by Anne Petersen
Anne Petersen spoke about the history of the Plaza during the opening remarks at the March 9 public workshop at Casa de la Guerra. Photo by Kevin McGarry.
The City of Santa Barbara recently announced intentions to explore a revitalization effort in De la Guerra Plaza. The project could include changes to landscaping/hardscaping, lighting, parking and more.   As the owners and operators of Casa de la Guerra, which anchors the north side of the Plaza, the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation is an invested stakeholder in this process. We hosted the City’s first public outreach workshop at Casa de la Guerra on March 9th, and at the March 26th City Council meeting SBTHP was added to the De la Guerra Plaza Subcommittee, which also includes City Council members, and Commissioners from Parks and Recreation, Planning, Historic Landmarks, and the Farmer’s Market Association.
The meetings of the Subcommittee will be public. You can follow activity on the Plaza project by visiting the City’s webpage for De la Guerra Plaza here. On this page, you can sign up for updates and click through to many helpful resources.
We encourage you to stay informed on this project and share your thoughts with the City. This historic place was designated a public square in 1853, and belongs to the citizens of Santa Barbara. It’s our job to make sure that it continues to meet the needs of the citizens today.
Anne Petersen is the Executive Director of the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation