Santa Barbara City to Streamline Building Permit Process

Santa Barbara policymakers are working toward creating a streamlined objective design review for developers if the proposed project meets preapproved standards for architectural styles and zoning density.

The new program, called the Objective Design and Development Standards — which city staff have taken to calling the “ODDS” — is part of the city’s plan to make building in Santa Barbara more predictable and quicker for developers, while also ensuring that new projects fit within the already existing aesthetic that has defined the city.

City Planner Rosie Dyste went over the latest 200-page draft of the ODDS for the Ordinance Committee on Tuesday, before sending it forward to the full City Council for approval, hopefully before the end of the year.

Dyste explained that the ODDS would “increase predictability” for developers. Currently, some projects are forced to return for multiple design reviews, costing time and money that can make new projects financially impossible.

The new design standards also comply with recent state law, which prohibit cities from enforcing subjective review on housing that meets certain minimum standards. The city would still maintain its current subjective review pathway for all other projects.

ODDS would only be available for properties located within five zones. The densest would be in the “downtown core,” with lower densities in the “downtown edge,” mixed-use corridor, and large and medium neighborhoods. Single-unit residential neighborhoods, parcels zoned for parks and recreation, mobile home parks, or for accessory dwelling units and additions to existing properties would not be eligible.

The preapproved architectural styles are Mediterranean, Craftsman, and Contemporary, with each including more specific options, such as Santa Barbara’s traditional Spanish Colonial Revival and Italian Mediterranean styles, cottage style, and industrial.

Within the historic El Pueblo Viejo landmark district — which already has a dedicated guideline for projects — the new standards would only allow for Mediterranean Style buildings. The Funk Zone and Haley corridor, which has a history of industrial and manufacturing, would be the only areas that Industrial design style would be permitted. 

These projects would still have to go to all applicable design boards, though design review and final approval would be folded into a single hearing, and the scope of the city’s findings would be limited.

The Ordinance Committee with have a more in-depth discussion at the December 3 meeting — giving a tight timeline for the city’s projected end-of-year approval.

“Let’s not delay past the next meeting,” said Councilmember Kristen Sneddon, a member of the Ordinance Committee.