The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors — the elected officials who govern the unincorporated areas outside city limits — took up two land-use items on September 22 that could affect where new housing gets built, along with a few smaller matters.
The Rose project heads to the Coastal Commission
The board’s most consequential housing item was the Rose Comprehensive Plan Amendment and Zoning Map Amendment (Case Nos. 23GPA-00006 and 23RZN-00). Supervisors considered whether to send a Local Coastal Program (LCP) Amendment — a change to the county’s state-approved rulebook for development in the coastal zone — to the California Coastal Commission (CCC), the state agency that has final say over building near the shoreline.
What this means for residents: changing the general plan designation and zoning for the Rose property is the step that determines what can legally be built there, and how much of it. Because the land sits in the coastal zone, the county cannot make the change on its own — it must forward the amendment to the Coastal Commission for approval. In practice, that means any new homes tied to this project are still at least one major state review away from becoming reality, so nearby residents and prospective buyers won’t see construction soon.
New airport-area rules for what can be built
The board also held a hearing on the Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan (ALUCP) Consistency Amendments. The compatibility plan is a set of rules that limits how land near Santa Barbara Airport can be developed, mainly for safety and noise reasons — restricting how densely people can live under and around flight paths.
What this means for residents: these amendments bring the county’s zoning into line with the airport plan. For homeowners and would-be buyers near the airport, the rules can cap how many housing units are allowed on a given property and can require extra review or noise protections. Aligning the two documents removes conflicts that can stall or block projects, but it can also formally limit new housing in the highest-risk zones close to runways. The hearing included the environmental findings required under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) — the state law that requires governments to study a project’s environmental effects before approving it.
Beekeeping and other business
Supervisors held a separate 30-minute hearing on an ordinance to permit beekeeping in unincorporated Santa Barbara County. The measure directs the county Agricultural Commissioner, working with the Fire Department, to set the terms. While not a housing item, it matters to rural property owners deciding what they can do on their land — the rules would spell out where and how residents may keep hives.
The board also met privately with its lawyers in closed session on two litigation matters: one existing lawsuit and one decision about whether to file a new civil case. Under state law, these discussions happen behind closed doors, and the specific parties and issues were not disclosed publicly.
For those who want to weigh in, the board continues to offer both in-person and remote participation. Members of the public can attend at the County Administration Building in the Board Hearing Room or join remotely.
What’s coming up
The Rose amendment now depends on action by the California Coastal Commission, which will schedule its own review before any zoning change takes effect — a process that can take months. Residents interested in the airport-area rules or the Rose project should watch for future county and Coastal Commission agendas, where public comment will again be accepted before final decisions.