Anonymous
By an edhat reader
Week of February 13-17, 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.
MONDAY, 2/13
Single Family Design Board, 11:00 A.M., DGR, in person: Consent Agenda: cancelled
Architectural Board of Review, 1 p.m., in person, Consent Agenda, Revised, DGR:
A. FA, 1810 SAN PASCUAL ST (Proposal for a two-story Accessory Dwelling Unit, two-car garage, and a two-story three-bedroom residence. Existing one-story residence to remain. Proposal includes demolition of the existing two-car garage. Project requires compliance with the plans granted Project Design Approval on January 30, 2023.
B. New Item, PDA & FA, 520 WENTWORTH AVE Owner: City of Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Department Proposal for new exercise equipment and minor site work.) Project requires compliance with the Project Compatibility Guidelines.
Single Family Design Board, 3 p.m., DGR hyflex, Agenda:
- 1. NEW ITEM: Concept Review: 229 SAN CLEMENTE STREET: Proposal to construct additions to an existing 1,010 square foot single-unit residence, comprised of a 322 square foot first floor addition and a 521 square foot second floor addition. ….) No final appealable decision will take place at this hearing. Neighborhood Preservation Findings will be required when the project is reviewed for Project Design Approval.
- 2. NEW ITEM: Concept Review. 342 PALISADES DRIVE: The 6,106 square foot project site is developed with 864 square-foot, one-story, single-unit residence with a 133 square-foot accessory building. The proposed project consists of the construction of 758 square foot, two-story, Accessory Dwelling Unit. The project requires a Coastal Development Permit for the Accessory Dwelling Unit in the E-3 Zone and the Coastal zone. No final appealable decision will take place at this hearing. Neighborhood Preservation Findings will be required when the project is reviewed for Project Design Approval.
- 3. CONT. ITEM: PDA 3208 LAUREL CANYON ROAD … Proposal for additions to an existing one-story 1,288 square foot single-unit residence, comprised of 214 square feet first floor addition and a new 784 square foot second floor addition. The project also includes an interior remodel, a new 200 square foot carport, a 345 square foot covered patio… Neighborhood Preservation Findings are required. Project was last reviewed on January 17, 2023.
- 4. NEW ITEM: Concept Review. 3525 CAMPANIL DRIVE …Proposal to construct additions to an existing 2,277 square foot one-story, single-unit residence, consisting of a 480 square foot residential addition and a 162 square foot addition to the existing attached garage. … No final appealable decision will take place at this hearing. Neighborhood Preservation Findings, Hillside Design District & Sloped Lot Findings will be required when the project is reviewed for Project Design Approval.
Neighborhood Advisory Council, 6 p.m., Westside Neighborhood Center, in person, Special Agenda: election of chair/vice-chair; neighborhood improvement updates and neighborhood improvements.
TUESDAY, 2/14
City Council, regular meeting, 2:00 p.m., Council Chambers, Hyflex, 2 P.M., access info at the Agenda; includes the Consent Calendar; includes 192-page Council Packet, with details of the Consent Calendar as does the regular view but not the “accessible view”; Consent item #1 is the proposed ordinance for the AUDs; Consent item 4, grant application for Airport sea level rise adaptation plan; it also has an item for a contract for construction of the long-anticipated Waterfront hotel; also, see the Consent for details, sets dates for hearings on 1269 Ferrelo Rd, 4/10, and 101 Santa Cruz Blvd, 4/17-18; Item 10 for a contract modification re the South Coast Tourism BID; Item 11: Update on the De La Guerra Plaza Revitalization Project and Agreements for Architectural and Lighting Design Services with $865K to RRM; plus $65K for lighting services.
WEDNESDAY, 2/15
Historic Landmarks Commission, 11 a.m., in person DGR, Consent Calendar Agenda:
A. NEW ITEM, PDA & FA: 2151 Mission Ridge Road;
B. NEW ITEM, PDA & FA: 256 Eucalyptus Hill Drive, structure of merit, the Solana/Peabody Estate, with the proposal to remove blue gum eucalyptus, with no replacements proposed; Project Design Approval and Final Approval are requested. Project Compatibility Findings and Tree Removal Findings are required.
C. CONT. ITEM, PDA & FA, 1950 Las Tunas Rd, project last reviewed on January 18, 2023;
D. CONT. ITEM, FA, Plaza de Vera Cruz, The project site, Plaza de Vera Cruz, is listed on the City’s Historic Resources Inventory as it was established in 1853 as one of the City’s original parks. Last reviewed on February 1, 2023.
Architectural Drawings, link; this link is also for Public Comment – as of Sunday, 2/11, only two letters from last week re State Street and parklets and Mission Creek, bridge area erosion.
