up with the city to see how we can maintain current standards without adding fees. Stay tuned!
Would you like to save money on your water bill and have a beautiful, colorful garden? The City’s Sustainable Lawn Replacement Rebate provides incentives to help with planting water-wise plants . Rebate amount is based upon square footage of lawn removed up to a maximum $1500 rebate.
To reduce irrigation water use and reduce storm water runoff, the Creeks Division offers an additional Downspout Disconnect Incentive for redirecting this water to the landscape. Additional $250 incentive available.
After the Riviera Association coordinated a volunteer clean-up day at Franceschi Park at the end of 2024, the Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Department spent some additional time cleaning up a fire prone hillside in our Riviera along Mission Ridge Road below Mr. Franceschi’s bust. He now has a clear view of the ocean and pier and we are a bit safer from a roadside flair up!
R.A. REMINDER – January is a good time for us all to clear combustable brush from our yards and neighborhoods.
We welcome the contributions of Mr. Bill Phelps, Mr. Len Rosenthal, Ms. Julie Chapman, Mr. Dan Crocker and Mr. Todd Yancey. Their volunteer time to help keep the Riviera the special place that it is will benefit all residents. Please wish them well!
On Saturday October 26th we had a successful day with members helping clean up Franceschi Park! Plans are to do another in the spring so stay tuned for more information!
Two recently proposed development projects have gotten our attention that would adversely impact the character of the Riviera neighborhood. We have shared our concern on these projects with the City Council and Mayor Rowse. How have these projects gotten to the City? What is Builders Remedy? Here is a great podcast by Josh Molina explaining things and showcasing the Riviera Association’s ongoing commitment to prevent projects like these from happening.
The City of Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Department will present a conceptual design for Reimagining Franceschi House to the Historic Landmarks Commission (HLC) on Wednesday, August 14, 2024, for Concept Review. This meeting is intended to review the project goals, community engagement, and proposed design with HLC and receive feedback before further design development.
The project results from a unanimous City Council vote in 2018 to replace Franceschi House with an open-air space that will honor the horticultural legacy of botanist Francesco Franceschi and the historical Franceschi House
The design was created based on feedback from two community meetings, held in February and May 2024, and nearly 1,300 responses to two online surveys. The community input was used to develop four concept designs that were ranked through the second community workshop and online survey. The resulting design reflects the communityâs highest values for the views, celebrating the siteâs horticultural heritage and providing an interpretive experience through landscaping, and the salvage of commemorative features, such as plaques, medallions, and signage. Other project objectives include improving site access and safety, enhancing views, and increasing wildfire resiliency.
The preliminary design features:
Public comments may be submitted online, in person, or in writing. More information about the upcoming meeting can be found at SantaBarbaraCA.gov/HLC. Plans and the agenda will be available on August 8.
More information about the project can be found at SantaBarbaraCA.gov/Franceschi. General questions or comments can be directed to Project Planner Sean Stewart at SWStewart@SantaBarbaraCA.gov.
His name is Roy Lee and he joined us recently at our Riviera Association Spring Meeting to introduce himself and hear our thoughts. If you have any community feedback that you want to share please reach out to him directly at 805-570-1737 or by email at
According to @SB-Updater on X here are the stats for the number of cancellations versus currently written policies for our area:
Join us at our Spring Meeting May 19th to hear from Rob Obedoza, California Insurance Commissioner’s Office Due to these and other ongoing homeowners’ policy cancellations in our neighborhood, the Board has invited Rob to do a brief presentation on homeowners’ insurance options and take pertinent questions.
Your Riviera Association was constantly reminding the city streets department that we had numerous potholes that needed attention on APS. Thanks to the joint effort of Richard Page your streets and utilities board member and Kristin Sneddon our District Four councilmember, their never give up attitude paid off!
A few of the neighbors on Jimeno Road decided to take a weed infested corner near APS and invest a bit of time, sweat and plantings to make it a nicer entrance to their street. Little things like this make the Riviera a great place to call home!
Mediterranean Style Home Housed Mayor a Century Ago – reprinted from Santa Barbara Independent January 18, 2024 Writer Betsy J. Green
1703 Paterna Road – A Home for a Mayor
Today, people who travel to Santa Barbara’s Riviera neighborhood generally go to enjoy themselves at the El Encanto Hotel, the SBIFF Riviera Theatre, or work at a business in the Riviera Park. But a century ago, the Riviera was the center of higher education in our fair city. The Santa Barbara Normal School, a teachers’ college, was located in the theater and nearby buildings. The college later migrated to the Mesa and then to Isla Vista, where it morphed into UCSB.
