COMMENT 333408
|
2012-10-19 04:18 PM |
|
You got the questions - ask Pearl Chase Society - they have a website and contact number. Get your answers directly from the source before you continue to spread lies and innuendo about this excellent organization.
|
| |
COMMENT 333275P
|
2012-10-19 12:15 PM |
|
136: You claim the preceding post was 100% inaccurate but failed to reply directly to any of the points raised.
1. Was $800,000 raised that is now mostly gone?
2. What was accomplished for the money spent?
3. Were board members paid to coordinate the project? 4. Was the architect connected to the president?
5. Has there been an accounting of the money raised and
spent? If so, where can it be seen?
6. Exactly how did the city "misdirect grant funds"?
|
| |
COMMENT 333408
|
2012-10-19 10:17 AM |
|
The Riviera Association and neighbors blocked all progress on the Franceschi House renovation. The public meetings were many, long and tense Talk to them. Are they in fact ready to have change of heart? That would be most welcome. The SB Botanic Garden was involved only in the restoration of the historic gardens themselves and were acting separately but in an over all general plan for this property. Restoration of Franceschi House will take place when the city council secures the funding and makes this a priority - the house belongs to them and they control this project, Pearl Chase was involved only in a support capacity working with city Parks and Rec. Same with the Botanic Garden. Stopping the damage and protecting the asset is at least halting further deterioration and thank you Pearl Chase and its generous donors for doing exactly that. Important artifacts are kept in storage right now which I believe the Pearl Chase Society is also funding.
|
| |
GOBBLEDYGOOK
|
2012-10-19 09:39 AM |
|
The park across the street, the part with all the crisscrossing steps, my daughter and I go for walks (hops, skips, jumps) there all the time. We don't live anywhere nearby. It's completely open to the public. Of course it's ridiculous trying to cross Mission Ridge to get to the upper part of the park. I suppose when it was planned, Mission Ridge was more a foot path. Last time we were there, we discovered one place where it looked like a neighbor was trying to privatize it: at the end of one path, where it opens into a real street, the adjacent neighbor has built a fence across the end of the street, across the path. If you were to approach from the street, I guess it would look like the path was on private property. However there is an unlocked gate in the fence (at least unlocked when we were there), so actually the public can come and go.
The whole place looks neglected, but not terrible. Right now of course it looks "dead" because it's fall.
|
| |
CAPTAIN HALEY
|
2012-10-19 09:16 AM |
|
I understand the Horticultural Society is holding a substantial fund intended to go toward landscaping at Franceschi Park whenever the renovation work is completed. Sometimes these things seem to move at a glacial pace in Santa Barbara.
|
| |
COMMENT 333170
|
2012-10-19 09:07 AM |
|
998: Are you SERIOUS? Yeah... just what we need one less park and one more million dollar single family resindence. As if the middle and lower class already have a lack of things for them. The rich already own the whole Riviera. This city is for EVERYONE. That comment is just Crazy wrong.
|
| |
COMMENT 333149
|
2012-10-19 08:21 AM |
|
Leave it to the Peal Chase Society to spotlight the City's "misdirected grant funds" to steer the focus and attention away from their own questionable use of restricted donations. What happened to restoring the Franceschi House? Will that ever happen?
|
| |
COMMENT 333140
|
2012-10-19 08:06 AM |
|
Graffiti lame. 420 Graffiti is lame-er. Legalize pot and see how even stoopider it looks like it's some big sneaky secret. No one ever uses the word "beer" in their graffiti. Tagging is just lame. I don't care what anyone says. Graffiti is not art.
|
| |
COMMENT 333408
|
2012-10-19 07:55 AM |
|
The above post maligning the Pearl Chase activities attempting to restore Franceschi Park are 100% inaccurate. The Pearl Chase Society a number of years ago embarked upon an ambitious campaign to raise money that used a huge amount of volunteer time and personal donations. The Society's own funds that were raised were used to secure the house, stop the water damage and provide safe keeping for its many important artifacts. Everything was upfront and open. The city itself is the one who misdirected grant funds obtained for its restoration which has been a long point of controversy but later the city did provide funds to help with the above projects. I hope 069P retracts their post and explain a bit more about their motivation to undermine the very sincere volunteer Pearl Chase efforts and use of their own funds privately raised to save this community treasure.
