This article was underwritten in part by the Mickey Flacks Journalism Fund for Social Justice, a proud, innovative supporter of local news. To make a contribution go to sbcan.org/journalism_fund.
The fourth iteration of a plan to build an eight-story building behind the Santa Barbara Mission is deemed incomplete. Unlike in applications past, however, the applicants only need to resolve a few remaining problems to move ahead with the project.
What’s left for the developers to include in this application? The City of Santa Barbara said it needs consistent and correct net floor area details, plans for wastewater management as well as water supply and distribution, details on onsite loading and vehicle ramps, and noise information on mechanical equipment.
The city has granted a waiver so the project is no longer required to submit a general plan or zoning amendment to complete the application. Santa Barbara granted that waiver, it said, given government code, and how the California Department of Housing has evaluated general plan and zoning amendment requests in other jurisdictions.
On May 13, a day after the city deemed this application incomplete, attorney Richard B. Jacobs sent a letter to the city on behalf of the development team, saying the latest response letter was in bad faith and threatening litigation if the city does not rescind its incompleteness letter. It states the floor plan area details are not based in fact, and the other items are not required at this stage.
Santa Barbara risks violating California State law if it is found delaying this project in “bad faith” — that means finding issues with the project that are considered “frivolous” or “without merit,” according to the State’s Department of Housing and Community Development.
The property, 505 E. Los Olivos Street, is prime real estate when it comes to views and proximity to historic sites. It extends across the sloping land between the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, located above it, and the Santa Barbara Mission, just below it. It currently contains two estate homes listed as part of the city’s historic resources inventory.
The project’s developers, known as Industrial Partners Group or The Mission LLC (both are included in the application), are planning to demolish what’s on the property and build 270 rental units, 445 parking spaces, and 255 bicycle spaces. The project would include a partially underground garage that cuts into the hillside, as well as a pool, gym, and conference center. This most recent project proposal is larger than the previous one, with an addition of 15 units. All told, it would dwarf buildings in the surrounding area, which is zoned as single unit residential.
The project falls under builder’s remedy, which is part of California’s state housing law. Builder’s remedy allows developers to ignore zoning restrictions for projects that include affordable housing if a city’s housing element — that’s the city’s plan to provide housing — is out of compliance. The building’s developers submitted a preliminary application for the project in January 2024, one month before the state certified its housing element. Currently, the project proposes including 54 affordable units, which qualifies it as a builder’s remedy project.
A complete application does not mean the developers can break ground. The project will, according to the city, likely need to undergo a full review under the California Environmental Quality Act, and receive design review by the city’s Historic Landmarks Commission. The city will also later need information on other aspects of the project, such as the building’s proximity to Mission Creek.
The Mission LLC has 90 calendar days to submit another application. The developers can appeal the city’s decision to mark the application as incomplete by May 23.
