Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Santa Barbara committee weighs strict short‑term rental rules amid split public testimony; hearing continued
Summary
City staff presented a draft short‑term rental ordinance that would restrict coastal and inland STR uses, impose parking and inspection requirements, require platform disclosure (citing SB 346), and limit who may hold licenses. Dozens of residents, operators and business groups gave strongly opposed views; the committee continued the matter to a future meeting.
City staff outlined a proposed short‑term rental ordinance on Tuesday that would create licensing areas, set on‑site parking and inspection standards, limit eligibility for licenses and require platforms to display city permits — and then spent more than an hour fielding sharply divided public comment.
The committee hearing, led by President Gutiérrez, focused on two parallel code changes: amendments to the inland zoning code (Title 30) and the coastal zoning code (Title 28). Staff said the draft aims to provide “a simple, reliable permitting process” and enforcement tools to address neighborhood nuisance and compatibility concerns while allowing limited shared‑housing options and a defined coastal license area.
Staff planner Loy told the committee the ordinance would generally require two on‑site parking spaces (three for very large units), a…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
