HE-1: Adaptive Reuse Ordinance

The City of Santa Barbara is moving forward with the adoption of an adaptive reuse ordinance, designated as HE-1, to encourage the conversion of existing nonresidential buildings into residential or mixed-use housing within specified zoning districts including R-M, R-MH, O-R, O-M, C-R, C-G, and M-C. This regulatory initiative streamlines the approval process for such conversions by leveraging existing zoning and building codes, ensuring no net increase in density beyond regional housing needs allocations while requiring discretionary review for any modifications to building envelopes. All conversions must undergo a site suitability determination for potentially contaminated soils to ensure residential safety, consistent with local environmental health protocols. The ordinance is exempt from full environmental review under CEQA § 15061(b)(3), which allows for expedited implementation without altering permitted land uses or triggering additional environmental impact assessments. The project is administered by the City of Santa Barbara’s Community Development Department, with Julia Pujo, Environmental Analyst, and Dana Falk, Project Planner, serving as the primary contacts for coordination and planning. The place of performance is clearly defined as Santa Barbara, California, and no formal contract or procurement mechanism is in place—instead, this is a regulatory action framed as a forecast with no solicitation number, contract value, pricing, payment terms, or federal acquisition regulation (FAR) clauses involved. There are no identified contractors, invoicing procedures, accounting codes, or procurement evaluation factors, as the initiative does not constitute a traditional government contract but rather a municipal land-use policy change. The process relies on local ordinances, building standards, and environmental compliance checks rather than contractual obligations, with submission addresses and mailing details provided for public feedback and planning application purposes, though no formal deadline or proposal submission guidelines are established.