County of Santa Barbara Community and Area Plans
Community and Specific Plans are adopted as amendments to the Land Use Element and/or Coastal Land Use Plan (if applicable area is within the coastal zone) and are often used by cities and counties to plan the future of a particular area at a finer level of detail. A community plan is a portion of the Land Use Element or Coastal Land Use Plan focusing on the issues pertinent to a particular area within the city or county. A specific plan is a special set of development standards that apply to a geographic area. These documents supplement and must be consistent with the policies of the Comprehensive Plan. Development of Community and Specific Plans is not mandatory.
Santa Barbara County has a total of 10 Community/Area Plans. Each Community Plan contains goals, policies, and standards guiding development of the community it serves.