Santa Barbara County Planning and Development

Santa Barbara County Planning and Development
Name	Santa Barbara County Planning and Development
Formation	20th century
Jurisdiction	Santa Barbara County, California
Headquarters	Santa Barbara, California
Parent agency	County of Santa Barbara
Website	(official site)

Santa Barbara County Planning and Development is the county agency responsible for land use, coastal management, building permits, zoning administration, and environmental review within Santa Barbara County, California. It coordinates with state agencies and regional entities to implement regulations and project reviews affecting urban areas, coastal zones, agricultural lands, and unincorporated communities. The department works with elected officials, stakeholders, and technical experts to balance development, preservation, hazard mitigation, and public services across jurisdictions.

History

The office evolved from early 20th-century county planning practices influenced by California Coastal Commission, County of Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, Bureau of Land Management, and regional planning efforts tied to Santa Barbara City College expansions and University of California, Santa Barbara growth. Postwar housing demand, exemplified by projects in Goleta and Carpinteria, prompted formal zoning and subdivision regulations during the administrations of supervisors such as William R. Duffy and Joni Gray (local historical figures). Environmental milestones, including the passage of the California Environmental Quality Act and actions by the Sierra Club and Trust for Public Land, shaped early environmental review functions. Coastal regulation intensified after the creation of the California Coastal Act and the establishment of coastal permit coordination with the California Coastal Commission and inland programs tied to the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians land issues. Natural disaster responses following events like the 2005 La Conchita landslide and the 2017 Thomas Fire led to stronger hazard planning, building code updates, and interagency coordination with Federal Emergency Management Agency and California Office of Emergency Services.

Organizational Structure

The department reports to the County of Santa Barbara and the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors and interfaces with the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, Santa Barbara County Public Works Department, and Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District. Divisions typically include Planning and Zoning, Building and Safety, Code Enforcement, Current Planning, Long Range Planning, and Permit Services; these divisions collaborate with offices such as the Assessor's Office, Treasurer-Tax Collector, and County Counsel. Staffing includes professional planners, licensed engineers, certified building inspectors, environmental analysts, and clerical support who liaise with external bodies like the California State Water Resources Control Board, Regional Water Quality Control Board (Central Coast), California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and National Marine Fisheries Service. Advisory boards and commissions such as the Planning Commission (Santa Barbara County) and local community planning advisory committees (CPACs) provide policy guidance and public review consistent with the Brown Act and county ordinances.

Planning Policies and Regulations

Policy frameworks are shaped by the Santa Barbara County General Plan, local area plans for communities such as Isla Vista, Old Orcutt, and Mission Canyon, and overlay zones including the Coastal Zone and multiple hazard zones mapped with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Zoning codes regulate land use types (residential, commercial, agricultural) and are amended under processes that reference laws like the California Coastal Act, Subdivisions Map Act, and California Government Code provisions. Conservation strategies draw on collaboration with organizations such as The Nature Conservancy, Monarch Butterfly Natural History Association, and Land Trust for Santa Barbara County. Design review, historic resource protection, and cultural resource coordination involve California Office of Historic Preservation and local registers including landmarks listed by the Santa Barbara Historical Museum and historic districts recognized alongside Mission Santa Barbara environs.

Key Programs and Services

Key services include permit issuance for building and grading, long-range land use planning, coastal development permit coordination, and administration of zoning permits and variances; these services support residential projects, commercial developments near Highway 101, agricultural structures in the Santa Ynez Valley, and renewable energy installations with partners like Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas and Electric Company. Programs addressing affordable housing coordinate with California Department of Housing and Community Development, Housing Authority of the County of Santa Barbara, and nonprofit developers such as People's Self-Help Housing. Natural resources and open-space programs partner with Santa Barbara County Parks, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the California Coastal Conservancy for habitat conservation and public access projects.

Major Projects and Initiatives

The department has overseen major initiatives including comprehensive General Plan updates, coastal resilience planning in response to sea-level rise studies by Scripps Institution of Oceanography, wildfire risk reduction projects after the Thomas Fire, and infrastructure upgrades near Santa Maria and Santa Barbara Airport. Large developments and public-private partnerships have involved entities such as Amtrak stations planning, transportation corridor work with the California Department of Transportation, and housing projects funded through California Tax Credit Allocation Committee mechanisms. Environmental remediation and brownfield redevelopment have required coordination with the Environmental Protection Agency and California Department of Toxic Substances Control.

Environmental Review and CEQA Compliance

Environmental review processes implement procedures under the California Environmental Quality Act and coordinate with state agencies like the California Air Resources Board and regional bodies like the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments for cumulative impact analyses. The department prepares and circulates Initial Studies, Negative Declarations, Mitigated Negative Declarations, and Environmental Impact Reports, engaging specialists from institutions such as US Geological Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and academic partners at University of California, Santa Barbara for technical studies. Mitigation monitoring often involves conservation easements with groups such as the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County and enforcement actions may involve consultation with the California Attorney General on precedent-setting CEQA litigation.

Community Engagement and Permit Processes

Public engagement utilizes hearings before the Planning Commission (Santa Barbara County), public workshops in community hubs like the Santa Barbara County Courthouse, and collaboration with neighborhood organizations including Isla Vista Community Services District and chambers of commerce in Lompoc and Solvang. Permit application workflows integrate online services and in-person counter services coordinated with the County Clerk-Recorder, while contested permits and appeals proceed under county ordinance procedures and may be reviewed by the California Coastal Commission or litigated in Santa Barbara County Superior Court. Outreach often includes partnerships with educational institutions such as Santa Barbara City College and UCSB Extension to provide public information on planning, hazard mitigation, and development standards.

Category:Santa Barbara County, California