FAQ
What is Plan SB and who is sponsoring these efforts? Plan Santa Barbara is a City-sponsored effort to look at the future of our City and how it should develop. See What is Plan Santa Barbara? for more information.
When will community workshops occur? The first workshops occurred in the summer of 2007. There will be another set of community workshops in the Summer of 2008. See all the ways you can Get Involved for more information.
How do I make sure that my issues are considered throughout this process? Tell us what your issue is and participate in the whole process. See all the ways you can Get Involved for more information.
How can my organization help with Plan SB? Participate in the workshops and public hearings and present your organization's issues, suggestions throughout the process. You can also e-mail us at Info@YouPlanSB.org with your comments.
Why Plan Santa Barbara now? Today, we are facing some of the greatest challenges in our city’s history. Our community diversity, economic vitality and environmental quality are constantly evolving. Global events and technology are rapidly changing how we live, work and play together. It is necessary to routinely examine how the City’s current policies are effectively addressing this dynamic.
Two very important City polices are also about to expire or need reassessment: (1) City Charter Section 1508 which regulates the amount of new non-residential square footage that can be built in the City is scheduled to sunset the end of 2009 and (2) the Housing Element requires that as we approach 39,000 housing units in the City, begin a public process to “discuss the extent and nature of future residential growth in the City.”
Plan Santa Barbara looks at how our city evolves and what it might look like in the future. This can only happen by hearing from the community to decide and develop the policies that will guide future decisions.
What is process and schedule for Plan Santa Barbara? Over the next 2 years the City will be sponsoring workshops and public forums to gather input from the community on future growth and development. Plan Santa Barbara is designed to gather the broadest input from all members of the Santa Barbara community. Throughout this process, the community will be discussing, evaluating and adjusting (if necessary) the City’s housing, transportation, and environmental policies to best meet our community needs now and in the future. Highlights of the process include:
- Plan SB Community Workshops (Round 1): June/July 2007 - Completed
- Final Community Input Summary - Winter 2007
- Plan SB Community Educational Forums: Winter - Summer 2008
- Plan SB Community Workshops (Round 2)- Presentation of Specific Public Policy Options - Summer 2008
- Draft Policy Framework presented to Boards & Commissions and City Council for adoption: 2009
What is a General Plan? California State Government Code, requires that every city adopt a General Plan, sometimes referred to as a City’s blueprint for growth and development. Santa Barbara’s General Plan, originally adopted in 1964, is comprised of nine elements:
- Land Use*
- Parks & Recreation
- Open Space*
- Scenic Highways
- Housing*
- Circulation*
- Conservation*
- Noise*
- Seismic Safety*
* Required by State Government Code
“The General Plan outlines a rational order of progress through which Santa Barbara can grow and maintain its economical and environmental integrity. It suggests opportunities for growth and change which will enhance the natural beauty of our setting. Changes in our economy and technology will exert pressures and the Plan will take advantage of them, maturing and growing with the years. But the very foundation underlying the Plan, the principles responsible for its creation, must never change. For all foreseeable time, those principles will be as valid as they are today, and should be the bases for judgment of all efforts to reshape and alter the Plan.” Source: Santa Barbara’s General Plan - Section III - The General Plan (1964)
