The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors is holding off on a decision about a proposed housing project in Isla Vista, citing unresolved concerns over parking and density.
The development, planned for 6737 Sueño Road, would demolish an existing single family home, to make way for three new apartment buildings. The project includes 16 units—13 with three bedrooms and three with two bedrooms—totaling 45 bedrooms, plus a management office. Four of the units would be set aside as affordable housing, with two for very low-income tenants and two for moderate income tenants. Plans also call for 24 parking spaces, 48 bike lockers, and 52 bike racks.
But, parking dominated the public discussion. Isla Vista Community Services District Board President, Spencer Brandt, told supervisors that recent studies show the neighborhood is already over capacity.
“We found, which will be no surprise to many of the people in this room, a stark amount of illegal parking in red zone stones, blocking fire hydrants, as well as blocking in driveways,” Brandt said. “I believe the number of reference was 106%. We have 106% of the legal parking spaces on streets occupied by cars at this time.”
The developer has agreed to prioritize parking for low-income tenants, but supervisors said that was not enough to address broader safety and circulation concerns in Isla Vista.
The board voted unanimously to continue the hearing, giving the developer time to explore additional parking and safety measures before bringing the project back for a final decision.
