Re: Restoration Hardware/Big Box Issue

The Montecito Association is considering recommending to the County a ban on “big box,” “formula” retailers in Montecito. I oppose such a ban.

My wife and I have lived in Montecito since 1978. We are members of the Montecito Association. We have been active in the community over the years. Recently I was a promoter of and am a current board member of the Community Benefit Improvement District. I believe that makes me somewhat knowledgeable about Montecito’s history and progress. 

While I appreciate the gauzy vision of a semi-rural Montecito by those opposing “big box” retailers, I don’t believe that we need to be protected from “big box formula businesses” such as Restoration Hardware. Just the opposite: what we need to be protected from is the interference from those who think they know what’s best for the rest of us. 

For the record, I have no relationship with Restoration Hardware, nor do I particularly like their interior design concepts. But I don’t see that they present any “threat” to us.

First of all, the threat of “big box” retailers ruining Montecito is laughable straw-manning. The smearing of Restoration Hardware as a “big box” retailer is simply not even close to the reality of retailing in the Old Firehouse. 

A “big box” retailer is Walmart, Costco, Macy’s, Target, or Home Depot. There is literally no physical room for them in Montecito nor would they want to come here to our wealthy little village. This accusation is designed to arouse one’s ire, but it is not based in reality.

The second smear is that they are a “formula retailer.” What they are saying is that we locals need to be protected from successful retailers with multiple stores and should be denied their services here in Montecito. 

What’s wrong with “formula” retailing? We have Honor Bar, CVS, Starbucks, Johnny Was, Marcus, and James Perse here. I don’t hear anyone complaining about them.

What’s wrong with “formula” retailing? We have Honor Bar, CVS, Starbucks, Johnny Was, Marcus, and James Perse here. I don’t hear anyone complaining about them. We all know there is plenty of room here for local entrepreneurial retailers. Our Coast Village Road property has five successful retail stores owned by “locals.” Let us, the consumers, decide who will survive and who will fail by voting with our pocketbooks. Such an ordinance would deprive us of our ability to choose. 

Who is to decide which business is a “formula” retailer? This is a can of worms. Would they let in James Perse because they have 44 stores? They will soon have three outlets in Montecito. Johnny Was has 74 stores. They are definitely a formula retailer. Should they be booted out? Should we keep out future formula retailers and protect James Perse and Johnny Was from competition? Perhaps the advocates of such an ordinance can appreciate the absurdity of the concept.

This kind of meddling into the marketplace is what kills thriving communities. The City of Santa Barbara has already done a good job of killing State Street with their constant meddling into what they think it should be versus what consumers want it to be.

We need not make that mistake here in Montecito. 

Jeff Harding,
Montecito