The Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore in Montecito took design and construction plans to the Montecito Planning Commission and received preliminary approval Wednesday.

After a lengthy discussion, the commission approved the design plans with the agreement that The Biltmore would reduce the size of the family pool complex. 

Chip Wullbrandt, a land use attorney for The Biltmore, told the commission that they hope to have the hotel open in July 2025.

Changes to the iconic hotel include a new family pool complex, new bungalows, renovated guest rooms, new retail space and new back-of-house facilities.   

In August, the Montecito Board of Architecture Review denied preliminary approval for the conceptual plans.

The hotel, at 1260 Channel Drive, has been the face of controversy and mystery for the past four years after it closed in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The closure resulted in 650 employees being furloughed and a lengthy legal battle between the Four Seasons and the workers. 

Owner Ty Warner decided to update the property a few years into the closure.  

The family pool complex would include a 3,557-square-foot irregularly shaped pool with a beach and rock waterfall feature, and a 9,716-square-foot circular river-like pool with two beaches on the other side of the rock waterfall feature.

The tranquil pool would be part of an 8,267-square-foot pool facility with a towel station, outdoor showers, and restrooms.

The circular pool would be no more than 20 feet wide and 150 feet long. The pool would have an island in the center with a service bar, restrooms, a snack stand and outdoor showers.

Wullbrandt said the hotel agrees to reduce the surface area of the water for the family pool complex by 5% after commissioners expressed concern that it was a bit big and too close to the road. 

Wullbrandt asked the commission to expand working hours so that construction could go from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday in order to speed up the process. The commission denied the request because a new environmental impact report would be needed, and they were concerned about the impact it would have on neighbors. 

Commissioner Sandy Stahl expressed concern over how much retail space would be included at The Biltmore.

“This is a really important factor for me,” Stahl said. “The number of stores that are included in the hotel, which aren’t necessarily part of the resort, I think it impacts us. It doesn’t just impact how the hotel is used, but it impacts the stores and shops that are part of Montecito.”

Wullbrandt said there was a project approved in March that is under construction that included converting 5,000 square feet of rooms into retail. Wullbrandt explained that the space will be used for shops and guest services. The numbers and types of shops are still undetermined, he said.  

In the application to the Planning Commission, the hotel requested that an additional 1,680 square feet be converted into retail space. 

Stahl said she was hesitant to approve the project without knowing the exact number of shops that would be in the space. 

When it came time to make a motion, Stahl argued that they shouldn’t approve the additional retail space. After some discussion, staff advised the commission that they couldn’t approve the project without the additional retail space. They would have to approve the project as a whole or not approve it at all.

The Planning Commission received numerous letters in support of the project and one public comment during Wednesday’s meeting.

Tom Widroe of the Santa Barbara Taxpayers Association said the reopened Biltmore would bring in $15 million in tax revenue for Santa Barbara County. 

“I’m personally concerned that if this project gets delayed, and it goes past the July proposed opening of 2025, that’s $15 million in tax revenue that our county needs,” he said.

Widroe also argued that the commission should approve longer construction hours to ensure that the project finishes on time. 

The commission approved the project 3-1, with Stahl voting against it. Commissioner Robert Kupiec attended the staff and applicant presentations through Zoom but was unable to participate in deliberations and voting. 

The Biltmore will have to go back to the Montecito Board of Architecture Review for final approval before getting permits for construction.