Planning commission gives conceptual support to Semler family lot split on West Mountain Drive, requests technical reviews

Associate Planner Pilar Plummer of the City of Santa Barbara presented a voluntary concept review on Aug. 14 for a proposed subdivision of 996 and 1000 West Mountain Drive, saying “there's no discretionary action today, and there's no appealable decision.”

The proposal from the Semler family would split two existing lots into four parcels, remove two recorded accessory development envelopes on Lot 9, create two new residential envelopes on proposed Lots B and D, and address an enforcement case for as‑built grading on Lot 9. The applicant team said the two properties total about 34 acres and that the subdivision would produce parcels ranging from roughly 3 acres to about 15.5 acres.

Why it matters: commissioners signaled general support for the concept but asked staff and the applicant to return with more detailed studies because the site sits in an extreme high fire hazard area and is traversed by Sycamore Creek. Commissioners also flagged a 1992 map condition that said “no further subdivision” and asked the city attorney and staff to analyze how that condition would be…