Planning & Development
P&D staff are the primary contacts for permit requests. They determine whether your development proposal conforms to State and local planning regulations, and they complete or coordinate any environmental review required by State law. Your P&D planner works closely with other department representatives and will represent the County at any public hearings on your project. Once your project is approved, P&D issues any required Land Use, Grading or Building Permits.
Other County Departments
While not every application is reviewed by each department, you may want to contact the departments listed below to see what requirements they may have. If your application is for a large development project, P&D will provide an application to these representatives who will review your project together at the Subdivision/Development Review Committee meeting scheduled during the first 30 days of review.
Public Works: Roads Division, 123 E. Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. (805) 568-3030. Reviews traffic circulation, roadway capacity and safety issues. Flood Control, (805) 568-3440. Reviews site development in relation to streams, creeks, and identified flood hazard zones; drainage. Surveyor [for subdivision maps, mergers, lot line adjustments and certificates of compliance only], (805) 568-3022. Reviews compliance with Subdivision Map Act requirements, proper monumentation.
Environmental Health Services, Environmental Health Services, 120 Cremona Drive,
Suite C, Goleta, CA 93117. (805) 681-4900. No. County 2125 S. Centerpointe Pkwy, #333 SM
CA 93455 805-346-8460
Reviews water systems, private sewage disposal systems, and hazardous materials.
Air Pollution Control District, 26 Castilian Dr., Suite B-23, Goleta 93117. (805) 961-8800. Business Assistance Line (805) 961-8868. Reviews potential long-term, construction and operational air quality impacts (e.g. dust generation, automobile emissions, construction emissions, and stationary source emissions).
County Fire Department, 4410 Cathedral Oaks Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93110. (805) 681-5528. Reviews adequate fire protection access, hydrant location, protection systems and water availability, hazardous material storage and waste disposal. If you are not served by the County Fire Department, contact your local Fire Department for information.
Park Department, 610 Mission Canyon Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93105. (805) 568-2469. Reviews potential impacts to local recreational facilities and access (e.g. trails, parks, beach access).
Most projects will not be reviewed by all of these departments. If they do review your project, they will send comments in the form of technical advice and analysis and conditions to be applied by the decision maker. P&D synthesizes this information with information obtained by their own research to develop documents and recommendations intended to aid appointed and elected officials in their decision making.
Other Agencies to Contact
Local: You should contact any public services district which has jurisdiction over your property such as a water or sewer district and homeowners associations governing your property. Local school districts usually require fees for development prior to issuance of building permits.
State and Federal: If there is any watercourse drainage or wetland on your property you will probably need permits from the following agencies:
California State Regional Water Quality Control Board (805) 549-3147
Army Corp of Engineers (805) 641-1127
California Department of Fish & Game* (310) 590-5132
*Effective January 1, 1991, CA Dept. of Fish & Game requires that applicants pay a fee of $1250 for review of ND's, $850 for review of EIR's.
After You Have Applied