Santa Barbara leaders opted Tuesday to stay the course in promoting and regulating the construction of new rental housing, choosing to double down on the city’s existing density incentive program rather than shift to a new floor-to-lot ratio strategy. Discussion around the topic was both lively and familiar, with residents reminding the City Council how dire Santa Barbara’s housing crisis really is and Councilmember Meagan Harmon calling the effort to create more workforce stock “one of the greatest public policies of our time.”
The unanimous vote by the Council directed city staff to study ways in which the density program could be enhanced, including increasing the maximum number of units allowed per acre from 63 to perhaps as many as 147, expanding the areas where big multi-unit developments are permitted, encouraging the adaptive reuse of former hotels and other structures into affordable living space, and focusing on La Cumbre Plaza as the best possible place to situate a large number of rentals.
“Because, let’s be honest, that is the future,” said Councilmember Eric Friedman, whose 4th District encompasses the uptown mall. “That is the one area where we have the greatest ability to produce the greatest number of units.” The council also agreed that the city’s downtown is where most of the large, multi-unit projects being envisioned ought to be sited. But both Harmon and Councilmember Michael Jordan said they hoped City Hall, and the community, will have the courage to see such big and bold developments through.