At its Nov. 13, 2025 meeting the Carpinteria City Architectural Review Board provided preliminary approval for the revised proposal for a new two‑story single‑family residence at 333 Linden Avenue, with the applicant instructed to return with required cut sheets and any follow‑up items.

Planner Cindy told the board the revised proposal calls for a 3,866 square‑foot residence (3,434 sf living area plus a 432 sf attached two‑car garage). Changes since the last review include a modest net increase in residence square footage (+183 sf), a slightly larger garage (+6 sf), and a reduction in maximum height by about 7 inches through lower plate heights in some areas. The project now incorporates a lot‑line adjustment with the parcel to the north that would increase the Linden lot to approximately 7,573 square feet (an increase of about 2,250 square feet, roughly 43 percent of the original lot area), creating two parallel parcels and adding roughly 50 feet of depth to the site.

Cindy also described architectural revisions designed to reduce ‘‘muscular’’ massing: added gables and pop‑outs, reconfigured floor plans to provide direct access to the backyard, and a new covered rear patio and balcony off the primary suite. She noted landscaping changes (including olive trees in the rear) and that the applicant proposes a slab‑on‑grade foundation; staff flagged for the record that the city’s interim sea‑level‑rise guidance does not require an elevated foundation for this site but asked the board to note the long‑term coastal context.

Public comment: neighbor Marilyn Jenkins urged the board to review the Stein/Steinhaus parcel condition and story‑pole visibility before final approval and said she had heard the owners had applied for short‑term rental permits for three properties, which she said suggested the houses were intended for rentals rather than long‑term occupancy. Jenkins said, "I've heard that they've applied for short term rental permits for all 3 properties, which means there's no intention of this being a residence at all." That allegation was presented as hearsay; the applicant did not confirm it in the meeting record.

Board response and motion: members discussed massing, privacy (raising second‑floor window sill heights to 60 inches in places), driveway/egress concerns on Linden and the potential need to screen pool equipment. A board member moved for preliminary approval and another seconded; the board voted in favor on a voice vote and directed staff to return with final cut sheets and follow-up information including the lot‑line adjustment and the planned demolition of an encroaching detached garage on the adjacent parcel.

Next steps: applicant to provide lighting cut sheets and final construction details; lot‑line adjustment and demolition work to be coordinated with staff and addressed as part of the project's final approvals.