Planning commission approves coastal permit for 2339 Edgewater Way after geotechnical review and neighborhood concerns

The City of Santa Barbara Planning Commission voted 4–1 to approve a coastal development permit for 2339 Edgewater Way on Thursday, allowing removal of remaining unpermitted fill and a follow‑on permit to retain emergency slope stabilization work while authorizing construction of a new residence with a detached garage and an ADU above it.

Barbara Buckhart, the city project planner, told the commission the application seeks three things: abatement of an enforcement case tied to earlier unpermitted retaining wall and fill, formalization of emergency coastal work installed after a 2023 landslide, and redevelopment of the site. Buckhart said the applicant submitted engineering geology and geotechnical reports that established a site‑specific coastal bluff edge development buffer of 38 feet; those reports were peer‑reviewed by the city’s contracted reviewer, Walt Crampton of NGO, who found the current project iteration consistent with applicable Coastal Act and local coastal plan policies.

The commission’s approval carried several edits to staff’s recommended conditions. Commissioners voted to remove prescriptive items A–J from condition C2 — technical, pre‑final submittal stormwater details…