The Santa Barbara City Planning Commission voted unanimously Oct. 16 to initiate a zoning map amendment and a local coastal program (LCP) study for part of the Santa Barbara Airport parcel at 3404 Moffett Place to evaluate creation of a new long‑term surface parking lot and related coastal permitting.

Jessica Metzger, airport planner for the City of Santa Barbara, told the commission the parcel under consideration is currently zoned “airport approach operations,” a designation intended for aircraft‑related apron and operational areas that generally does not allow customer parking. Metzger said staff is requesting initiation of a rezone to “airport facility,” a zoning designation that would allow terminal‑related uses such as surface parking, rental car lots and customer access. “This is simply an information collection according to CEQA section 15,306,” Metzger said, describing the initiation step as the start of project‑level study, with environmental review to follow when a formal rezone application and coastal development permit are submitted.

The parcel sits adjacent to the Goleta Slough and contains vacant land, utility access (a manhole and Goleta West Sanitary District easement), and a small apron with hangars that staff said are largely dilapidated or removed. Metzger said the airport has budgeted for additional parking work over the last two years and that recent success of a parking lot adjacent to the terminal prompted consideration of expanding long‑term parking to the south of the terminal. She said the proposed new surface lot would add roughly 530 spaces; combined with about 90 existing spaces in the area, that would exceed the roughly 550 spaces in the current off‑site “economy” lot the airport now uses across Hollister Avenue.

Commissioners pressed staff on several practical issues. Commissioner DeLucio asked whether the proposal was for a parking structure; Metzger replied the plan is for a surface lot. Commissioner Wisscomb asked about timing; Metzger said staff expects to reach design milestones and be prepared to submit a full coastal development permit, zoning rezone application and LCP amendment package to the commission “probably at the beginning of summer next year,” with subsequent city council review. Metzger also said the walk from the terminal to the proposed lot would be about five to seven minutes depending on pace, and that the parking project design will address pedestrian access, lighting, landscaping and electric vehicle chargers.

Commissioners and staff discussed the airport master plan and related land‑use options for airport‑owned property. Several commissioners urged staff to study a larger area that would extend south to include a public viewing area at the Goleta Slough and adjacent storage areas currently used for staging soil and equipment. Commissioner Balke and others suggested staff “study potentially expanding the scope” of the rezoning study to include that viewing area; staff indicated that because an LCP amendment will be required for the proposed rezone, revisiting the larger area is practicable but would be a separate, larger task requiring additional notice and analysis.

Commissioner Barnwell moved to adopt the staff report and recommendation to initiate the rezone, and to include commission comments asking staff to study a potential southward expansion of the study area (including the public viewing area). The motion, seconded by Commissioner Wisscomb, passed on a roll call vote: Whiskam (yes), Barnwell (yes), Peterson (yes), Balke (yes), DeLucio (yes), Chair Wardlow (yes).

Metzger said environmental review would be conducted at the project level when a formal application is filed and that the LCP amendment, zoning map amendment and coastal development permit would be brought to the commission together. She also confirmed federal regulations prohibit airport‑owned property from being used for housing.

The initiation does not approve any construction; it authorizes staff to study a rezone and associated LCP amendment and to return with formal applications that would include project‑level CEQA analysis and detailed design. The commission directed staff to return on consent or for further discussion with materials showing any expanded boundary under consideration and to keep the Airport Commission and other stakeholders informed as the study proceeds.

The hearing record included written correspondence from Paulina Khan; no in‑person or virtual speakers addressed this item during the formal public comment period.