The Santa Barbara Planning Commission approved a revised plan for a proposed Milpas Street apartment complex, which included six additional units, earlier this month.
The apartment proposal, located at 701 N. Milpas St. at the corner of Ortega Street, will include 16 units designated as moderate-income affordable units.
The revised plan, approved by the commission on May 12, increased the number of units from 76 to 82 and changed the architecture from contemporary to Spanish-Mediterranean style.
The revision also increased the height from 45 feet to 48 feet with some portions measuring 52 feet. The commercial space was cut to 1,365 square feet while residential amenities grew to include a business center with two conference rooms and a vastly expanded fitness area.
“Ultimately, we thought that space would be more valuable as amenities to the tenants in this building than as a marginally performing retail space,” Jarrett Gorin, a principal at Vanguard Planning, told the commission, noting the project as a whole would still benefit the community.
At its meeting, the Planning Commission approved the height exception for the project as well as a front setback modification for parking and a parking modification to allow less than the required number of spaces. The project is slated to include 110 parking spaces.
The cutback of retail space or street-facing community involvement caused consternation among some on the commission, but the revised proposal was still approved in a 7-0 vote.
“From my perspective, the constraints of this site, the goals of this project, the intent to provide as much housing as possible has been met,” Commissioner Roxana Bonderson said. “We are on the right path here. It is a much better project than we’ve seen before.”
Commissioner John M. Baucke said he found the architecture to still be “average at best.” Because of the change to Milpas Street it will bring, Mr. Baucke said the project should be held to a higher standard.
The Architectural Board of Review will consider the project for design approval. email: kschallhorn@newspress.com
