Carpinteria’s planning commissioners are wary of a proposal to turn two vacant office buildings into 31 housing and live-work units, concerned about setting a precedent of putting housing on the bluffs. 

The commissioners on Monday offered their feedback on the proposal for 6185 Carpinteria Ave. as part of a conceptual review, which allows the development team to get feedback before formally submitting the project for city review.  

The project — also the subject of a conceptual review by the Carpinteria City Council last month — includes 20 market-rate live-work and 11 housing units on the 3.68-acre bluffs property. 

Those 31 units include 14 studios, three one-bedroom and three two-bedroom live-work units, and nine one-bedroom and two two-bedroom residential units.

The live-work units would have small office spaces adjacent to residential apartments, and the tenants would have to obtain business licenses. 

The two existing office buildings on that site would be repurposed, and the exterior of the building would largely remain the same. The parcel’s 120 parking spots would also remain on site.

The developer, Peter Lewis, also owns Palm Lofts, a similar live-work concept on Palm Avenue in Carpinteria. 

Lewis said the COVID-19 pandemic “forever changed the way that work occurs.”

He called the site the “best buildings on the bluffs to be repurposed” because of the layout and existing balconies. 

While the project won’t count toward the city’s low-income Regional Housing Need Allocations numbers, “it can add units to a community that needs housing,” he said. 

But many public commenters opposed the proposal, concerned about putting any sort of housing in the bluffs, even in a repurposed building. 

It would “open the floodgates to more housing” on the bluffs, John Tilton argued, while Whitney Abbott called the bluffs a “precious commodity.” 

Only commenter Arturo Tello — a 21-year Palm Lofts resident who also spoke in support of the project at the City Council last month — offered his support this week.

He said he believes this project would be a “pressure release valve” in the housing demand. 

It would “take the demand for housing and vent it into a building that is already standing,” he said. 

Commissioners had their doubts. Commissioner David Allen called it a “major change” in how the bluffs are currently used. 

“It’s not (a) legal precedent, but it certainly is a precedent,” he said. “…We’re not considering this in isolation.” 

Commissioner Alexandra “Xy” VanAntwerp asked what was the public benefit of putting market-rate housing on the bluffs.

Commissioner Glenn LaFevers said the city’s business area is “too valuable” to compromise with residential units, while Chair John Moyer said the rental costs would be incredibly high, given the views and location. 

Commissioners also were concerned about how the project fits into the parcel’s current land-use designation — industrial/research park district — given that the residential use outnumbers commercial use 6-1.

They also asked if a residential overlay or rezone would better suit the project. 

Lewis said pursuing a residential overlay or rezone would push the project back by years. 

No housing is currently located on the bluffs, although there is a nearby proposal under review down the road.