Subscriber Comments for
2011 Santa Barbara Not-So-Beautiful Awards

Comments in order of when they were received | (reverse order)

COMMENT 218883	2011-10-01 11:00 AM
You seem a little bitter about not working for the city anymore and I think it shows in your critcism. I thought the LaCumbre Plaza bogy looked great. I also think that the weed laden carillo hill looks 100 times better then before. I would guess you know that most of these places are being kept up by guys making minimum wage with no training. Maybe show up and coach these people and pass on some of that great knowledge you have.
COMMENT 218913	2011-10-01 12:55 PM
Maybe it would be a good use of time and community resources to organize a donation of drought tolerant succulents to fill those city walks. Seems you, Billy, have the inside knowledge on the walks and your knowledge of the plants/design could be put to use by asking for community plant and labor donations to fix those weedy walks.
COMMENT 218921P	2011-10-01 01:36 PM
I believe Billy addressed the issue of weeds in another installment awhile back. The City no longer allows the spraying of weeds, is that correct? With the skeleton crew that is currently in place to "maintain" parks, medians, planters, etc. you had better get used to seeing weeds around town unless someone would like to volunteer time to go and pull them.
COMMENT 218969P	2011-10-01 06:23 PM
Thank you, Billy! I agree with you, especially about the bougainvillea at La Cumbre. I have spent much time in Europe where the bougainvillea is allowed to grow in its natural state. The plant adds wonderful natural beauty, grows in direct sun and is drought tolerant. Why murder it and spend countless hours turning it into something it was never intended to be in the first place. This ridiculous propensity to carve these hardy and colorful free spirits into some bizarre geometric shape is simply offensive and ignorant. The last shot of the lavender or sage that has been been turned into mounded lumps of some kind is just sickening. Perhaps this is the work of an Edward Scissorhands wannabe. Naaah, he was far more talented and would have at least attempted something interesting. My god, what is with the butchering of plants around town. Thanks for your comments. You have a far more positive outlook than I would if I wrote about the plant butchery I see around town. Keep up the good work.
COMMENT 218995P	2011-10-01 09:18 PM
Meh, it's green, natural and foliage. I'd much rather see something in "poor taste" or sightly overgrown than a concrete jungle. I think I can understand the irritation about these things in the context that the person pointing them out as "ugly" has a passion for landscaping. But otherwise, I have to say my opinion is that this is sort of silly to call bad landscaping out.
COMMENT 219002	2011-10-02 05:31 AM
Billy, thanks for the great read, thought provoking and fun! You make great points and you must have a wonderful photo file! My favorite was the John Cleese hedge reminder!
COMMENT 219005	2011-10-02 06:48 AM
It seems to me Billy is bitter about telling the city what would happen if they did some of the projects their way, it would turn into a big mess and no one listened to him. Not so much not working for them anymore. Thanks for pointing this stuff out. Makes one wonder how much tax money was wasted for instant gratification instead of long term beauty.
COMMENT 219014P	2011-10-02 07:32 AM
Thanks Billy for pointing out yet another colossal waste of taxpayer dollars that has become a blight on the community. I don't care how drought tolerant a plant may be, it's gonna die if not maintained. If any one thinks drought tolerant or even native means low or no maintenance, they are mistaken. Trust me as some one with yard full of it. The needs are different, but there are needs indeed. And spending money to plant something, anything, only to have it die just so you can have something there and later (and this case much later) having to tear it up and replace it is a waste of time, dollars and resources. Oh and the bougainvillea looks absolutely stupid. Love the Monty Python hedge. Are we sure John Cleese didn't do it himself? The owner needs his own taunting.
ARCHIE	2011-10-02 08:36 AM
YIKES! But thanks, Billy, for indicating what is right by showing what is wrong. (Only wish you had a sense of humor.) smile.
COMMENT 219029	2011-10-02 08:44 AM
Billy, I laughed out loud several times and I agree with you wholeheartedly about the city. As a long time local I've seen first hand, so many of the dumb-a** mistakes this city has made. Remember the lower State st. slippery tile debacle? Hundreds upon hundreds of thousands of dollars and they had to tear it out and put in brick because too many people slipped and fell and it was just flat out dangerous, especially if it was wet. Oh, there are so many more! Why don't they just research and listen before spending and doing? GREAT article! LOVE your writing. Thanks for the giggles.
