Santa Barbara County's permit-streamlining amendments have now cleared both of the planning commissions that review them. The two commissions recommended different versions. The Montecito Planning Commission finished its recommendations on October 19 after a five-hour special hearing, according to the Montecito Journal. The County Planning Commission voted 4–0 on October 28 to recommend approval with revisions. On the most visible question, whether smaller new and remodeled homes keep architectural review, it went the other way.
None of it has been adopted. The Montecito Association says the Board of Supervisors will take up the recommendations, and the differences between the two commissions, on December 8. The coastal amendments would also need California Coastal Commission certification after the county approves them.
That leaves about four weeks for anyone buying in Montecito, or planning to build there, to understand what is changing. The fight is mostly about houses. What changes for owners is mostly about the neighbors.
The Exemption That Would Touch Very Few Houses
Under the current rules, the Montecito Board of Architectural Review, or MBAR, reviews the vast majority of development projects in Montecito, with limited exceptions. Most projects also need a land use permit inland or a coastal development permit in the Coastal Zone. Those permits set when a project can be appealed and when neighbors get notice, by mailed letter or a posted sign.
The county staff proposal would exempt new or remodeled single-story houses up to 2,500 square feet from design review, public notice and appeals inland, as long as they meet certain criteria. Alex Tuttle of Santa Barbara County Planning & Development told a packed Montecito Association meeting that the county had approved 15 homes of that size in the Montecito area over the past decade, many of them rebuilds of homes lost in the 2018 debris flows, Noozhawk reported.
So the headline exemption covers about one or two houses a year in a community known for far larger estates. Its effect on what gets built is small. Its effect on the process is larger. Montecito Association board member Laura Bode put the residents' worry in terms of ownership, telling Noozhawk the homes affected are "our major investment, our primary asset."
Tuttle described the amendments as part of a countywide effort to make permitting less cumbersome. He said the Montecito changes are less "ambitious" than those planned elsewhere in the county, and that staff had held public hearings and workshops over several years.
Where the Two Commissions Part Ways
The commissions agree on most of the detailed provisions. Their main split is over the home exemption, and each reviews a different part of the code. The Montecito Planning Commission's inland recommendations go directly to the Board of Supervisors. The County Planning Commission formally acts on the coastal ordinance and can only state its views about inland consistency.
| Provision | County staff proposal | Montecito Planning Commission, Oct. 19 | County Planning Commission, Oct. 28 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-story homes up to 2,500 sq. ft. | Exempt from design review | Retain architectural review for new and remodeled homes | Exempt qualifying homes in coastal Montecito, and asked the Board to apply the same rule inland |
| Detached accessory structures | Exempt under 800 sq. ft. | Exempt under 500 sq. ft., behind another building or on the rear half of the lot, matching existing style, materials and colors | Supported the 500 sq. ft. limit for coastal Montecito |
| Pools and pool equipment | Exempt from planning permits | Keep planning permits | Keep planning permits |
| Nonresidential additions | Design review exemption up to 5,000 sq. ft. | Maximum of 1,000 sq. ft. | Supported the 1,000 sq. ft. maximum |
| Neighbor notice | Removed for qualifying projects | Notice for all inland projects needing a land use permit, with appeals retained | Mailed informational notice at the planning-permit stage, with no appeal right |
Commissioner Steve Amerikaner, Supervisor Roy Lee's First District appointee, continued to argue for the home exemption in coastal Montecito. He also asked that the County Planning Commission recommend the same approach inland so the rules would match. The commission's final recommendation followed his position.
Why the Coastal Line Matters
If the Board adopts both recommendations as written, a small single-story home could be exempt from architectural review on the coastal side of Montecito and still need it inland. On top of that, the coastal rules would have to wait for Coastal Commission certification. Montecito owners have always dealt with two permit tracks. This would add a design review difference between them.
Notice is also part of the debate. Commissioner Park had opposed broadly removing residential permit appeals. He said he could support the streamlined process if neighbors still had a way to learn about proposed projects. Staff described an informational mailed notice, possibly a postcard with a QR code linking to the plans. The County Planning Commission added mailed notice for planning permits to its revisions. The Montecito Association points out that this notice does not restore an appeal right. Projects exempt from planning permits would not get it at all, and it would arrive during the planning process rather than when a building permit is issued.
The inland recommendation goes further. The Montecito Planning Commission asked for notice on every project that needs a land use permit, kept appeals, and suggested that minor-project appeals be heard at MBAR or the Montecito Planning Commission rather than by the Board of Supervisors.
Commercial Properties and Older Homes
Coast Village Road falls within the city of Santa Barbara, so the county amendments affect relatively few commercial properties in Montecito. The ones they do affect include the shopping area and restaurants near East Valley and San Ysidro roads, San Ysidro Ranch, the Rosewood Miramar Beach Hotel & Bar, and Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore. Staff noted that parcels near the East Valley and San Ysidro corner were built at different times and have different permit histories. Some have development plans and others only permits.
For older homes, the County Planning Commission kept the broader historic-resource language. That language covers structures of known or potential historic interest, not only buildings formally designated or listed. Staff explained that many significant buildings have never been designated. Amerikaner withdrew his objection to the broader language before the final motion so the vote could be unanimous. The Montecito Planning Commission's version of the addition exemption also excludes designated, listed or eligible historic resources.
Every version still requires projects to meet objective county standards such as setbacks and height, and Building and Safety permits may still apply.
Questions Still Open for December 8
The Montecito Association lists the remaining questions as whether smaller homes lose architectural review, whether stronger development standards go into the ordinances, and how the new informational notice would work. The specific points the Board will weigh are:
- Home exemption. The Board will choose between the County Planning Commission's 2,500-square-foot exemption and the Montecito Planning Commission's recommendation to keep architectural review for all new and remodeled homes inland.
- Size and height standards. The Montecito Association has asked for enforceable height limits, maximum residential floor areas and accessory building allowances in the zoning code. The recorded County Planning Commission motion did not include them. Tom Bollay, an MBAR and Montecito Association board member, urged the Montecito Planning Commission to lower the area's height limit from 35 feet to 25 feet, Noozhawk reported.
- Commercial thresholds. In coastal Montecito's Visitor-Serving Commercial zone, the County Planning Commission recommended requiring a Development Plan above 2,500 square feet of cumulative development, instead of the 10,000 square feet staff proposed. For inland Neighborhood Commercial Development Plans, the Montecito Planning Commission recommended limiting Director-level review to structures of 5,000 square feet or less, instead of 15,000.
- A follow-up review. Amerikaner asked for a report about one year after implementation on how the new process is working.
The Montecito Area falls in First District Supervisor Roy Lee's district, and Tuttle pointed residents to their district representative because the final decision rests with the supervisors. The Montecito Association has posted side-by-side comparison tables showing current rules next to each proposal for coastal and inland Montecito.
This post is general information about pending county rules, not legal advice. Anyone planning a purchase or project should confirm how the rules apply to their parcel with a land use attorney, architect or County Planning & Development.
If you are weighing a Montecito home with a remodel or restoration in mind, start with an instant home valuation and a conversation with Lisa Foley.
