The year 2025 saw the Santa Barbara City Council debating on some of the most important issues and decisions that are key to the city’s priorities and communities.
From the future of State Street and affordable housing to voting on the Paseo Nuevo redevelopment, and public safety funding, the City Council spent a lot of time on debating these topics as all these would directly impact the residents and define their lives.
Major Santa Barbara City Council Actions in 2025
1. State Street Promenade
In January, the Santa Barbara City Council reviewed a staff report on a ‘short-term action plan’ to revitalize the State Street Promenade in downtown Santa Barbara. The plan called for the promenade’s transition into a configuration that reflected design concepts from the State Street Master Plan, and included action items to address the completion of the Master Plan. The Master Plan also included items regarding safety, sidewalks, outdoor dining, amenities, shuttle service, economic development, and sustainability in the key downtown area.
2. Tenant Protections Amid ‘Renoviction’ Concerns
In April, the City Council made significant amendments to the tenant protection ordinance, targeting “renovictions,” a term that refers to evictions resulting from various types of renovations. This is considered by many tenants as an unfair tactic by landlords to evict them and eventually hike rents. The new approved provisions added three layers of protection under the tenant protection ordinance enacted in 2024, and sought to prevent landlords from using unverified renovations as potential grounds for evicting tenants.
3. Commercial Signs in Public Right-Of-Way
The City Council approved a new ordinance in July to tighten regulations on the use of commercial signage in public right-of-way areas. The rules aimed to improve pedestrian safety and accessibility, and ensure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements in the city’s public spaces. The ordinance mandated commercial signs to be limited to design guidelines.
4. Hilton Hotel Expansion Row
In September, the City Council denied an appeal to stop the proposed expansion project of the Hilton Beachfront Hotel at 633 E. Cabrillo Blvd. The City Council unanimously voted to allow the project to continue, despite concerns raised by hospitality workers about affordable housing availability.
5. Funding To Replenish Police Station Project Contingency Fund
In October, the City Council approved a $4.7 million Measure C budget adjustment to replenish the project contingency and cover unforeseen owner-furnished items. These measures are part of a financial oversight and proactive project management to keep the police station project on track.
6. Downtown Adaptive Reuse Housing Ordinance
The Council in October approved an ordinance permitting certain housing projects to proceed without affordable (inclusionary) unit requirements. The ordinance exempted adaptive reuse projects in the Central Business District from rental inclusionary housing mandates if they have less than 40 residential units. The exemption aims to encourage downtown reuse by removing financial barriers that could potentially block smaller projects from progressing.
7. Paseo Nuevo Redevelopment Plan
Declining to approve the Paseo Nuevo Redevelopment Plan, the City Council in December sent it back to staff with instructions to secure stronger guarantees and resolve legal constraints before returning it for another vote. Council members expressed concern about the plan’s lack of guarantees, especially regarding affordable housing, and criticized the failure to resolve the reciprocal easement agreement before the new plan was presented.
8. Rent Stabilization Ordinance
In December, the City Council voted to consider options for a temporary rent increase moratorium and related tenant protections. When it hears the matter again in January 2026, the Council will also consider amending the city’s Tenant Protection Act related to eviction protections, specifically addressing Ellis Act issues and similar concerns.
The Santa Barbara City Council’s decisions reflected the city navigating affordable housing pressures, large-scale development issues, and questions about public safety. While many of these discussions and debates did not settle long-standing disputes and issues, it paved the way for more discussions and policy-related discussions in the new year.
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Let’s go through this list. It’s entertaining.
#1 wasn’t a decision at all in fact. Just more studying, meetings, and hand-wringing! They still haven’t come down on anything “impactful” yet for downtown. That’s why everyone’s still hassling back and forth about what to do with downtown. We all see this happening and can’t believe how long it’s taking to make a call and go with it, but hey, that’s our SB City Council currently.
#3 is really impactful? Hmm, ok. I respectfully disagree.
#6 = a vote against affordable housing. That’s one is impactful. Just not in the way most folks realize.
#8 = “considering options”…well, no real decision one way or the other. Impactful? Yeah no.
The last sentence sums it up….
“While many of these discussions and debates did not settle long-standing disputes and issues, it paved the way for more discussions and policy-related discussions in the new year.”
Hmm, yeah.👍
The city councils majority has continued to put the squeeze on local residents, removed lanes of travel for cars, while building like it’s their last opportunity. None of that makes Santa Barbara a better place for those of us who have called it home for generations.