The Bungalow Haven Neighborhood Association evolved from a series of gatherings hosted by various residents in the area around the eastern end of Sola Street. A proposed development that would have replaced several bungalow-style homes on the 1400 block of Laguna Street prompted some members of the organization to become politically active in opposition. They were successful in their efforts to scale back the development and the organization’s name came to be well recognized around City Hall. Determined to prevent any similar developments, the group proposed that the core of the area be designated as a historic district, to be surrounded by a design district to act as a further buffer. At the same time, as the focus of the meetings became more politically focused and less social, attendance dwindled to a small core with an active interest in influencing city planning. Eventually, regular meetings stopped and the group’s website went dark in 2017. Some members participated in a Yahoo! Groups forum, but that content was lost when Yahoo! shut down the service in 2020. There is a group on meetup.com with very little activity. Announced meetings, in the form of potluck gatherings, have been occurring about once every two years, when the association leadership has something they wish to announce. Meeting agendas and minutes are not known to have been published. There has never been any effort by the association to determine if its political activities are supported by the residents who do not attend meetings.
The Lower Riviera Special Design District was designated by City Council on October 20, 2004. This led to the publication of the Lower Riviera Special Design District Design Guidelines, which were adopted on December 19, 2006. The guidelines specifically acknowledge that the BHNA assisted in drafting the guidelines. The historic district has been proposed, but never adopted by the city.
“Beginning in 2021, the City of Santa Barbara’s Planning Division, under the guidance of the City Architectural Historian, collaborated with the Bungalow Haven Neighborhood Association to prepare this nomination.” (Nomination, Survey Methodology, p.8)
In September 2023, a neighborhood potluck party nominally hosted by the Bungalow Haven Neighborhood Association, it was announced that efforts were being made to nominate part of the Bungalow Haven Special Design District as a National Historic District. Invitation to the potluck was by flyers left at the entrance to some homes in the district. Non-resident owners would have been unaware of the event. Santa Barbara City Historian Nicole Hernandez was present at this event and made a presentation about the nomination and provided a handout describing the process and benefits. Since then, no further organized effort was made to inform property owners of the status of the proposal.
In April 2024 a nomination to the National Register of Historic Places was submitted to the California Office of Historic Preservation by the Bungalow Haven Association, with city staff participation, without any consultation of property owners within the boundaries of the zone to be created.
On November 27, 2024 the State Office of Historic Preservation mailed a notice that the nomination would be considered for approval and forwarding to the National Register of Historic Places at their February 7, 2025 meeting. The letter included a cover letter, the meeting notice, a map of the proposed distinct, and direction for how to support or object to the listing. All property owners within the proposed Bungalow district should have received this letter, however many of them have not.