Santa Barbara council denies appeal, upholds ABR approval for 90-unit Milpas/Gutierrez project

Santa Barbara — The City Council denied an appeal on Aug. 12 and upheld the Architectural Board of Review’s project-design approval for a proposed mixed‑use development at 418 North Milpas Street and 915–923 East Gutierrez Street, concluding there was not sufficient evidence of a specific, unmitigable public‑health or safety impact that would require denying the project.

Kathy Kennedy, the city project planner, told the council the proposal consists of 90 residential units and 850 square feet of commercial space and that the project qualifies for state density bonus concessions and a CEQA infill exemption. “There’s no evidence that the proposed project would have a specific adverse impact upon the public health or safety,” Kennedy said in the staff presentation.

The council vote to deny the appeal — a motion to adopt staff recommendations and uphold ABR’s April 14, 2025, project‑design approval — passed 4–3. The motion was moved by Councilmember Jordan and seconded by Councilmember Harmon; the minutes record that Councilmembers Santa Maria, Sneddon and Gutierrez voted against the motion. Councilmembers who voted in favor directed staff to return with a resolution and the required findings reflecting the council’s action.

Why it mattered

The appeal drew sustained public comment and a lengthy hearing because the project would add substantial housing capacity within the Milpas Corridor — a long‑debated area for higher density in Santa Barbara — and because neighbors said the building’s height, mass and density are incompatible with the surrounding single‑story and low‑rise homes.

Appellant Natasha Todorovic argued the project is “the wrong project in the wrong place,” contending it fails to meet local compatibility rules and that state law should not nullify the city charter and local design standards. “We are not anti‑housing,” Todorovic told the council. “We know that there's a desperate need for housing in Santa Barbara. But this is the wrong project in the wrong place being pushed through in the wrong way.”

The applicant and its attorneys said the proposal meets state and local rules that apply to housing projects, that it provides deed‑restricted affordable units,…