SANTA BARBARA — Two towering housing projects proposed mere steps from the iconic Old Mission Santa Barbara have sparked a fierce preservation showdown, pitting urgent housing needs against historic and environmental safeguards.
“There’s no question that the proposal would lead to significant traffic and safety impacts in the case of a fire or an earthquake. It’s already jampacked,” said resident Lanny Ebenstein.
Leading the charge is SAGE (Sustainable Architecture for the Greater Environment), a new coalition fighting to protect the area’s heritage…