On December 2, the Santa Barbara City Council will consider what may be the most consequential land-use decision of the century: whether to approve a complex 110-page redevelopment agreement for Paseo Nuevo. This proposal would reshape the heart of our downtown — physically, financially, and culturally for decades.
And yet, we are poised to make this decision with a City Council that will soon turn over three seats, without a clear mandate from the community, and without fully addressing the interconnected issues of downtown revitalization, the State Street closure, housing feasibility, and the long-term fiscal health of our city. This is precisely why I believe, firmly and unapologetically, that the future of Paseo Nuevo must be placed on the November 2026 ballot. Let the voters decide.
A City in Transition Deserves a Voice
Santa Barbara is at an inflection point. Over the next year, we will see new leadership, new ideas, and new perspectives join City Council. Decisions of this magnitude — handing over publicly owned land, redefining downtown housing density, and determining the fate of State Street, deserve broad public buy-in, not a rushed approval designed to satisfy an artificial timeline.
Administrator Kelly McAdoo has worked diligently to defend the agreement, but even during her recent interview on Newsmakers, several concerning themes emerged:
• The plan may yield as few as 24 affordable units, despite years of public messaging that promised 80.
• The city would transfer valuable public land to a private investment consortium, effectively giving away tens of millions of dollars of public asset value.
• Historic Landmarks commissioners and planning commissioners have raised serious concerns about bulk, scale, and compliance with the city’s historic identity.
• The Nordstrom building at the other half of the mall, remains completely unaddressed.
• And perhaps most troubling — the repeated statements of “if” and “AB could” from Ms. McAdoo, paired with the idea that we are in a “prisoner’s dilemma.”
When a city’s chief administrator tells us that we are negotiating from a place of weakness, the public should pause. That is not strategic leadership. That is capitulation.
Santa Barbara Does Not Need to “Give Up”
The narrative that “there is no Plan B” is a false choice. It presumes that the only path forward is to surrender leverage, rush approval, and hope for the best. I reject that premise. Santa Barbara is not a city of resignation.
We are a city of innovation, creativity, and thoughtful problem-solving. We do not need to accept the notion that our downtown is “worthless” or that we must approve a flawed agreement out of fear that Alliance Bernstein will walk away.
If AB wishes to renegotiate, as is implied by Ms. McAdoo’s own statements, then they will renegotiate. Markets shift. Commercial dynamics evolve. Public pressure works. We are not trapped. And frankly, the voters I speak with every day agree: We can do better.
Why the Ballot Is the Only Responsible Path
Putting the Paseo Nuevo redevelopment on the 2026 ballot accomplishes several crucial objectives:
1. It aligns with new Council leadership: Three new members will shape the future of Santa Barbara. They, and the voters who elect them, deserve a say in a decision that will outlast all of us.
2. It reopens the broader conversation about State Street: The closure of State Street and the future of Paseo Nuevo are inseparable. You cannot plan one without understanding the other.
3. It restores public trust: Public land decisions must happen with the people, not to them.
4. It provides negotiating strength: A voter mandate gives the city far more leverage than a rushed agreement built on fear of what AB “could” do.
A Vote Is Not a Delay — It’s Good Governance
Opponents of a ballot measure argue that waiting until 2026 will kill the deal. But if a project collapses simply because Santa Barbara insists on transparency and public participation, then it was never a good deal to begin with. We are not in a “prisoner’s dilemma.” We are in a moment of opportunity, if we choose to take it.
My Commitment
As your candidate for District 6, I will lead with clarity:
• Santa Barbara should not give away its downtown crown jewel without a public mandate.
• We should not accept shrinking affordable housing commitments.
• We should not approve bulk and height that violate the spirit of our historic identity.
• We should not fear renegotiation with Alliance Bernstein.
• And we must restore a sense of ownership, vision, and confidence in our community.
The Voters Deserve the Final Word: Let’s do the responsible thing. Let’s put Paseo Nuevo on the November 2026 ballot. Our downtown deserves nothing less.
Nicholas Sebastian is a candidate for City Council District 6. He is a veteran technology consultant, longtime Santa Barbara school district administrator, and nonprofit founder.
