A California developer trying to bring more housing to Goleta is seeing mixed success at the Design Review Board.
While the design board unanimously approved one City Ventures LLC residential community on June 23, it sent another back to the drawing board on Tuesday for its “cookie cutter” like design.
In the city of Goleta’s 2023-2031 Housing Element, both properties were identified as suitable for housing development. The first project, a 59-unit residential community proposed at 7360 Hollister Avenue, was listed as an “opportunity site” in the housing element. The second, unapproved project, which will convert a vacant motorcycle store into 46 units, was marked as an “underutilized site.”
This type of housing proposal is standard for City Ventures LLC, the developer of both projects, according to director of development Nick Patterson. City Ventures has led similar development in over 100 cities in California.
Several cities in California, including Santa Barbara, are experiencing housing shortages. In recent years, local governments have been pressured to rezone land to build housing for all income levels.
The land at 7360 Hollister Ave. was redesignated from community commercial purpose to residential. This redesignation will help the city reach its housing obligations.
After existing buildings on the land are demolished, the parcels will be consolidated into one site. The 13 new buildings will then take a “modern farmhouse” design, tied in with a community citrus garden and barbeque area.
“We really wanted to blend ourselves into the city of Goleta and with the history of Goleta,” said Nick Patterson, director of development at City Ventures, the developer of the project.
Right next door to the site sits the Elmwood Station Mobile Home Park. Several residents attended the June 23 meeting to share concerns mostly about privacy.
“The residents at Elwood are opposed to the development,” said Irene Russo, a resident of the mobile home park. “They are building five feet from my bedroom window.”
Residents also expressed concern over increased traffic congestion. However, members of the design board noted that this is the responsibility of the planning commission, which will see the project for its next round of approval.
Further into Goleta, a second City Ventures development saw much less support. It proposes 46 housing units at 5955 Calle Real – the previous site of Santa Barbara Motorsports. This residential community will have a similar “modern farmhouse” design as the first development.
About 44 of these units will be three-stories with attached two-car garages, and two additional “live-work” units. The parcel sits near Bowlero bowling alley and other businesses, zoned in a commercial area. Because of this zoning, the development must have a commercial component. The live-work units will fill this need, able to serve as office spaces.
Members of the design board commission were concerned about asphalt in the development with a lack of greenspace in the area, causing a heat island effect. The project includes a common area and dog park, which Patterson said can alleviate the effect. However, some commissioners found it troubling that the dog park was more spacious than the common area.
Further, commissioners seemed to be bored by the design, which felt “cookie-cutter” to Commissioner James van Order.
“You’re really missing an opportunity to bring something special to the area,” said Commissioner Tamesha Schumacher. “The facade or dynamic is not interesting in any way.”
The project will return to the Goleta Design Board on Aug. 11 with new findings.
