Santa Barbara County Approves Major Reforms to Streamline Planning and Zoning Permits

Ordinance Amendments Improve Customer Service and Reduce Processing Times

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors on January 27, 2026, approved a comprehensive set of ordinance amendments designed to make the planning and zoning system more efficient, predictable, and user-friendly for residents, homeowners, and businesses throughout the county.

The Ordinance Streamlining and Housing Accommodation amendments represent a major milestone in the County’s ongoing effort to modernize its permitting processes while continuing to protect community character and environmental resources.

“Today’s action is a practical step toward making our permitting system work better,” said Chair of the Board of Supervisors Bob Nelson. “It’s not a cure-all, but it moves us in the right direction. We’ll keep working to fix outdated rules and make the process more predictable for families and local businesses.”

The approved changes are part of Phase Two of a three-phase modernization initiative focused on reducing unnecessary complexity, improving transparency, and creating more consistent outcomes for customers navigating the permitting process.

The newly adopted ordinance amendments will take effect in the County Land Use and Development Code and Montecito Land Use Development Code February 26, 2026, and in the Coastal Zoning Ordinance area following Coastal Commission certification.  It includes several significant improvements:

• Faster approvals for lower-impact projects such as time extensions, minor modifications, and small development plans by shifting them to streamlined staff-level reviews
• Limited appeals for minor projects where decision-making discretion is minimal
• Standardized procedures for notification requirements and permit expiration dates to make rules easier to understand and apply
• Cleaner zoning code with outdated provisions removed, redundancy reduced, and clearer explanations of when and how regulations apply

These changes are expected to shorten review times, reduce costs, and improve the customer experience while maintaining environmental protections, and design standards.

“Our goal is simple: we want people to spend less time navigating bureaucracy and more time building the projects that improve their lives and strengthen our community,” said Planning and Development Director Lisa Plowman.  “These reforms represent years of careful work to identify where we can be more efficient without compromising safety or quality.”

The approved amendments also include important updates that support housing goals identified in the County’s recently adopted Housing Element. These changes modernize commercial zones to allow more mixed-use development and adjust standards in multifamily zones—such as height, setbacks, and open space requirements—to better support housing at planned densities.

A full look at the new ordinance amendments and revisions made by the Board at the hearing can be found online, County of Santa Barbara – File #: 25-01069.

Today’s approval represents Phase Two of the County’s comprehensive streamlining initiative. Phase One, approved earlier, updated and modernized the County’s lighting and sign regulations. Phase Three, coming later this year, will include additional zoning updates that further reduce permitting requirements for certain projects and expand the use of objective, streamlined approvals. This effort, aimed at residential homeowners and businesses, will further reduce processing times and lead to greater certainty and predictability for applicants, whether it’s a homeowner requesting a small addition or a new business seeking to move into a commercial building

For many homeowners and businesses, these ongoing improvements will mean faster approvals, lower costs, and greater certainty when making property improvements or pursuing development projects.

The County has already demonstrated the value of streamlined permitting through its on-demand permit program. Homeowners can now receive immediate online permits for common projects like water heater replacements, electrical panel upgrades, re-roofs, solar panel installations, and utility line upgrades. Since the program was launched, the County has issued more than 3,500 on-demand permits, saving customers considerable time while maintaining safety through required inspections.

Through this thoughtful, phased approach, Santa Barbara County is building a planning and permitting system that works better for the community, supports housing and economic vitality, and protects the qualities that make the county a great place to live, work, and do business.

For more information about the County’s permitting processes, visit Planning and Building Permit Applications & Forms | Santa Barbara County, CA – Official Website