Long Range Planning

1. Annual Work Program

   The Annual Work Program (Work Program) provides a summary of the various land use planning projects designated for the specific fiscal year.

2. Accessory Dwelling Units

   On October 9, 2019, Governor Newsom approved Assembly Bill (AB) 68, AB 881, and Senate Bill (SB) 13. These bills collectively amended State accessory dwelling unit (ADU) law (Government Code section 65852.2) and junior ADU (JADU) law (Government Code section 65852.22).

3. Agricultural Employee Dwelling (AED) Ordinance

   On December 11, 2018, the Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to adopt the proposed AED ordinance amendments. The County Land Use and Development Code (LUDC) amendment went into effect in the Inland Area on January 10, 2019. On May 13, 2021, the California Coastal Commission certified the Article II Coastal Zoning Ordinance (Article II) amendment, which went into effect immediately in the Coastal Zone.

4. Agricultural Enterprise Ordinance

   The Agricultural Enterprise Ordinance will amend the County Land Use and Development Code (LUDC) and the Coastal Zoning Ordinance (Article II).

5. Coastal Resiliency

   The County of Santa Barbara's Coastal Resiliency Project is a grant-funded effort to evaluate the impacts of sea-level rise and related coastal hazards along the County's entire 110-mile long coastline.

6. Community Wildfire Protection Plan

   Learn about the Community Wildfire Protection Plan.

7. County CEQA Guidelines & Environmental Thresholds

   Pursuant to Section 15022(c) of the State CEQA Guidelines, the project included minor procedural revisions to the County Guidelines and the ETM to bring administrative practices into alignment with revisions to the State CEQA Guidelines that took effect in 2019.

8. Eastern Goleta Valley Community Plan

   The Eastern Goleta Valley Community Plan (EGVCP) Environmentally Sensitive Habitat/Riparian Corridor (ESH/RC) Land Use and Zoning Overlays Map Update project updates the existing ESH/RC Overlay Map within the Rural Area of the EGVCP Area.

9. Environmental Justice Element

   The County will prepare a separate EJ Element to identify disadvantaged communities within the unincorporated county and develop goals, policies, and objectives.

10. Farmstay Ordinance Amendments

    The Farmstays Project specifically would allow farmstays on all AG-II properties in the Inland Area and Coastal Zone of the unincorporated county.

11. Hollister Avenue - State Street Improvements

    Santa Barbara County is planning important roadway and streetscape improvements for Hollister Avenue-State Street, a 1.25-mile corridor stretching from San Antonio Road/Auhay Drive to State Route 154.

12. Hoop Structures Ordinance

    The Hoop Structures Ordinance Amendment project amended the Land Use and Development Code (LUDC) to allow and exempt hoop structures and shade structures that are 20 feet or less in height on agriculturally-zoned lands in the inland areas of the unincorporated County of Santa Barbara.

13. Housing Element Update

    In June 2021, County planners began preparing the 2024-2032 Housing Element Update (HEU). They are currently analyzing a sites inventory and working with a consultant to help collect data and identify regional housing needs within the unincorporated areas of Santa Barbara County.

14. Interim Greenhouse Gas Emissions CEQA Thresholds

    Planning and Development staff proposed interim GHG emissions thresholds of significance in 2020. The thresholds establish when an individual project creates significant cumulative impacts from GHG emissions under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

15. Montecito Architectural Guidelines

    The Board of Supervisors adopted the Montecito Architectural Guidelines and Development Standards Limited Update (Phase I) on May 17, 2016. In part, Phase I revised the "house net floor area" to include attached accessory structures and partly underground basements.

16. Safety Element Update

    The County of Santa Barbara Seismic Safety and Safety Element (Safety Element) of the Comprehensive Plan establishes policies to protect the community from natural and human-made hazards.

17. Santa Claus Lane Beach Access & Streetscape

    The Planning and Development, Public Works, and County Parks are pursuing improvements to the Santa Claus Lane roadway.

18. Short-Term Rental Ordinance

    Learn about information regarding Short Term Rental regulations for Coastal and Non-Coastal Zones.

19. State Density Bonus Law Update

    On September 28, 2016, Governor Brown signed four assembly bills amending State Density Bonus Law. These bills went into effect on January 1, 2017.

20. Transitional & Supportive Housing

    Transitional and supportive housing are types of affordable and special needs housing linked to supportive (social) services.

21. Union Valley Parkway Extension

    This project involves an amendment to the Orcutt Community Plan to include a new local road connection between the Union Valley Parkway/U.S. Highway 101 interchange and the adjoining frontage road on the east side of U.S. Highway 101, in the community of Orcutt, immediately south of the city of Santa Maria.

22. Utility-Scale Solar Comprehensive Plan

    The Utility-Scale Solar Comprehensive Plan and Ordinance Amendments Project initiates amendments to the Comprehensive Plan, zoning ordinances, and Uniform Rules to allow utility-scale solar in the County outside of the current Utility-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Overlay.

23. Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Tool

    Staff and its transportation consultant, Fehr & Peers, developed a VMT Tool to help planners, applicants, and other CEQA practitioners apply the new VMT metrics to certain projects.