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Week of February 21-24, 2023: Council and advisory committee meetings of Santa Barbara City
A long-time Edhat subscriber, hoping for more public participation in our local government, thought it would be helpful and interesting for the community to have a weekly listing of selected meetings, those of city-wide interest. We agreed. Please tell us what you think. There have been requests for coverage of other jurisdictions; volunteers to do that, please contact info@edhat.com. If we’ve mis-posted an address or there’s a meeting that we failed to list, please note the correction in the Comments section below. Thanks!
Santa Barbara has a City Calendar of meetings; for February: https://www.santabarbaraca.gov/cals/. (NB: City Calendar is a guide to many public meetings.) City TV covers many of the meetings and has reruns. However, Consent Calendar meetings are not televised. Our new city website design is a mixed blessing, prettier-looking but with some information harder to find if it exists at all.
Common acronyms, abbreviations: hybrid or Hyflex, meeting access is both in person and via Zoom or other webinar; PDA, Project Design Approval; FA, Final Approval; CAR, Council Agenda Report. Meeting locations: City Council chambers upstairs at City Hall, 735 Anacapa Street; David Gebhard Room (DGR), 630 Garden Street; or where noted. Noted also for some Council and Advisory Committee meetings are non-public addresses; these are addresses for those public servants who choose to attend the meetings at home or elsewhere.
We have an abbreviated week of meetings this week. The workhorse commissions, the Architectural Board of Review and the Single Family Design Board that usually meet on Mondays, will meet today instead of taking a break; the Council is on scheduled break. Notable is that at the ABR meeting, three of the five properties are owned by a single owner, Ed St. George. Perhaps a record of some sort, 3 of the 5 agenda items!
MONDAY, 2/20 – Presidents’ Day Holiday
TUESDAY, 2/21
Sign Committee, 9 A.M., in person, DGR, Agenda: 1. Cont. Item, Concept Review: 21 E. SOLA ST.; 2. 28 W. FIGUEROA, referred from conforming review; 3. Cont. item, Concept Review: 3609 STATE STREET; 4. New Item: 3441 STATE ST. Concept Review. Architectural drawings: link.
Single Family Design Board, 11:00 A.M., DGR, in person: Consent Agenda: Cont Item,: New Item, PDA & FA requested: 804 RAMETTO LN: Proposal to convert garage and covered patio into habitable space.
Architectural Board of Review, Consent Calendar, 1 P.M., DGR, in person, Agenda: A. 602 E. MONTECITO ST., PD & FA requested re chain link fence. B. 502 E. HALEY ST. “(Proposal to replace siding on the north and east walls, replacing door & windows, and permitting as built existing gates.)”
City Council, regular meeting, 2:00 p.m., cancelled, Council on scheduled post holiday break.
Architectural Board of Review 3 p.m., hyflex, regular Meeting; Agenda:
- 1. Cont. Item: PDA requested, 425 SANTA BARBARA ST., “The project consists of constructing a four-story 19-unit residential apartment building, comprised of one (1) two-bedroom unit, eight (8) one-bedroom units and ten (10) studio units, on a vacant lot within the Priority Housing Overlay area of the City. The project is designed to comply with the City’s Average Unit Size Density Incentive (AUD) Program (SBMC Chapter 30.150) and California State Density Bonus Program (CA Gov. Code §65915-65918). … The project proposes no on-site vehicle parking. Each unit will be provided a private, secure, covered storage area that includes bicycle parking and is included in the calculated square footage of the unit.)” Last reviewed 1/30/23. “
- 2. Cont. Item, 125 S. CALLE CESAR CHAVEZ. Concept Review: “Proposal for a new concrete-surfaced storage yard for equipment and vehicles on the existing 2.41 acre vacant site. Most existing trees are proposed to be removed and new trees are proposed. The project is adjacent to El Estero Drainage and proposes wetland delineation and habitat restoration,…”
- 3. 302 AND 308 W, MONTECITO ST., “Proposal for a three-story development consisting of a 31-room hotel and a 1,546-square-foot commercial space. The project includes 45 vehicle parking spaces and 11 bicycle parking spaces. Vehicle parking is also provided for the hotel annex proposed for 311 W. Montecito Street.The project includes the demolition of four residential units and office space, and the merger of the two lots. Project received Development Plan and Transfer of Existing Development Rights approvals by the City Council on December 17, 2019.)
- 4. New Item, Concept Review: 730 E. COTA ST., “(Proposal for 3 three-story apartment buildings, five units in total. Proposal includes demolition of all existing structures. Proposal includes rock terracing, a 350 square foot deck, and rear patio at the located in the back yard. Proposal includes 5 parking spaces.)”
- 5. NEW ITEM, Concept Review: 217 S. MILPAS ST., “Proposal to construct a new two-story duplex unit over a 6-car carport Proposal includes to demolish, reconstruct and convert the existing four car garage into a three bedroom, two bath ADU. Conversion of the garage to an ADU will abate the garage violation portion of (ENF2016-00756). This project is providing 1 replacement housing unit for the proposed hotel project at 302 W Montecito Street…” For architectural drawings, staff report, and Public Comment letter (on W. Montecito Street): Link.
Community Development and Human Services Committee, Special Meeting, 6 p.m., DGR, Agenda, grant applications review and continuation.
