Board deems Richards Ranch builder's‑remedy application complete, restarting 60‑day consistency review

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors on April 8 upheld an appeal and determined that the Richards Ranch builders‑remedy application is complete, restarting the county’s statutory 60‑day consistency review period.

The action was taken after hours of testimony in which county planners said the latest submittal remained incomplete for two technical reasons — detailed floor plans and outstanding public‑works (transportation/roadway) items — while the applicant and its attorneys argued the county’s completeness deadline under the Permit Streamlining Act (and related state housing laws) had been missed and that Housing Accountability Act protections applied. The applicant also submitted a late technical letter from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) that the applicant said supported its position.

Why it matters: The Richards Ranch site in the Orcutt/Orchid area is the subject of a builders‑remedy application under state housing law. A formal finding that an SB 330 application is complete starts tight state timelines for county review and can preserve a project’s vesting and state protections against certain local subjective…