Resident urges public art and creek-restoration near Garden Street Hotel during Santa Barbara City Council special meeting

A member of the public urged the Santa Barbara City Council on Oct. 14 to expand public art in the Funk Zone and to remove city-owned storage and fencing from a portion of Laguna Creek that the commenter said currently encroaches on a 50-foot coastal buffer. The comment came during public comment at a special meeting called to convene a closed session on existing litigation.

The comment was delivered by Mark Chatello, who identified himself as representing the organization Keep the Funk and addressed the council about the Garden Street Hotel and related site conditions. "I am representing the organization Keep the Funk ... concerning the Garden Street Hotel," Chatello said, and described having shared correspondence with the city's attorney and with sustainability staff about potential solutions. "We think that it's particularly important that there be opportunities for public art in public places in the Funk Zone," he…