AnonymousSource: City of Santa Barbara
Save your back and the environment! Customers no longer need to travel downtown to the Community Development or Public Works counters at 630 Garden Street to drop off paper plan sets or pay application fees. In April, the Land Development Team launched a new online permitting system allowing customers to submit electronically for most Building, Planning, and Public Works applications and permits. On November 9, 2020, the online system will be faster and easier to use.
The Spring 2020 launch of the City’s new Accela Citizen Access Portal (ACA) provides applicants the ability to track the progress of their project applications and City activities from application submittal to final inspection approval. This initiative drastically cuts the amount of paper and cost for applicants to print out plans for each review. Even better, implementation of this 100% digital system enabled concurrent City electronic plan reviews, reducing the time needed for Land Development Team staff to review plans and permits. On November 9, 2020, the building permit application choices will be simplified making choosing the correct application type easier and more intuitive. Easier use and faster City review turnaround times – that’s good news!
The new electronic application submittal and plan review also helps with the current social distancing procedures in place due to COVID-19. Applicants may apply for permits from their home or office and eliminate unnecessary in-person contact. The online citizen portal is “open” 24 hours a day, seven days a week to submit plans or pay fees.
New for November 9, 2020, will be an On-Demand permitting process for simple repair/replacement building permits. Applicants will be able to apply online, pay fees, and instantly receive their building permit via email – no staff contact needed. This On-Demand service will initially be available only for “Like-for-Like” roofing replacements. An expansion of On-Demand permits for water heater and furnace replacements and new small residential solar photovoltaic systems is anticipated to follow. On-Demand permits showing up instantly in your email in-box – that’s good news too!
A virtual online submittal process and On-Demand permitting system training session is planned for later this Fall. Attendees will learn an overview of the ACA permitting system, how to submit applications, upload documents and plans, make payments, and track your project’s status. For now, training materials include web-based videos and “how to” manuals available via the links below:
· Online Building & Safety services
· Online Planning Division services
· Online Public Works services
The Land Development Team thanks you for your help in reducing our environmental impact, and we hope that you enjoy our new electronic service enhancements.