WEDNESDAY, 2/22
Staff Hearing Officer, 9 A.M. DGR, in person, Agenda: Consent Item: 923 Castillo St. ” Request for a one-year time extension for the Tentative Subdivision Map approved by the Planning Commission on February 13, 2020. The approved map was set to expire on February 13, 2023; however the time extension request was received prior to the expiration date, on January 17, 2023. …”
Harbor Commission, Cruise Ship Subcommittee, Special Meeting Agenda: in person, at the Marine Center Classroom 125 Harbor Way – or by webinar/Zoom, address on the Agenda.
“1. The Cruise Ship Subcommittee Will:
-Receive a presentation from Waterfront staff recapping a recent site visit of the Crown Princess cruise ship in the Port of Los Angeles;
– Receive a presentation from Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) focused on vessel practices and regulations mainly pertaining to waste management and discharge;
– Receive a presentation from the United States Coast Guard focused on compliance and enforcement of regulations pertaining to cruise ships;
– Report back to the full Harbor Commission as necessary.” No staff reports here as of Monday, 2/20.
THURSDAY, 2/23
Fire and Police Commission, 4 p.m., Council Chambers, hyflex, see agenda for access: Agenda: Items:
6. update on the status of the request for proposals (rfp) for santa barbara county’s ambulance transport service Fire Chief Chris Mailes will provide an update on the process for the Santa Barbara County EMS Agency Ambulance Service Request for Proposals.
7. Overview of the Complaint Process: Chief Kelly Gordon and Commander Kasi Corbett of the Santa Barbara Police Department will review the policies and procedures relating to the Department’s complaint process. This will provide background in advance of the Fire and Police Commission receiving quarterly and yearly reports regarding complaints received by the Santa Barbara Police Department at future meetings.
8. Consent Calendar….
9. Department updates: Police Chief Kelly Gordon and Fire Chief Chris Mailes will brief Commissioners on current departmental priorities, data trends and statistics, as well as upcoming significant issues for future agendas.
Community Development & Human Services Committee 6:00 p.m., in person, Water Resources Conference Room, 619 Garden St, Agenda: “final cdhsc funding recommendations – Formulate recommended grant allocations and CDHSC Vote on the additional FY 2023-2024 Human Services/CDBG Funding Recommendations that will be sent to City Council on March 21, 2023.
Transportation and Circulation Committee, 5:30, DGR, hyflex, Agenda: Consent Agenda and Reports, REPORTS: (Staff reports for 5 and 6))
5. Lower Eastside Community Connectivity Active Transportation Planning Effort update recommendation: that the TCC receive an update on the Lower Eastside Community Connectivity Active Transportation Planning Effort.
6. Annual update on Bicycle Share Pilot Program recommendation: that the TCC: a. Receive an annual update of the Bicycle Share Pilot Program; b. Recommend to city council that the Bicycle Share Pilot Program be allowed to expand; and c. Recommend to city council that the Bicycle Share Pilot Program begin transitioning from a pilot to a permanent program.
FRIDAY, 2/24
Access Advisory Commission, 9:30 a.m, regular meeting, DGR, Agenda: items
10. ADA TRANSITION PLAN UPDATE (10:50 a.m.) Recommendation: That the Access Advisory Committee receive a presentation from Brian D’Amour, City Engineer and ADA Coordinator on the City’s ADA Transition Plan.
11. ACCESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE ANNUAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL (11:10 a.m.) Recommendation: That the Access Advisory Committee receive a brief presentation from the ADA Coordinator regarding the addition of a recognition section to the Access Advisory Committee’s Annual Report to City Council.
12. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS (11:30 a.m.) Recommendation: That the Access Advisory Committee receive an update from the following: • Annual Report Ad-Hoc Committee • Sidewalk Ad-Hoc Committee • Blue Curb Parking Ad-Hoc Committee • Outdoor Dining and Parklets Ad-Hoc Committee • Valet Parking Ad-Hoc Committee. Next meeting: May 19 at 9:30 a.m.
Of general interest:
City Advisory Commissions are listed with their duties and powers described in the Charter of the City of Santa Barbara, See: Article Vlll, Appointive Boards and Commissions, pg; 25 et seg. Other commissions may be formed by the City Council for certain issues of public concern. Santa Barbara Municipal Code. The City Council meets at 2 p.m., Tuesdays, except for these holidays: January 3, January 17, February 21, March 28, April 4, May 30, June 20, July 4, July 11, August 8, August 15, September 5, November 14, November 21, November 28, December 19, and December 26, 2023. The regular Council meetings are sometimes preceded by their Finance and Ordinance committees whose agendas are part of the regular council meeting agenda; the Council also has a Legislative Committee and a Sustainability Committee, each of which meets irregularly.
AIA-Santa Barbara, August 2020, State Street Promenade and housing community survey results, more than 4,800 responses, linked here. Civic groups concerned about city government: Allied Neighborhoods Association, Citizens Planning Association, League of Women Voters -Santa Barbara, and various hyperlocal neighborhood associations.
City of Santa Barbara says it emphasizes transparency: https://santabarbaraca.gov/government-transparency. Not listed under city transparency is a link to the Ralph M. Brown Act (“Brown Act“), “In enacting this chapter, the Legislature finds and declares that the public commissions, boards and councils and the other public agencies in this State exist to aid in the conduct of the people’s business. It is the intent of the law that their actions be taken openly and that their deliberations be conducted openly.”
