State Rejects Goleta's Affordable Housing Plan

Santa Barbara Daily Sound
Tuesday, March 22, 2007
By Colby Frazier
Daily Sound Staff Writer

The controversial housing element in the Goleta General Plan that calls for 55 percent of all new development to be classified affordable, was recently turned down by the California Department of Housing and Community Development.

This marks the third time the state has sent the city's inclusionary housing rate proposal back to the drawing board.

"...The Department finds the element continues to require significant revisions to comply with State housing element law," said Cathy E. Creswell, deputy director for the Department of Housing in a letter to council.

The decision by the department of housing comes on the heels of a March 5 city council meeting, during which the council officially voted to open the General Plan to possible amendments.

Some at that meeting criticized the council for diving into General Plan changes before the state's decision on the housing element was known.

Goleta City Manager Dan Singer said that argument was killed on Tuesday when the department of housing issued their findings.

"It's not a surprise," said Councilman Roger Aceves. "I totally expected it to come back."

APPROVAL
The 55 percent inclusionary housing rate was approved by the city council last year with a 4-1 vote. Current city mayor Jean Blois made the lone dissenting vote.

Of those who voted in favor of the rate, only councilwoman Jonny Wallis remains on the council.

The other three members; Jack Hawxhurst, Cynthia Brock and Margaret Connell, lost their spots on the council during the November General Election to Aceves, Michael Bennett and Eric Onnen -- all of whom repeatedly attacked the 55 percent inclusionary rate during their campaigns.

"We're cleaning up the General Plan," Bennett said. "The General Plan was a good document, it just needed to have the necessary changes to provide the things the General Plan was drafted to do."

For Singer, the department of housing's decision to send the housing element back to the city is not so much of a rejection, but more of a continuation of the process.

"This is a constructive letter," Singer said. "It gives us some very good suggestions that I believe the Council is willing to consider as we move forward with a General Plan Amendment."

The letter drafted by the state that outlines its reasons for turning down the city's housing element says: "The proposed 55 percent inclusionary housing policy represents one of the highest percentage inclusionary requirements in the State, and will significantly impact the cost and supply of housing in Goleta."

The 55 percent inclusionary housing rate isn't the only part of the housing element the department took exception to.

The letter also says the housing element submitted does not adequately demonstrate the projected residential densities and buildout capacities on the available sites identified in the plan.

Other issues identified in the letter state a lack of public participation while drafting the plan, as well as a lack of consistency throughout the plan.

Changes will also likely include floor area ratios that are specified in the General Plan and setbacks for new and remodeled structures.

After the General Plan was approved on Oct. 2 of last year, eight lawsuits were filed -- many as a result of the inclusionary housing rate.

Singer said the outcome of the lawsuits won't be known until the council makes official changes to the General Plan.

He did say however that a tentative agreement was reached with the plaintiffs of the lawsuits to not move forward with the lawsuits, but it expired last week. Singer said the city hopes to reach another similar agreement with the plaintiffs that will keep the various parties out of court until the current council's actions are made official.

'PERENNIAL QUESTION'
Now it's no longer a matter of if the General Plan will be amended, it's a matter of when it will be completed.

"That's kind of the perennial question," Singer said. "The more changes that get thrown out on the table so to speak the more complicated and cumbersome the process is going to get."

Singer said the council will likely split their changes into two different amendments in order to get some of the less complicated changes enacted more quickly.

On one side will be less changes like the inclusionary housing rate, which Singer said won't require any additional environmental review and will move through the process more quickly. On the other will be a host of changes that could take as long as a year to complete.

Singer said most inclusionary housing rates in the state of California fall anywhere between 15 to 30 percent, and Goleta will likely end up somewhere in between as well.

The council is scheduled to discuss General Plan amendments again at its April 16 meeting.

"I'm looking forward to holding additional public hearings to talk about the housing element and hopefully help us create one that the state will approve," Aceves said. "It's exciting. We'll be able to do it, and do it right."

Posted with permission from the Santa Barbara Daily Sound.

Update 3/22 2:05PM:
Story is now posted at the Santa Barbara Daily Sound Blog.