Santa Barbara staff say draft creek buffer ordinance needs more technical analysis after 120+ public comments

City of Santa Barbara staff updated the Creeks Restoration and Water Quality Improvement Citizen Advisory Committee on the draft creek buffer ordinance and the public response on Jan. 18, 2025.

The committee heard that staff received more than 100 public comment letters during the ordinance review and that roughly 64 letters opposed the draft, 18 supported it and 39 requested changes or clarifications; two public petitions were circulating with roughly 378 signatures opposing the draft and about 692 signatures supporting stronger buffers, staff said.

Melissa Hetrick, adaptation and resilience division manager, and Erin Markey, Creeks division manager, told the committee the draft would apply citywide to new development and substantial redevelopment and proposed buffer distances that mirror the Coastal Land Use Plan: 50 feet from the top of bank for major creeks, 35 feet for flood control project reaches and 15 feet for smaller creeks. Markey and Hetrick said Mission Creek is already codified with a 25-foot setback in the municipal code but…