The most review-intensive jurisdiction in the county — and the one we work in most. Single Family Design Board, Architectural Board of Review, Historic Landmarks Commission, and coastal overlays, all handled.
Schedule Your Free Site Visit →The City of Santa Barbara has the county’s most comprehensive design review framework. Nearly every project visible from a public right-of-way touches a review board — ABR for commercial and multi-family, SFDB for single-family homes, HLC for historic resources. Add the coastal overlay, neighborhood preservation ordinances, and the El Pueblo Viejo historic district, and even a modest remodel can require multiple approvals.
Working in the City means knowing how each board reads plans, what triggers discretionary review, and how to present projects so they get approved — not red-tagged through the review cycle.
ABR, SFDB, and HLC submittals — concept, preliminary, and final. We prepare presentations that address review criteria directly.
City coastal zone projects — appealable and non-appealable. We manage local review and any California Coastal Commission coordination.
Projects in the historic district or involving structures of merit. Certificate of Appropriateness, Structure of Merit findings, character-defining features.
NPO compliance for single-family properties — FAR calculations, neighborhood compatibility findings, setback modifications.
Building permit submittal, plan check corrections, inspector coordination. We shepherd applications through every department that touches them.
Open permits, unpermitted work, and enforcement cases — resolved. Negotiating with City staff to bring properties back into compliance.
Let us walk the property and map your path to approval.