Planning commission continues appeal of 1269 Ferrero Road redevelopment after neighbor challenges floor-area calculations

The Santa Barbara City Planning Commission continued, to Jan. 16, 2025, an appeal by neighbor Rose Wills of the Single Family Design Board’s (SFDB) final approval of plans for a three‑story, single‑family residence at 1269 Ferrero Road. The commission directed staff to return with floor-area calculations comparing two technical assumptions after several members of the public and appellants questioned the calculation method used to determine the project’s floor‑area ratio (FAR).

At issue is whether plans that received Project Design Approval (PDA) in January 2023 are in "substantial conformance" with the final approval plans now before the commission. Staff (case planner Sebastian Herrick and design-review supervisor Ellen Kokinda) told commissioners the project as proposed in October 2024 showed a net reduction in gross floor area even though the amount of conditioned (habitable) basement area increased; staff reported the project’s FAR was calculated at approximately 84 percent of the allowed maximum and therefore did not require a land‑use modification.

Appellant Derek Booth, a neighboring civil engineer who spoke for a group of adjacent property owners, challenged staff’s and the applicant’s approach to measuring the basement perimeter. Booth argued that a foundation element shown on the January 2023 PDA drawings was incorrectly treated as an exterior perimeter wall that enclosed basement floor area; that, he said, allowed the applicant to claim a 50-percent reduction under the…