County to Rezone Ag Lands Heavily in Eastern Goleta Valley
Board of Supervisors to Consider Rezoning in Housing Element Adoption
County residents, and especially those in the Eastern Goleta Valley (EGV), are urged to pay attention to the upcoming Board of Supervisors hearing on December 5, 2023. The supervisors will consider adoption of the county’s 2023 Housing Element update. Their actions will also include a General Plan Amendment that will lay the groundwork to override existing community plan policies, such as current Eastern Goleta Valley plan policies that protect ag lands.
On December 5, the Board of Supervisors will need to make a finding that adoption of the plan “is consistent with good zoning and planning practices.” There are a multitude of other policies and programs that are intended to increase the production of affordable housing. Yet the rezoning of agricultural land in the areas east of Goleta seems to be the primary mechanism relied upon by staff to meet the required number of units.
On November 8, 2nd District Planning Commissioner Laura Bridley voted against recommending that the Board of Supervisors adopt the Housing Element Update (HEU). She could not make the finding that adoption of the HEU was consistent with good planning practices, since the “potential rezones” are disproportionately located in the Goleta and Eastern Goleta Valley planning areas.
These include thousands of proposed units at 30-40 units per acre along the Hollister and Patterson agricultural corridors. By comparison, the planning areas of Montecito and Summerland have no rezones, and the Toro Canyon planning area has two.
Public messaging from the county gives the impression that potential rezone sites have not been selected and are unrelated to the adoption of the Housing Element. A press release on November 28 from the county includes the statement: “Rezones in 2024: The Board will NOT consider or take any action on the rezones during the hearings to adopt the HEU on December 5, 2023.”
The adoption will include Appendix D, which contains a site-specific designation of “potential” rezones. (See “Potential Rezone Sites contributing to the 2023-2031 RHNA” on pp. 47-48 of Appendix D.) The formal rezones themselves will take place in 2024, but adoption of the HEU on December 5 will include the adoption of the “potential rezone” sites list.
It may be that the ultimate rezoning of almost all ag land in the Eastern Goleta Valley, and resulting population increase of thousands, is a fait accompli that was set in motion in 2020-21 when SBCAG approved a lopsided allocation of units — 73 percent — to the South County, but it remains important for all who value sound planning to follow these hearings and carefully review the accompanying policy proposals.
It is vital that we all take responsibility for ensuring affordable housing exists throughout the county — and that all community plan areas assume their fair share. It is now incumbent upon the Board of Supervisors to fairly distribute the unincorporated share of that 73 percent in all South County planning areas. Details on how to participate in writing or in person may be found here: https://www.countyofsb.org/3177/Housing-Element-Update.
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