Board approves conversion of 2310 Chapala Street church to single-family residence

The Santa Barbara Single Family Design Board approved project design and final approval Nov. 3 for a proposal to convert an existing one-story church at 2310 Chapala Street into a single-family residence and add a detached garage with an accessory dwelling unit above.

The project site is a 17,012-square-foot lot with an existing 2,456-square-foot nonresidential structure. The proposed conversion adds 37 square feet to create a 2,493-square-foot main residence, a detached 609-square-foot garage with a 194-square-foot workshop, and an 800-square-foot accessory dwelling unit above the garage, according to the applicant's presentation. The staff hearing officer previously approved an accessory-building floor-area modification, and staff recorded a CEQA exemption on Sept. 17, 2025.

Board members heard from the applicant team, which described refined window proportions, a reduced head height and aligned sill heights at the main house to improve the front elevation, and design changes intended to make the garage/ADU read as a secondary element. The applicant said civil and landscape work was refined to address stormwater runoff after neighbor feedback. Landscape plans show drought-tolerant plantings including two olive trees in the front and three citrus trees along a north boundary; the plan also calls for demolition of the church parking lot and replacement with hydromulch.

Staff noted the Parks and Recreation Commission approved removal of one 14-inch liquidambar street tree on May 28, 2025. Board members asked about floor-area ratio calculations; staff said the FAR submittal was revised to exclude exterior accessory stairs and that the net floor area appears on the applicant's title sheet.

A motion to approve project design approval and final approval passed with affirmative votes recorded for Board member Richards, Board member Mosnahi, Board member Grafati and Vice Chair Sherry. The board announced a 10-day appeal period following the decision.

The board's action allows the applicant to proceed with final submittals and building permits if no appeal is filed within the appeal window. The record will reflect the Staff Hearing Officer's prior floor-area modification and the CEQA exemption noted in staff documents.