Santa Barbara Architectural Board of Review

Santa Barbara Architectural Board of Review
Name	Santa Barbara Architectural Board of Review
Type	Design review board
Jurisdiction	Santa Barbara County, California
Headquarters	Santa Barbara, California
Formed	1920s
Parent agency	City of Santa Barbara (California)

Santa Barbara Architectural Board of Review is a municipal design review body in Santa Barbara, California responsible for evaluating architectural proposals, streetscape projects, and alterations within designated districts. It interfaces with municipal entities such as the Planning Commission (Santa Barbara), Historic Landmarks Commission (Santa Barbara), and the City Council (Santa Barbara) while engaging developers, property owners, and preservation advocates. The board’s decisions influence projects near landmark sites like the Santa Barbara County Courthouse, Stearns Wharf, and the Old Mission Santa Barbara.

History

The board traces its roots to early 20th-century initiatives in Santa Barbara, California to standardize visual character after the 1925 Santa Barbara earthquake, a catalyst also tied to recovery work at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse and reconstruction efforts near State Street (Santa Barbara). Influences included national movements exemplified by decisions in Pasadena, California and design debates concurrent with the work of architects such as George Washington Smith, Bertram Goodhue, and Reginald D. Johnson. Over decades the board’s remit evolved alongside the passage of local measures and zoning ordinances enacted by the City Council (Santa Barbara), and its practices reflected precedents from the National Register of Historic Places listings, the creation of the Santa Barbara Mission Archive and Museum, and preservation campaigns led by groups like the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation. Landmark moments involved coordination with state-level bodies such as the California Office of Historic Preservation and responses to events like redevelopment initiatives paralleling the broader trends seen in Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco.

Composition and Appointment

Members are appointed by the City Council (Santa Barbara) from nominations often informed by professional organizations including the American Institute of Architects, the California Preservation Foundation, and local chapters such as the Central Coast Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Typical composition has included licensed professionals with experience connected to firms like Pardee Construction, practitioners who have worked on projects near the Funk Zone (Santa Barbara), and representatives with affiliations to institutions such as the University of California, Santa Barbara and the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. Appointment procedures reflect municipal charter provisions comparable to those used by boards in San Francisco Board of Supervisors appointments and often require public hearings before confirmation by the City Council (Santa Barbara). Membership criteria historically paralleled standards upheld by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and incorporated input from boards modeled after the Landmarks Preservation Commission (New York City).

Responsibilities and Review Process

The board conducts design review for proposals affecting historic districts like the Presidio Neighborhood (Santa Barbara) and commercial corridors such as State Street (Santa Barbara), and it advises permitting decisions overseen by the Community Development Department (Santa Barbara). Applications typically include schematic designs, elevations, and landscape plans prepared by firms that have worked in contexts similar to projects by Pritzker Prize–associated practices or regional studios engaged with the California Coastal Commission standards. Review meetings are public and occur under procedures analogous to those used by the Planning Commission (Santa Barbara), with staff reports produced by city planners and environmental analyses informed by the California Environmental Quality Act processes. The board issues rulings ranging from approval, conditional approval, to recommendations requiring modification, coordinating with the Historic Landmarks Commission (Santa Barbara) when matters implicate designated landmarks such as El Presidio de Santa Bárbara State Historic Park.

Design Guidelines and Criteria

Guidelines emphasize compatibility with the city’s Spanish Colonial Revival precedent championed by architects like George Washington Smith and Bertram Goodhue, and with built examples including the Santa Barbara County Courthouse and the Old Mission Santa Barbara. Criteria cover massing, materials, rooflines, fenestration, signage, and landscape treatments, reflecting concerns similar to standards from the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties and guidance from the California Office of Historic Preservation. The board evaluates proposals for their relationship to context in districts such as the Funk Zone (Santa Barbara), the Upper State Street Historic District, and resources near the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, considering inputs from consultants with expertise in seismic retrofit practices that reference codes like the California Building Standards Code and sustainable measures aligned with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program.

Notable Decisions and Controversies

Controversial hearings have involved projects adjacent to the Santa Barbara County Courthouse, redevelopment proposals along Stearns Wharf, and adaptive reuse plans in the Funk Zone (Santa Barbara), drawing media coverage from outlets like the Santa Barbara Independent and debates involving stakeholders such as the Santa Barbara Downtown Organization. Notable decisions included high-profile modifications to proposals by firms with portfolios akin to those of regionally prominent architects, contested storefront changes affecting historic façades, and disputes over height and density reminiscent of conflicts seen in Pasadena, California and San Luis Obispo County. Legal appeals have involved coordination with the Santa Barbara County Superior Court and scrutiny under statutes comparable to the California Environmental Quality Act; advocacy groups including the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation and business coalitions have alternately supported and opposed board outcomes, prompting policy revisions by the City Council (Santa Barbara).

Impact on Urban Planning and Preservation

The board has shaped the visual coherence of districts such as State Street (Santa Barbara), the Cabrillo Boulevard corridor, and neighborhoods around the Mission Creek (Santa Barbara) watershed, influencing projects by developers and architects engaged with entities like Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary-adjacent planners. Its review framework has contributed to preservation outcomes that intersect with tourism at sites like the Santa Barbara Harbor and cultural programming at institutions including the Santa Barbara Museum of Art and the Old Spanish Days Fiesta. Urban design outcomes echo practices from preservation-minded municipalities such as Santa Fe, New Mexico and Charleston, South Carolina, balancing historic conservation with contemporary development pressures acted upon by market participants from regional real estate groups and investment entities operating in Santa Barbara County, California. The board’s precedent-driven decisions inform amendments to local ordinances administered by the Community Development Department (Santa Barbara) and have been referenced in policy discussions at forums convened by the League of California Cities.

Category:Santa Barbara, California Category:Historic preservation in California