Zoning Vote to Allow Housing in empty spaces delayed to Carve Out Commercial Business District
Tracy Lehr
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – The Santa Barbara City Council heard staff recommendations about adaptive reuse.
The issue has to do with a housing amendment to municipal codes that would incentivize adaptive reuse projects without delay.
Santa Barbara City Council Members questioned the inclusionary requirements of 10 percent for workforce priced units.
Councilmembers voted 5-2 on a motion to send the ordinance back to staff to reduce the strings on Commercial Business District on the State Street corridor by carving it out of the main ordinance.
Wendy Santamaria and Kristen Sneddon voted no.
They both appeared ready to vote on the staff recommendation rather than sending it back for changes.
“I voted no today for moving forward without inclusionary housing and so that is ten percent inclusionary requirement for adaptive reuse but it would also in lieu fees that could charged if they were “not able to make that ten percent in the small space or configuration and then they could pay into our local trust fund,” said Sneddon.
A study about in lieu fees is in the works. She had hope to adjust the ordinance once the study is done.
She said the city has been working on this issue for 7 years.
“There is really the potential that entire floors to be penthouses suites for sale and then I would hate to miss out on that ten percent inclusionary what those in lieu fees could mean for our local housing trust fund.”
Staff also recommended reconsidering a 1200 square foot average maximum.
The adoption is intended to pave the way to building above retail and office space and in place of vacant space.
Public speakers had a chance to share their thoughts before the city council voted on whether to amend the municipal code pertaining to adaptive reuse projects.
The change citywide would have added an inclusionary requirement for decades to come.
One speaker said there is a lack of three bedroom units and thought the wording of the ordinance would hinder developers.
Ben Romo, who represents the Yardi developers, urged the city to remove the 10 percent below market or inclusionary unit requirements.
Romo was not alone.
Other critics said renovation are expensive and financial barriers to seeing a return on investments could drive developers away.
But other speakers and a couple of councilmembers said they support the ordinance and the conversion of non-residential units to housing to increase workforce housing downtown.
Many speakers said they prefer helping residents rather than weekenders.
Downtown Santa Barbara Improvement Association Executive Director Robin Elander spoke on behalf of the Housing Task Force.
They urge the council to exempt inclusionary housing requirements within the CBD for adaptive reuse, remove average unit size caps and allow additional floor outside existing shells.
Developers would rather not have average unit size caps.
The recommended staff proposal as is waves some reviews and current zoning requirements.
It does not require the current maximum density, setbacks or parking requirements.
Mayor Rowse said after tabling the adoption that he favor requiring parking space.
The city will await the staff’s changes before moving forward.
They are also waiting results of a study about in leui fees that allow developers to pay a fee per square foot if they don’t meet inclusionary housing requirements.
Councilmember Meagan Harmon considered it a victory. She wants to vote on something that won’t need changes down the road.
“I think there is a lot of celebrate out of today’s hearing adaptive reuse is about taking existing spaces and facilitating their development for housing. We all know that is wildly expensive to do in the downtown and there is a lot about bringing folks to live downtown that would be really benefitial for economic revitalization,” said Harman.
She added that it is about taking away hurdles.
“So, today we took a step to make it easier, simpler more cost effective to do that in the downtown core and citywide to do that in existing spaces while maintaining a component of affordability,” Harmon.
She said she believes they are closer to paving the way to revitalize downtown.
For more information from the city visit https://SantaBararaCa.gov
Your News Channel will have more on this vote tonight on the news.
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