City of Santa Barbara - Residents - Major Planning Efforts - Single Family Design Guidelines Update - NPO

Single Family Design Guidelines/Neighborhood Preservation Ordinance Update

Background

The original City of Santa Barbara Neighborhood Preservation Ordinance (NPO) was adopted in 1991 and expanded the purview of the Architectural Board of Review (ABR) to include review of proposed large two-story single-family residential projects on in-fill or hillside lots. The NPO also established the Hillside District, where ABR review applied to homes on lots with over a 20% slope and/or projects proposing more than 250 cubic yards of grading.

The City recently completed an extensive update to the Neighborhood Preservation Ordinance to define how land use controls should be restructured in order to reflect the preferences and expectations of the community. The update began in 2004 with a special Neighborhood Visual Survey Workshop series centered around public review of a large set of pictures to determine community preferences.

Some major outcomes of the NPO Update process are:

A new Single Family Design Board was formed to review Single Family projects
Different Design Review “Triggers” Established (all two-story construction is now subject to review)

Improved Single Family Design Guidelines

NPO Municipal Code Updated
New SFDB Guidelines and updated ABR Guidelines
Maximum square footages established for lots under 15,000 square feet
Vacant lot Site Constraints Concept Review established

Built Green requirements for 4,000 square foot homes
Good Neighbor Guidelines strengthened
New submittal requirements to allow improved analysis of neighborhood compatibility
Administrative Review criteria clarified

Technical Design Review Issues Clarified

The City appreciated the extensive public input received from members of the community throughout the Neighborhood Preservation Ordinance Update process.

The NPO Update package was adopted in May 2007 with direction from the City Council for a review of the program, especially the maximum square footage criteria, to occur in two years.

Issue Papers

View the Issue Paper Archives

Click to view the 2005- 2006 NPO archives.
Click to view the 2004 NPO archives.

Steering Committee Members
City Council - Helene Schneider & Brian Barnwell
Planning Commission - Charmaine Jacobs & Bill Mahan
ABR - Richard Six & Bruce Bartlett
HLC - Vadim Hsu
Allied Neighborhood Association - Dianne Channing & Joe Guzzardi

Contact
If you have any questions, please contact Heather Baker, AICP, Project Planner at: HBaker@SantaBarbaraCA.gov or 564-5470 or Planning and Zoning Counter Staff at 564-5578. Also, see the forms and handouts applicable to the Single Family Design Board under "Design Review: General" and "Design Review: Single Family Design Board" headings. The adopted Single Family Design Guidelines are available for sale at 630 Garden Street for $9, for check-out at local public libraries and on-line. The adopted Single Family Design Board Guidelines are available for sale at 630 Garden Street for $7, for check-out at local public libraries and on-line.

Floor to Lot Area Ratios (FAR) Formulas:

Floor to Lot Area Ratios Updated Chart

City Council Review of "Clean Up" Items

January 15th, 2008 Introduction Hearing

Final adoption took place on January 28, 2008. The Ordinance will be effective on February 28, 2008.

See City Clerk's Office for more information

The Amendments to Titles 22 and 28 of the Santa Barbara Municipal Code are related to ordinance amendments adopted by City Council in May 2007. The goal of the amendments is to:

Clarify which single-family home projects require Design Review by the Single Family Design Board or Historic Landmarks Commission,
Revise noticing radius requirements for single-family home projects,
Achieve improved implementation of the Design Review process for items related to Design Review noticing, referral of projects to Planning Commission for comment, approval expirations, required findings, Sign Committee appeals time-frames, and legally non-conforming buildings.

Ordinance Committee Review of "Clean Up" Items
December 11th, 2007
See City Clerk's Office for more information

City Council Introduction and Adoption Hearings: May 1 & 8, 2007

The Mayor and Council considered the NPO Update, Single Family Design Guidelines for introduction and adoption on Tuesday May 1st at 6:00 PM and May 8th at their meeting which starts at 2:00 PM. Hardcopies of the Council Agenda Report, ordinance amendments and Resolution to Adopt the Updated July '07 Single Family Design Guidelines (32MB download), are available at the City Clerk's Office in City Hall at De La Guerra Plaza.

Adoption Process
A Draft SFDG/NPO Update Package (Draft SFDG, Draft Updated ABR Guidelines, and Draft Municipal Code Changes) was published May 2006. The Package was reviewed by the City Council on August 8th, 2006 (minutes) and initially reviewed by the Ordinance Committee on October 24, 2006 (minutes), February 17^th, March 13^th2007, April 10^th and April 17^th. Ordinance Committee review of the draft ordinance was completed on 4/17/06.

ABR Hearing, April 16, 2007: The Architectural Board of Review provided comments on the draft updated Single Family Design (SFDG) Guidelines (14 MB download) at its April 16, 2007 public hearing. A transmittal memo to the ABR describes how the guidelines have been revised since they were last reviewed in 2006 and were republished this month. Staff's responses to ABR's comments were transmitted in memo to the ABR dated 4-20-07.

Ordinance Committee Review Concluded: The Ordinance Committee concluded review of proposed ordinance amendments related to the NPO Update on Tuesday, April 17th, 2007.The Ordinance Committee’s last Council Agenda Report and draft ordinance amendments are available at the City Clerk's Office in City Hall at De La Guerra Plaza.

Reading Files for 5/1/07 CAR:

Draft Update Package, published May 2006:

· Single Family Design Guidelines Draft

· Architectural Board of Review Guidelines Draft

· Municipal Code Recommended Changes Summary

· Floor to Lot Area Ratios Updated Chart

Previous Council Agenda Reports:

5/1/07 Draft Ordinance Proposal & Errata Sheet

4/17/07 Ordinance Committee CAR & Proposed Ordinance Amendments

4/10/07 Ordinance Committee CAR & Proposed Ordinance Amendments

2/27/03 & 3/13/07 Ordinance Committee CAR & Proposed Ordinance Amendments

Handouts from 3/13/07 Ordinance Committee meeting: