A new electric car dealership is on its way to a Santa Barbara Airport property near Goleta, though it could reignite tension between the two cities.
Rivian, an all-electric car manufacturer, proposed a 33,445-square-foot building at 6210-6290 Hollister Avenue. The project is in the planning stages, and the Architectural Board of Review provided feedback on the proposal on June 22.
“I don’t think we have a facility that has this level of street-front presence,” said Lucas Dobbins, senior real estate lead for Rivian, at the board meeting. “We’re really trying to lean into that experience here to create that experience for folks walking up.”
Rivian offers five-passenger pickup trucks starting at $69,900, and trucks with four independent electric motors can cost up to about $119,990. Its seven-passenger SUV model ranges from $75,900 and $125,990 for the quad motor vehicle.
The 36-foot tall building—which would be Rivian’s first location on the Central Coast—includes a 3,442-square foot covered canopy and 149 parking spaces, according to architectural drawings.
The car dealership would offer a service bay, an outdoor plaza and a showroom. It would also include a wash bay, lounge, service office and conference room.
“We are incredibly excited to have the opportunity to become a part of the vibrant Santa Barbara community,” a Rivian spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
The proposal requires the Architectural Board of Review’s design and final approval.
The development also coincides with Santa Barbara County’s goal to ramp up its capacity for electric vehicles. The county adopted the Zero Emission Vehicle Plan in 2023, which includes goals to build more infrastructure for zero-emission vehicles.
Santa Barbara and Goleta city conflict
The Hollister Avenue property has been the site of contention between the cities of Santa Barbara and Goleta over the past decade, with a large car dealership featuring Chrysler and Infiniti set to occupy the space in 2018.
The Santa Barbara City Council approved the proposal that same year, but the facility was never developed.
Then-City Manager of Goleta Michelle Greene appealed the council’s decision in 2018, arguing that Santa Barbara did not abide by the California Environmental Quality Act, which requires agencies disclose projects’ potential environmental impacts. The council unanimously rejected the appeal.
Goleta City Councilman James Kyriaco raised similar concerns. He said Rivian’s proposal could increase South Coast residents’ access to electric vehicles.
But the city of Santa Barbara would reap most of the economic benefits from the development—not the residents of Goleta, Kyriaco said. Because the sales that occur on the property fall within Santa Barbara’s jurisdiction, the city would receive the local share of the sales tax revenue.
Meanwhile, Goleta would have to deal with increased traffic and road maintenance issues that the Rivian car dealership could bring, Kyriaco said.
“In a perfect world, there would be some kind of a mechanism for the city to be able to recoup any potential costs that we would incur from this change in land use,” he said.
The Rivian dealership also comes as the Santa Barbara Airport Commission explores the potential development of a Costco Wholesale Corporation gas station at the business park north of Hollister Avenue. Both developments could worsen traffic in the area, Kyriaco said.
The airport commission in March approved an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement with Costco, giving the company 12 months to study the site. Under the agreement, the airport cannot lease the property to other parties.
“It’s important to look at both concepts at the same time,” Kyriaco said. “There’s going to be cumulative impacts associated with those two proposals.”
Kyriaco said he wants Santa Barbara to consider the “potentially detrimental” impacts of both the Rivian car dealership and Costco gas station proposal on Goleta residents.
“I want to make sure that there is a collaborative and collegial process between the city of Goleta and the city of Santa Barbara as soon and as early in the process as possible,” he said.
