Government in
Action
Dec 18 - Dec 24
Santa Barbara
City Council
Harbor
offices approved despite opposition Despite
hearing near-unanimous opposition to the allocation of additional
funds for the remodel of the Chandlery Building and new Waterfront
Department offices, the Santa Barbara City Council voted in a
special session Thursday to give an extra $200,000 for the project.
Seven boat owners and two members of the Harbor Commission spoke in
opposition to the project, saying it doesn't make fiscal sense, and
that their increased slip fees would ultimately pay for the
project.
The total project will cost approximately
$3.3 million; about $400,000 more than anticipated when the City
Council approved the project last year. Half the money will come
from the Waterfront Department and the other half from the city's
general fund as approved by the council.
The expenditure was approved 5-1, with Dr. Dan
Secord voting no. Councilman Babatunde Folayemi was out of the
country. — L.D.
Planning
Commission approves inclusionary housing ordinance With the median housing price nearing $900,000
and the Santa Barbara County area’s median income defined as
$60,600 for a family of four, the City of Santa
Barbara is working to develop an Inclusionary
Housing Ordinance to help bridge that gap.
On Dec. 18, the Planning Commission approved a
draft ordinance that would require 20 percent of homes constructed
or converted to condominiums to be made affordable to households
that fall into the targeted middle-income range. This would
apply only to new ownership projects with 10 or more units, but the
Planning Commission also made a recommendation that projects with
fewer units be assessed graduated fees.
While representatives from the development
community supported the ordinance as drafted, several people spoke
out in favor of more stringent
policies. “Today’s market rate
units do not serve our local community. If we cannot grow
according to identified needs, then we should not grow at
all,” said David Fortson, executive director of the Santa
Barbara County Action Network (SBCAN), in advocating for a larger
than 20 percent affordable requirement.
Somewhat echoing those sentiments was Dan
Ancona, who said, “The market, in short, has failed us.
It’s going to continue to do so. I think we really need
to start thinking about whether we need any more market rate houses
at all. We are in a housing crisis, not a million dollar
condo crisis.”
There will be another opportunity for public
hearing when plan goes to the City Council early next year.
— L.D.