The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the development plan for a new Goleta Valley apartment project, slated to create 27 units, on Tuesday.
Supervisors and Pete Jordano, a local business leader and CEO of Jordano’s Foodservice, stressed the need for additional local housing, especially for workers who are commuting from far distances amid rising gas prices.
The three-story Galileo Pisa, LLC Apartments project would include 27 units, three detached covered carports, two trash enclosures, 60 vehicle parking spaces and 54 covered bicycle parking spaces. The project would allocate two parking spaces per unit with additional guest parking. It would also include more than 28,600 square feet of common space.
The project site is measured at 1.62 acres at 5317 Calle Real. It is near storage facilities.
“When I talk to business leaders, that is the No. 1 issue our business community is facing: is that there’s not adequate housing for local employees, and more and more people are being forced to drive very long distances to live,” Supervisor Gregg Hart said.
Supervisor Hart called the project a “compromise,” noting the project is not a high-density housing site but rather a more “modest” proposal.
“We who live here know we have a housing crisis, and we’re trying to respond to that,” Supervisor Hart, who represents the 2nd District where the project is planned, said. “We desperately need units for people to live, and this is a very high-quality rental project that’s thoughtfully designed.”
Trudi Carey, president of The Carey Group and the applicant for the Galileo Pisa apartment project, said she hoped to see rental priority be given to nurses and firefighters who work nearby.
The development’s application was first submitted at the end of 2019. The county Planning Commission unanimously recommended the board approve the project in December 2021 during a public hearing.
Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting also began with a COVID-19 announcement: Face coverings will no longer be required indoors although the public health department is still “strongly encouraging” county staff and members of the public to wear masks and social distance in crowded indoor spaces.
Additionally Tuesday, the board received an update from the KPMG firm on the status of the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.
The presentation was not an official audit but meant to serve as recommendations to increase savings and efficiencies within the department.
KPMG was selected in 2019 to review all of the county’s departments, including Behavioral Wellness and Public Works, over the course of four years.
The Santa Barbara County Fire Department was commended Tuesday for its culture and commitment to the county by KPMG representatives. It was also praised for its investments in technology enablement and commitment to effective internal communications.
The firm recommended the department expand its process of tracking the costs of its services and better enable new staff training and recruitment to enhance workforce development and succession planning.
After hearing public comment regarding proposed changes to a cannabis operations ordinance, the board voted 4-1 to move forward with the consideration.
Chair Joan Hartmann was the lone “no” vote on this administrative item. email: kschallhorn@newspress.com
