Political Context

The redevelopment of the St. Francis Medical Center has become a hot-button issue in local Santa Barbara politics. A neighborhood advocacy group sprouted to challenge the current plans and the city has held multiple public hearings and inquiries into the matter. Construction has been delayed for nearly 4 years.

The neighbors' main concerns are the loss of the historic hospital. The site has been in continuous use as a medical facility for more than a century. Many local people have been born and died in this building over the years.

In addition, the site holds a social role as a source of non-corporate care. My own father was treated at the hospital back in the 60's and reports that it was one of the most positive medical experiences of his life. The religious source of the facility may have helped focus treatment on the patients instead of the profits.

However, the small size and personal focus of the hospital may have also contributed to its financial problems. The hospital was unable to secure large government and private health care contracts such as university and county employees. They were also unable to secure many specialists or to attract a large endowment. When the buildings came due for more seismic retrofits in 2000 the nuns began to look for a partner or a buyer and eventually sold the property to the successful and growing chain of Cottage Health Systems.

Accepting that the medical uses will be lost the neighbors still have concerns about the loss of public access to a lush site with great views of the city and the ocean. Neighbors have been allowed to park on the site, walk their dogs, and cut plant clippings. The prospect of the site being developed into private housing is a net loss for the community.

As a last gasp to hold up development the neighbors have settled on the possible historic nature of the buildings and the potential for environmental damage due to demolition and removal of debris. They have challenged both the historic and the environmental impact studies conducted by Cottage Health and the city. The neighbors have even hired outside architects and lawyers to review redevelopment of the old buildings as a potential alternative.

Cottage Health Systems argues that the building has been remodeled so extensively over the years that it does not represent a particularly good example of its period architecture (Hispanic) and in a city filled with Hispanic structures it is not a unique example of its style. They have also noted that the proposed future residents, hospital workers, have already rejected the notion of living in a building that even remotely reminds them work.

The remaining concerns regarding environmental impact from redevelopment remain an issue. However, any plans for the hospital grounds will require significant work and will have similar impacts to demolition and rebuilding. A successful alternative would need to address both the environmental and social concerns for the larger Riviera community.