Santa Barbara County Planning Commission Chair Laura Bridley Resigns 

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[Updated: Thu., Sept. 4, 2025, 12:33pm]

At the start of the county’s Planning Commission meeting on Wednesday, Chair Laura Bridley acknowledged that this meeting would be her last. Bridley had announced her resignation a week earlier, on August 27, saying she was doing so in part because the state mandates were eroding local discretion. 

“I’ve decided to step down because the kind of planning that I was thinking we were doing is kind of waning in my eyes,” she said. 

State Assemblymember Gregg Hart, at that time Santa Barbara County’s 2nd District Supervisor, nominated Bridley to the Planning Commission in April 2019, after former commissioner Cecila Brown stepped down. Bridley brought approximately 40 years of experience as a planner and a consultant, having worked both in the public and private sector. By early 2020, her fellow members elected her chair. 

Since then, dozens if not hundreds of projects have come across the Planning Commission’s desk, from the housing element update to cannabis odor control to new large-scale developments. 

In recent years, the State of California has pushed to streamline housing development and apply state standards that supersede local control in order to facilitate more building. That includes requiring local governments to apply only objective standards on projects, and grant zoning concessions for projects that include some low-income units. 

At Wednesday’s meeting, Bridley spoke about the possible implications of state mandates. 

“The state keeps on adopting these laws that say, ‘Do it faster with fewer rules. Don’t even look at what you’re approving — practically, just rubber-stamp it,’” she said. 

But she continued to say that even if the planning department is now streamlining projects with set objectives standards, other important factors in evaluating a project — like assessment from the fire department, or the environmental health service, do not have some form of checklist. 

“Those are all really important things to have when you’re building a project anywhere,” she said. “Our built environment is going to be with us for another 50 to 80 years.”

A housing project with affordable units is not inherently exempt from review by other departments, but, given new state law, many affordable housing projects on infill sites do not have to undergo review by the California Environmental Quality Act. 

Bridley’s fellow commissioners said they were saddened to see her go. At the August 27 meeting where Bridley announced her resignation, Commissioner Roy Reed, nominated by 4th District Supervisor Bob Nelson, said that with her background as a planner, she was an excellent resource that made the commission a stronger team. 

“I see that you often resisted making an ideological vote, but instead chose to look at the facts and information in front of us, and use that in your intellect and experience to decide how your votes would be,” Reed said. 

Commission John Parke said that Bridley had made him a better commissioner. 

“[Your presence] enabled me to understand the seriousness of our process — our process meaning not just in the planning and development department, [but in] all the other departments, and how the government worked,” he said. 

On Thursday, 2nd District Supervisor Laura Capps announced she has nominated Kate Ford, her former colleague on the Santa Barbara Unified School Board, to fill Bridley’s spot.

“I’m thrilled to nominate Kate Ford as the 2nd District Planning Commissioner,” said Supervisor Capps in her announcement. “Kate and I were in the trenches together during the pandemic as elected school board members, and I saw firsthand her integrity, tenacity, thoughtfulness, and deep commitment to our community. She consistently approaches complex, often high-stakes decisions with thorough research and intelligence — the epitome of grace under pressure.”

Ford was elected to the school board in 2018 and served as board president in 2020. She currently serves as vice chair of the Santa Barbara City Harbor Commission.

“Kate brings not only a strong legacy of service but also a deep understanding of Santa Barbara’s values and future needs. Her collaborative spirit, leadership skills, and passion for long-term planning will serve our district and county well,” Capps said.

Capps also recognized outgoing Commissioner Laura Bridley for her years of service.

“I want to extend my deepest gratitude to Laura Bridley for her outstanding contributions over the past six years,” Capps said. “Her expertise and leadership helped guide the county through critical challenges, including the complex Housing Element process. Laura was an invaluable member of the Commission and a true team player.”

If confirmed by the Board of Supervisors, Ford will begin her term on the Planning Commission on September 24, 2025.

Meanwhile, Bridley will continue her work in local planning with the City of Santa Barbara, where she has been a project planner since April. She will now focus on the city’s short-term rental ordinance.

Editor’s Note: This story was updated to correct the byline and to note that Supervisor Laura Capps has nominated Kate Ford to fill Laura Bridley’s position on the Planning Commission.