Santa Barbara administrator outlines 'Pathways to Yes' to speed permitting, backs charter change for city leases

Kelly McAdoo, Santa Barbara city administrator, said the city is pursuing a suite of process changes intended to speed housing and development while protecting local character. "We're calling our program Pathways to Yes," McAdoo said, describing a cross-departmental team that will both pursue culture change in permitting and perform an "ordinance audit" to identify rules that slow projects.

McAdoo said the Pathways to Yes work includes incentives for projects that meet multiple city objectives, such as accelerated timelines or limited concessions if applicants satisfy a checklist of priorities. She framed the audit as an effort to compare the city's ordinances with state rules and other cities to remove unintended obstacles to development.

On stormwater in downtown, McAdoo said the city has awarded an engineering feasibility contract to study a city-owned stormwater facility on State Street that would let developers pay into an off-site mitigation system instead of making constrained on-site improvements.

McAdoo also highlighted a structural constraint on city-owned property: a charter provision that limits leases to 50 years. "The council did vote to put a charter amendment on the ballot in June to eliminate that lease restriction," she said, adding that removing the cap would increase options for long-term partnerships and housing development on underused downtown parking lots and other city parcels.

McAdoo said the program and audit are early but intended to give developers clearer paths through the city's review process while also protecting Santa Barbara's history and environment. "We have a real opportunity to do density in a way that respects Santa Barbara's culture and history and environment," she said.

The city plans further council conversations about recommended ordinance changes and expects the stormwater feasibility study to conclude before policy choices are finalized. The charter amendment will appear on the June ballot for voters to decide.