Neighbors say continuance for 1269 Farella Road was canceled; request hearing and ask city to hold permits

Residents and neighbors of the Lower Riviera neighborhood urged the Santa Barbara Planning Commission on Jan. 16 to set a hearing on an appeal for 1269 Farella Road and asked the city not to issue building permits while the matter is unresolved.

Rose Wills said participants in the Dec. 19 appeal hearing had agreed to continue the matter to Jan. 16, but that on Jan. 13 an Assistant City Attorney determined the city had missed a deadline under the Permit Streamlining Act and canceled the continuance without consulting the commission or the appellants. Wills said the cancellation denied her and neighbors due process and undermined public trust.

"We were unfairly deprived of a hearing on our appeal," Wills said. She asked the commission to set the matter for hearing and requested that the city not issue building permits for the project until the procedural questions are resolved.

Bill Dillon, representing Rose Wills and Mike Marzola, submitted a multi‑page letter arguing the city did not violate the Permit Streamlining Act and urging the commission to set the appeal for hearing. Dillon told the commission the prior Permit Decision Approval (PDA) and subsequent procedures should be treated as distinct steps and that timely notice could have allowed the commission to take final action in December.

Several neighbors described broader concerns about precedent in the Lower Riviera if the project at 1269 Farella Road proceeds, saying a third‑story addition would set a standard for future developments and erode privacy. Derek Booth said approval of the project would signal "open season" on the neighborhood and urged the commission to consider long‑term precedent effects.

Commenters questioned the city review process and said builders could repeatedly submit incomplete or erroneous information yet still proceed. C. Neuhauser said the repeated resubmissions without meaningful enforcement created a de facto precedent.

Speakers cited the Brown Act during remarks about council responsibilities; Bill Dillon referenced Brown Act section "5495.23" in arguing the commission has authority to set hearings and direct staff (as stated in the public comment). The record also shows the commission later noted, as part of its administrative agenda, that the 1269 Farella Road item was cancelled pursuant to the Permit Streamlining Act and was deemed approved by the Single Family Design Board on Oct. 21, 2024.

Commissioners closed general public comment and said they would defer to the city attorney's office on legal questions about continuances and statutory deadlines. The appellants requested that the planning commission schedule a hearing to address outstanding conditions before any building permits are issued.