Board grants project design approval for new residence and ADU at 617 Bradbury Avenue

The Santa Barbara Architectural Board of Review voted Jan. 21 to grant project design approval for a proposal at 617 Bradbury Avenue to demolish a small existing residence and construct a new 1,351-square-foot home with basement and attached single-car garage, plus a 683-square-foot detached accessory dwelling unit. The site is within the proposed Lower De La Vena Historic District, and the board reviewed compatibility with adjacent historic resources.

Architect Jeff Shelton presented the project and materials board; the design team revised the ADU roof and plate heights to satisfy planning requirements and refined a concrete skirt base to read vertically so it better matches the neighborhood’s rhythm. The team described a simplified landscape palette emphasizing succulents and a tree plan intended to be compatible with nearby street trees. The board’s prior concept-review comments — reconsidering an exposed concrete base and providing a full landscape plan and materials delineation — were addressed in the revised submittal.

Board members complimented the project’s approach to the Lower De La Vena character, the material choices and the landscape proposal. Several members said the project is ready for project design approval. A motion to grant project design approval and the compatibility findings carried on a unanimous roll-call vote.

Why it matters: The site is in a proposed historic district where new construction must be demonstrated compatible with surrounding historic resources; the approval allows the applicant to proceed toward plan check and permitting.

Next steps: The applicant will return as needed for later reviews and proceed to plan check; staff noted an action deadline tied to permit-streamlining requirements.