Goleta planning staff to prioritize local coastal program, housing implementation and short-term rental rules

The City Council adopted the Planning and Environmental Review Department’s FY 2025–26 work program after Director Peter Imhoff and division managers described a list of priority projects, including completion of the local coastal program, continued housing element implementation, development of short-term vacation rental policies and work on a sphere-of-influence process with LAFCO.

Imhoff summarized the department’s organization—advanced planning, current planning, sustainability, affordable-housing implementation and administration—and said staff will focus significant effort on the local coastal program (a large, multi-year effort) and remaining housing element actions. He said the city had completed objective design standards work in the previous year but would also need to manage a wave of housing projects that may come forward now that water moratoriums have shifted and housing element rezones are in place.

On short-term vacation rentals, Imhoff said the department will bring a research and policy package to the Planning Commission on March 10, followed by a council report. The commission will review policy options including potential limits, spacing and permitting requirements. Advanced Planning Manager Anne Wells and others said the local code already contains numerically objective standards in several areas but that certain visual-resource policies in the general plan are currently subjective, prompting council discussion about whether to develop objective standards to make the policies effective during permit review.

Current Planning Manager Lisa Prossi outlined heavy workloads for permit processing, including the Sandpiper Golf Course EIR (consultant selection and notice of preparation completed), upcoming work on the Cy West EIR and an increased pipeline of housing projects. Sustainability Manager Dana Murray described recent adoption of EV and energy performance reach codes and the city’s progress on installing EV chargers at City Hall; she said next year will include an implementation focus and updating reach codes for the 2025 building-code cycle.

Council and staff also discussed airport noise work being led by the Santa Barbara Airport and its noise working group, and the department’s coordination with LAFCO on a sphere of influence change request. Following discussion, council adopted Planning’s annual work program on a roll-call vote: Smith — yes; Kyriaco — aye; Reyes Martin — aye; Mayor Pro Tempore Kasdan — aye; Mayor Perotti — aye.

Several council members asked staff to return with estimates or consultant-cost scopes for visual-resource objective standards if the council chooses to direct that work, noting any such work should avoid conflicting with state housing law or constraining housing-element sites.