FRONT AND BACK OF RIVIERA TOUR
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...
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...
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...
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...
This May, Riviera Association members enjoyed a fascinating local geology lecture and Franceschi Park walk, with our City Council Representative and Environmental Geologist Kristen...
Click on this link to read> RA Spring 2023 Newsletter
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...
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...
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