The Santa Barbara Planning Commission unanimously voted to rezone a vacant plot of land off East Cabrillo Boulevard to allow for a 22-unit residential community.
The Planning Commission voted to change the zoning of the site at 1 Hot Springs Way from parks/open space to medium density residential. The housing will be complemented by new commercial developments in other long vacant areas nearby, such as The Post’s restaurants and the nearby Highway 101 project.
“The idea was to take a privately owned site that has sat vacant for decades and create a thoughtfully redesigned residential community that feels appropriate for this unique location,” said Brian Holland, a developer behind the project.
Seven two- and three-story townhouses will comprise the 22 units, two of which will be low-income. The Planning Commission commended the developer for their commitment to low-income units. The unit mix will be made up of five studios, five two-bedrooms, and 12 three-bedrooms.
The buildings will reach 45 feet high, and be accompanied by 50 parking spaces.
Due to its current zoning, the site was not included in the housing element for areas suitable for potential housing. By rezoning the site to medium density residential, developers can now build multi-unit residences.
“This is an unusually good opportunity to add housing to Santa Barbara without displacing a single existing resident or destroying any existing homes,” Holland said.
Across Channel Drive from the project site sits the Santa Barbara Cemetery. The cemetery owns the land making up the parcel, with the exception of a historic Charles Caldwell Fountain, which is owned by the City.
Since The Cemetery leases the land to the developers, the project would provide economic support to the cemetery. Due to it having a finite amount of grave plots, the cemetery has been in need of options for long-term income to maintain its grounds and programs, according to board member Rick Hoffman.
“We need to maintain our economic stability,” Hoffman said. “This is a good way to generate long term income for us. We back it one hundred percent.”
Initially, the developers submitted the project as Builder’s Remedy. This would have meant that the developers could have bypassed zoning regulations by supplying a certain amount of affordable units. Builder’s Remedy projects often see lots of community pushback, such as the apartment building proposed behind the Santa Barbara Mission.
To the commissioners’ relief, the developers took a different route while still retaining some non-required low-income units. To rezone the area, they filed for an amendment to the Local Coastal Program, which guides land use under the California Coastal Act.
All five commissioners present at the meeting voted to approve the amendment and rezone, sending the decision to the City Council. At that point, the Coastal Commission will make the amendments, and the project’s design review will begin.
