The Santa Barbara City Council discussed the topic of hotel development Tuesday and voted 5-2 to have city staff return with a draft ordinance on June 28.
The vote came after city staff discussed the details of an interim urgency ordinance, which would temporarily limit the development or expansion of hotels.
“The city has a longstanding history of pyramid zoning. Pyramid zoning allows multiple uses in certain zones,” city planner Renee Brooke told the council. “There is concern that allowing additional hotel development could frustrate goals of housing development and concerns about converting existing stock to hotels.”
Ms. Brooke explained the ordinance would affect approximately 130 hotel rooms.
Both property owners and the community would have the opportunity to give input over the coming months on the issue of the housing element, according to Ms. Brooke.
In other business, the council voted 7-0 in favor of renewing the Wildland Fire Suppression Assessment District, which was established in 2006 and is renewed annually. Services and projects include vegetation management, road clearance, chipping services and defensible space evaluations.
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