The Santa Barbara County Planning Commission on Wednesday approved a four-story housing project in Isla Vista. 

The property at 6587 Cervantes Road already has two residential buildings, and the project will add a third with 27 units. The site already has 22 units, 26 parking spaces and a dirt parking lot where anyone in Isla Vista can buy a parking spot for $100 a month. 

The new four-story building will go on the existing dirt parking lot. The first floor will have 26 parking spaces and 120 bicycle parking spots. The building will have 24 one-bedroom units and three two-bedroom units. 

Five units will be for low-income individuals, which means the project meets conditions to qualify for streamlined review and local governments can’t downsize the project. 

The project also receives Builder’s Remedy protections because the application was submitted while the county did not have a compliant Housing Element. 

Gelare Macon, the agent for the project, told the commission Wednesday that none of the existing tenants living at 6587 Cervantes Road uses the dirt parking lot where the new building will be constructed. 

In fact, she said, some tenants have asked for refunds because they don’t use the existing parking spaces allocated to them. 

Commissioner Roy Reed supported the project and said he believed the amount of parking being added will help mitigate any adverse impacts.

“I think it’s a project that will definitely meet a need in the community for additional housing in a sensitive way and should prove an asset,” Reed said. “It brings an underutilized piece of real estate to a higher and better use.”

Commissioner John Parke said he also appreciated the parking and architecture, and that the building height was consistent with the surrounding area. 

“I do like this project. I know there are some problems that we have in Isla Vista, and we’re gonna see them on other projects, but this project’s dealt with them,” Parke said. 

It’s the second Housing Accountability Act and SB 330 project in Isla Vista reviewed by the Planning Commission in the past month.

In February, the commission said that a proposed three-story housing project for 6737 Sueno Road was incompatible with the neighborhood and would worsen parking congestion. The commissioners were so displeased that they asked the developers if they would willingly go to the South County Board of Architectural Review for additional feedback. 

Commissioner Michael Cooney said he found the Cervantes Road project superior to another Isla Vista project they recently reviewed, referring to the Sueno Road site.

“I think the major issue of parking is better than adequately attended to, so I would be supportive of approving this project as presented,” Cooney said. 

The Sueno Road project is set to return to the Planning Commission for review next Wednesday.