Historic Landmarks Commission, 1:30 p.m., regular meeting, hyflex – with a site visit to 9 W. Figureroa, DGR
1. CONT. ITEM: PDA, 9 W FIGUEROA St: Proposal to install decorative walls and gates at both ends of the Lot 3 paseo, plus….Project Compatibility Findings are required. The project was last reviewed on August 31, 2022.])
2. Structure of Merit Designation, 1713 LASUEN RD, proposed to declare the American Colonial Revival style structure constructed in 1921 a historic Structure of Merit. See: Historic Significance Report for an interesting description of the Riviera neighborhood and the Small House movement.
3. NEW ITEM: Concept Review 1713 LASUEN RD …The American Colonial Revival style residence constructed in 1923 is listed on the Historic Resources Inventory and located in the Hillside Design District. Proposal to renovate the existing residence ….
4. PDA & FA, 1235 N SALSIPUEDES ST: Proposal to permit an as-built wooden fence, 6’-5” in height …
5. Cont. Item: PDA & FA, 2310 STATE ST: ]The project site contains a designated Structure of Merit, the Ritchie Bungalow. Proposal to construct a new 367-square-foot Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) above an existing 390-square-foot two-car garage, …
6. New Item: One-Time Pre-application Review: 623 ½ STATE ST…Proposal to demolish the façade of an existing 2,184-square-foot commercial building to construct a new façade. No final appealable action will take place at this meeting. Project Compatibility Findings would be required for a Project Design Approval.
Creeks Advisory Committee Special Meeting, 5:30 p.m., hyflex, Council Chambers, listed on CityTV as televised: Agenda: Item 8, discussion of the Committee’s subcommittees; Item 9: a. Storm Water Management Program Report (Staff Report) b. January 2023 Storm Recap Cameron Benson, Creek Restoration & Clean Water Manager, for discussion.
Airport Commission, 6:00 p.m., in person: Airport Administration Conference Room, 601 Firestone Rd., SB; Agenda: of particular interest, item 16, Subject: January 9, 2023 Winter Storm Impact Report Recommendation: That Airport Commission receive a presentation on the impacts of the winter storm January 9, 2023. item17. Subject: Fiscal Year 2023 Mid-Year Financial Report Recommendation: That Commission receive a staff presentation regarding the Fiscal Year 2023 Mid-Year Financial report. Staff Reports.
THURSDAY, 2/16
Water Commission, 9:00 a.m, hyflex, DGR, Agenda: Item 6. Administrative items:
- a. Utilizing Emerging Wastewater Surveillance Testing for the Advancement of Public Health (30 minutes) Amanda Flesse, Wastewater Manager; Carl Palmer, Executive Director, LegacyWorks Group & Lynn Fitzgibbons, MD, Infectious Disease Specialist, Cottage Health Santa Barbara Action: Presentation Click here for Staff Report
- b. Direct Potable Reuse Regulations Development Update from the California State Water Resources Control Board Division of Drinking Water (30 minutes) Dakota Corey, Water Supply and Services Manager & Brian Bernados, California Division of Drinking Water Technical Specialist Action: Presentation Click here for Staff Report
- c. Amendment to Increase the On-Call Engineering Services Contract for Pueblo Water Resources, Inc. (10 minutes) Phil Maldonado, Supervising Engineer & Dakota Corey, Water Supply and Services Manager Action: Recommendation, See: Staff Report
- d. Contracts for Construction of the Braemar Lift Station Rehabilitation Project (10 minutes) Amanda Flesse, Wastewater Systems Manager Action: Recommendation, See: Staff Report
Planning Commission regular meeting, 1 p.m, Council Chambers; agenda: a. Training; Training from the City Attorney’s Office regarding procedures for conducting public business: motion making, ex parte communications, and the Ralph M. Brown Act. Administrative: Cottage Hospital, Post-Construction Update, 1.
State Street Advisory Committee is listed for this afternoon, but as of Sunday evening, there is no sign of an agenda.
Community Development & Human Services Committee 4:00 p.m., DGR, Agenda.
Harbor Commission, 6:30 p.m., hyflex, City Council Chambers, Agenda: (unspecified subcommittee updates); item 4 subcommittee updates, (reading the staff report suggests that “the City” has decided to make changes in how the commissions operate – see also, Creeks Committee, agenda item 8); item 5, director’s report, prioritization and “cruise ship visit debrief” staff report; item 6, Facilities Management report, storm damages report and reimbursement update, rock revetment construction update; Harbor Operations, dredging update.
FRIDAY, 2/17
CLOSED – City Administrative Offices
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.”
