90.1 FM San Luis Obispo | 91.7 FM Paso Robles | 91.1 FM Cayucos | 95.1 FM Lompoc | 90.9 FM Avila
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

New safety requirements could come to homeowners along the Isla Vista bluffs

Many people who have visited the Isla Vista homes have fallen off nearby bluffs and have suffered death or injury.
Beth Thornton
Many people who have visited the Isla Vista homes have fallen off nearby bluffs and have suffered death or injury.

New safety requirements could be coming to property owners along the Isla Vista Bluffs. The proposed regulations are in response to the many student renters who have fallen off the cliffs and suffered death or injury.

The Santa Barbara County Planning and Development Department proposed that the distance between buildings alongside the bluffs should be measured twice a year by a licensed California surveyor. It’s to see how close the homes are to the cliffs.

The measurements would have to be submitted in April and October of each year.

If a building is within 15 feet of the bluff, the property owner would receive a violation from the county. Within 10 feet, the county would issue a notice for residents to vacate the property.

If property owners fail to submit measurements between their home and the bluffs, the county may issue a notice of violation.

The proposal also spells out how property owners could make things right again.

The County is accepting public comments on the proposed policy until Tuesday, June 25th.

Gabriela Fernandez came to KCBX in May of 2022 as a general assignment reporter, and became news director in December of 2023. In September of 2024 she returned to reporting full time.
Related Content