Planning Commission - County of Santa Barbara - 10/28/26

The Santa Barbara County Planning Commission meeting on October 28, 2026, focused on land-use and housing matters rather than procurement; no contracts, bids, vendor selections, or purchasing decisions were identified. Commissioners recommended amendments to streamline permitting, including changes to design review and permit pathways, mailed notice for certain projects, retention of development-plan review in the service commercial zone, and specific treatment of projects in coastal Montecito. The commission also recommended changes to make certain subdivisions associated with qualifying affordable-housing projects ministerial, alongside limited ministerial lot-line adjustments. These actions concern local ordinance and permitting rules and were forwarded for Board of Supervisors consideration.

The commission approved the 15-unit Sabado Tarde mixed-income rental housing project in Isla Vista by a 5–0 vote; discussion covered its car-free transportation plan, bicycle facilities, and parking concerns. It also approved the Grand Hotel expansion in Los Olivos, from 19 to 36 rooms, with 50 parking spaces authorized against a code requirement of 57, supported by a parking analysis and shared-parking arrangement; the project includes an advanced wastewater system. Staff reported that since the 2023 housing-element adoption the county has approved 3,249 housing units, including 978 affordable to very-low- and low-income households. No procurement activity or spending allocation was identified.