The educational community in the Riviera was probably the reason why this house was built. Henry Augustus Adrian was a prominent educator and lecturer. He was also the mayor of Santa Barbara in 1926 and 1927. He was the superintendent of schools here from about 1904 to 1910. After that, he became a professional lecturer who traveled around the United States for some 15 years. Many of his talks focused on the accomplishments of his friend Luther Burbank, a prominent horticulturist.
Adrian was a featured speaker in the Chautauqua program. This was a traveling summer school that began at Chautauqua Lake in New York State in 1874. Groups of educators and entertainers from this program traveled around the country as an early form of adult education in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
For example, in 1916, the Chautauqua came to Santa Barbara. It was a week-long program packed with all-day events such as lectures, plays, concerts, and other activities. Events were held in a large tent, capable of holding 2,000 people, on the grounds of Santa Barbara High School, which was then at the northeast corner of Anapamu and De la Vina streets.
It was probably Adrian’s experience traveling around the U.S. that awakened his appreciation of our architecture. He told the local paper, “I have in the course of my lecture tours, visited 11,000 American towns, and 10,500 of them were just alike. We have enough of them. If you will keep on as you have been doing and the people keep on as they have been building, we will soon have a city here of which we will be proud, and that will be unique among the cities of the world.” (Santa Barbara Morning Press, October 18, 1925)
As might be expected, the home he had built at 1703 Paterna Road reflects the architectural style that sets Santa Barbara apart. The home was built in 1921 by Italian builder/designer, C. Cicero. The permit listed the cost at $10,000. Our local paper noted, “Mr. Cicero designs as well as builds homes, and his adaptation of hillside building sites to home construction of the most attractive types has shown an appreciation of the problems involved.” (Santa Barbara Morning Press, January 27, 1924)
This Mediterranean-style home has an Old-World feel and features graceful arches inside and out. It is nestled into the hillside and looks out over the city that Adrian helped rebuild after the earthquake.
The first tremor on the morning of June 29, 1925, occurred while Adrian and his wife Phila and their two children lived in this home. They probably stood on the balcony, watched the dust rising from the crumbled buildings in the heart of the city, and wondered about the community’s future.
Six months later, Adrian, who had retired from his speaking business, was appointed mayor and dug into work on the restoration and transformation of Santa Barbara. It was probably the most strenuous and stressful time to be in charge of our city. Historian Michael James Phillips, a contemporary, wrote, “Under his progressive regime, work has been started upon many projects of civic advancement … and Mr. Adrian is planning to make this the most beautiful city in America.” (History of Santa Barbara County, California, 1927)
The current owners – Lisa Carlos and Brett Queener – enjoy living in their comfortable home amidst the neighborhood’s stone walls and walking paths. Above all, they appreciate the south-facing view overlooking the city that arose in splendor after the earthquake a century ago
Betsy J. Green is a Santa Barbara historian, and author of Discovering the History of Your House and Your Neighborhood, Santa Monica Press, 2002. Her website is betsyjgreen.com.
Park in front of Orpet Park on Alameda Padre Serra or at the El Encanto Resort (we will end your tour at the resort). Start your walking tour of the Riviera by meandering through the...
Michael Erickson
September 8, 2023
Park in front of Orpet Park on Alameda Padre Serra or at the El Encanto Resort (we will end your tour at the resort). Start your walking tour of the Riviera by meandering through the...
Michael Erickson
September 8, 2023
Natural disasters such as wildfires and floods can damage asbestos-containing materials and lead to asbestos exposure among first responders, cleanup crews and nearby residents. Learn...
Michael Erickson
June 6, 2023
This May, Riviera Association members enjoyed a fascinating local geology lecture and Franceschi Park walk, with our City Council Representative and Environmental Geologist Kristen...
Michael Erickson
May 30, 2023
Click on this link to read> RA Spring 2023 Newsletter
Michael Erickson
May 6, 2023
Sunday, May 7th 4:00-6:00 PM Riviera Ridge Campus Upper Campus > Access @ 911 Tremont Road Celebrate Spring with other Riviera families while enjoying live music, delicious local...
Michael Erickson
April 5, 2023
About the Riviera Association Founded in 1930, the Association is an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) organization that works to maintain and enhance the distinctive character of the Riviera and...
Michael Erickson
March 10, 2023
Approximately 125 people attended with informative Speakers discussing:
Kristen Sneddon District 4 city council representative with general city and Riviera updates.
Jill Zachary head of Parks & Recreation discussed Franceschi Park plans
Brandon Beaudette City Administrator’s office engaged residents in a discussion around budget priorities and essential services.
Mayor Randy Rowse Answered questions from residents
