RECONSTRUCTION OF SANTA BARBARA

Hokitika Guardian, 29 October 1931, Page 8

RECONSTRUCTION OF SANTA BARBARA

Interesting information on the reconstruction of Santa. Barbara, California, destroyed by earthquake in 1925, is contained in a letter received by the Chief Commissioner for Napier, Mr J. S. Barj ton, from Mr J. W. Mawson, director of town, planning in New Zealand, who is at present on a- visit to the United States (says a H wkes Bay exchange). Mr Maws oo, wrote that apart from the aesthetic aspect he learned very little of value to Hawke’s Bay. The new city, said Mr Mawson, is beautiful in the extreme. “Almost without exception the Spanish Mission style of architecture has been followed and Nature allowed full play in the form of street planting and green sward. Nowhere i:n Santa Barbara cam you find a fence or a swall on the street line, and as the gardens are well tended, the general impression is of houses set in a park. Financially the public authorities played no. part the rehabilitati&n of the town. Property owners seem to have had very 7 little difficulty ini raising such additional loans on mortgage as they required through building societies and financial houses, and the enhanced value of land since the earthquake lias provided ample security. On the other hand property values are still at a low level compared with Napier. With a population of 40,000, for instance, the highest price, paid for business frontages so far is, less than a £IOO per foot frontage. Building costs and the whole price level of commodities are substantially lower than in New Zealand.”