COMMENT 219030	2011-10-02 08:45 AM
Re: shearing and shaping like a demented shepherd: We want cheap labor to keep our paradaisical landscaping in check,but not the cultural values that come with it. The framigo wielding his techno-toothed scimitar undoubtedly is very proud of his accomplishment, adding a bit of perfection to our otherwise listless landscape. The challenge of creating forms not found in nature's palette is a testament to desire to contribute something meaningful to a complacent public. How about an article on native(define native), drought tolerant, low/no maintenance landscaping that typifies the look of SB.That's what most of us want.
COMMENT 219040	2011-10-02 09:00 AM
Hey Billy, come join our local kink group.
COMMENT 219066	2011-10-02 10:39 AM
Loma Alta: forget the landscaping, it's a minor problem. The 'improvements' have attracted more pedestrians and bike-riders to a street that is too narrow to begin with, has a sheer drop with inadequate railings, and no bike lane. Little children walk within inches of vehicles, and drivers are not always inclined to wait until it's safe to pass a bike. Loma Alta is an attractive nuisance - and the city needs to address the danger before a walker or bike-rider is killed.
COMMENT 219230	2011-10-02 08:11 PM
very funny, Billy. thanks.
FLICKA	2011-10-02 09:33 PM
I have drought tolerant plants; aloes, grasses, native sage and others I don't know the names of (I get slips from friends). They do fine with no water. Some of the smaller ones need water on ocassion if you want them to look "Kodak perfect" but can make it from rain to rain, and perk up beautifully. As far as native plants go---do you think the Chumash or Spanish settlers watered natives? "Native" means they live on rain.
BILLY GOODNICK	2011-10-03 11:20 AM
A few quick replies to all these comments: First, thanks to those who actually understood what my position is about the city projects. I have no bitterness about not working for them anymore. The 22 years I spent were both fulfilling and frustrating, but there’s no way I’d want to take another shot at it. The main issue is the conflicts within the system that lead down a black hole. A waste of good people’s time (I have nothing but admiration for all the staff I’ve worked with all those years – top notch, despite what some folks assume about “the government” and those who work to keep your water faucets flowing, streets working, restrooms working, you get the idea.) As for Flicka, drought tolerant is fine and it’s the way I try to go in all my designs, but drought tolerance is meaningless for the first few years until the plants are established. True native landscapes generally don’t fair well in suburban conditions, nor would most people want to live around a purely wild landscape. About those Chumash cultivation practices, I’m ignorant on that one, but I can assure you that the aqueduct the Spaniards created for the missions were used to cultivate crops that would not have survived just on natural rainfall. “Native” doesn’t necessarily mean they survive just on rainfall. Some plants need more, which is why they populate wetlands, creeksides, etc. 219040 – Thanks for the invitation to join your “kink” group. I sing “You Really Got Me” in my band, King Bee, and I love Ray Davies and the band. As for donating my time to organize a group of volunteers to weed, I’m currently employed on eight fronts, writing, teaching two classes about sustainable design, consulting, playing music and working on a book. I worked with volunteer groups for 22 years with the city, and it’s not as simple as it sounds. Great enthusiasm on the front end, then zip. Volunteerism has to come from within the neighborhood and there’s nothing sexy about pulling weeds along a busy street. The bottom line is that the project was conceived with no concern for survival. There’s really no fixing it now – witness the deep layers of mulch that are being dumped in hopes of smothering the weeds. And they’ve all gone to seed, rather than having the sense to cut them back when they were young and before the seed heads were viable. Gotta run. Class to teach tonight at SBCC. I'm working to ge... [ more ]
COMMENT 245358	2012-01-02 02:17 PM
It never ceases to amaze me how some people are so intent on creating plantings that are not only unattractive...but insanely labor-intensive as well!

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