|
| |
COMMENT 333275P
|
2012-10-18 07:17 PM |
|
I understand that the Pearl Chase Society raised about $800,000 toward restoration of the Franceschi House but most of it is now gone with nothing to show for it. They paid a couple of their board members a salary to coordinate the project and hired an architect close to the president but nothing got done. Has there ever been an accounting to the City for the money raised and spent?
|
| |
COMMENT 333408
|
2012-10-18 04:21 PM |
|
Since this was a major gift to the city and dedicated for public use with its facilities income dedicated to its upkeep, I would say the city has some 'splainin" to do. Read the deed. Why did the city let it get so run down and why the city let the neighbors prevent its proper use, who actually built their homes next to this known public venue long after this park was given to the city for public use. It has to be one of the best small wedding venues in the entire city. There are tremendous sound buffers all around it so neighbors don't have to worry about noise. The Pearl Chase Society has been ready and willing to take the lead in its restoration, but only if these now allegedly willing neighbors won't throw up the roadblocks they have in the past. It is a well-loved community resource and many do want to help.
|
| |
COMMENT 332998
|
2012-10-18 04:12 PM |
|
96 Are you sure about the Riviera neighbors wanting to keep this space unattended and run down? Most of my neighbors on the Riviera were opposed to this park. We all know the problems an out of the way unattended park can create and I guess most of us were right. This park obviously has been discovered by the type of people you don't want in your backyard. We have often seen empty beer bottles and tagging in the area. I personally would like to see it sold to a private party and developed as a single family residence.
|
| |
COMMENT 332959
|
2012-10-18 03:18 PM |
|
Is someone promoting graffiti??
|
| |
COMMENT 332952
|
2012-10-18 03:03 PM |
|
Promoting graffiti not smart.
|
| |
COMMENT 332941
|
2012-10-18 02:41 PM |
|
884 here, I live at the Cacique street underpass and I think the taggers already know where I am. No lack of tagging where I am and thank goodness for the grafitti removal kits the City passes out.
|
| |
COMMENT 332959
|
2012-10-18 01:33 PM |
|
Because clearly, 894, every single person who does graffiti is a gang member.
|
| |
COMMENT 332897
|
2012-10-18 01:29 PM |
|
We walked in the park and viewed the statue at about 4:00 p.m. the day before this post, and the K was not there at that time. What a shame.
|
| |
COMMENT 333408
|
2012-10-18 01:28 PM |
|
The Riviera neighbors consider this their private green space and have defied all attempts to restore this city-owned property that would make more available for greater public use and enjoyment. Now we see what happens when it gets neglected. Thanks Riviera for being so selfish - how about paying for this clean-up yourselves, since you work so hard to keep the rest of the public out.
|
| |
COMMENT 332893
|
2012-10-18 01:23 PM |
|
Love the photo of that fungus, I have the same variety sprouting from one of my trees.
|
| |
COMMENT 332941
|
2012-10-18 01:07 PM |
|
I actually don't mind non-gang grafitti on concrete walls and dull surfaces like that, but wish the sprayers would leave statues and trees alone. Don't they know that paint is for sniffing and not for tagging?
|
| |
COMMENT 332878
|
2012-10-18 12:56 PM |
|
847pee You are assuming it's all boys, yet one of them says AMY. Maybe some are done by the other chromosome variant.
|
| |
COMMENT 332874P
|
2012-10-18 12:41 PM |
|
Sept. 4, 2010 was Edhat coverage. Park started as Francesco Franceschi's property, back in early 1900s. House and land deeded to City in 1931. Attempt made to restore house in 2000 got bogged down, due to economy, permits, etc. Don't know what status is now. Oh, how I despise the miscreant scribblers and sprayers and carvers. Defacement such as what you have depicted here is deserving of severe punishment. 100s of hours of public service. Jail time would be nice. Too bad these pee-pee boy brats most likely will get away with this vandalism.
|
| |
COMMENT 332870
|
2012-10-18 12:31 PM |
|
That's terrific that you found yourself. Were you missing long? OK that was a lame attempt at humor, I apologize. Looks like Edhat covered this "tourist attraction" back in Sept 2010 (can't post a link, sorry), and that the second owner of the property gave it to the city in 1931. The graffiti is troubling.
|
| |
*** One comment was removed from this thread by the Edhat Board Nanny for violating Edhat Comments Board policy. Click Here to see it.
