Ordinance committee forwards single-family streamlining amendments to Santa Barbara City Council

The Santa Barbara Ordinance Committee on March 17 unanimously voted to recommend that city council consider a package of ordinance and zoning amendments intended to streamline review of single-family projects.

Ted Hamilton, the city's design review supervisor, told the committee the changes were developed over three years with input from the Single Family Design Board (SFDB), the planning commission and community stakeholders and that staff is requesting the committee forward the amendments to the council for adoption. "We're here on the planning commission's recommendation for you to consider the ordinance amendments associated with the single family streamlining project," Hamilton said.

The package would exempt certain exterior alterations from SFDB design review if they add no new floor area and visually match existing development; it would also expand administrative approvals for minor projects, increase mailed-notice thresholds, and consolidate multiple review steps in some cases. Staff said administrative approval eligibility would be expanded in some cases up to…