Supervisors direct staff to pursue ministerial-permit reforms to speed reviews for small projects

The Board of Supervisors on May 12 directed Planning Department staff to proceed with code amendments that would expand ministerial approvals and reduce appealable discretionary reviews for many small residential and commercial projects.

Planning staff and consultants described two main approaches: a hybrid model that sets objective criteria (e.g., parcel coverage, slope, FAR thresholds) to determine when ministerial approval is allowed, and a broader ministerial approach that would convert many routine permits to counter appeals and speed turnaround. Staff highlighted examples (ADUs, small accessory structures and limited commercial changes) that could move to counter-based processing, and showed visual examples of FAR and massing thresholds used elsewhere.

Public commenter Francis Romero urged more liberal ministerial allowances to reduce cost and delay for small-scale community activity (for example, farmer’s markets). Supervisors debated countywide uniform standards versus community-specific protections (Montecito, coastal areas), and raised issues including parking, traffic and historic/coastal protections. Several supervisors said the majority of simple projects should be ministerial but asked staff to carve out special areas and ensure design-review protections where appropriate.

The board voted to receive and file the staff report, provide the directions given during the hearing, and return with proposed ordinance language and maps identifying any special-area exceptions. Motions to receive the report and provide direction passed unanimously.