A western Goleta housing project made headway last week.

The Goleta Planning Commission voted 4-0 to approve the vesting map, development plan and design of the proposed 59-unit housing project at 7360 Hollister Ave., near a shopping center and mobile home park. 

City Ventures, the project developer, proposes demolishing four existing structures on the property to make way for 12 three-story modern farmhouse-style buildings.

“Overall, I think it’s actually a nice project. I like the architecture, the way it looks,” Commissioner Jennifer Fullerton said.

The solar all-electric townhomes, ranging from 1,292 to 1,628 square feet, would feature a private garage and patio.

The condominium residential community also would have community amenities such as an event lawn, picnic and barbecue areas, and a garden.

“They are meant to be first homes for future homeowners,” said Nick Patterson, development manager with City Ventures.

Noozhawk’s previous reporting said the project would have 13 three-story buildings, but that was in error in the staff report, according to project planner Sophia Tatylan. 

The project also seeks to improve Hollister Avenue, including restriping and modifying the existing median to provide a left turn pocket entering Cannon Green Drive.

Additionally, the project would include underground electrical, telephone and cable, and above-ground utilities within the project site, according to a city report.

The project is subject to the Housing Accountability Act and State Density Bonus Law because of the proposed three very-low-income units.

The locations and rates of the three units have not been decided yet, Patterson told the Planning Commission. 

“It’s determined by the (California Department of Housing and Community Development), and so every year it does change, so it’s hard to identify,” Patterson said.

Additionally, the three units would be deed-restricted for 55 years, according to the city staff report.

While planning commissioners supported the project, they wished there were more affordable housing units.

“It is very difficult and very painful to watch a lot of young people be unable to find a place to live,” Commissioner Rita Serotkin said.

Under the Housing Accountability Act and Senate Bill 330, the city’s authority to deny or condition the project is significantly restricted, according to the city staff report. 

Additionally, under state law, City Ventures is requesting to increase the building height to 38.6 feet, exceeding the 35-foot maximum. It also requests that some units not meet the private open space requirement.

Prior project documents listed the height as 41 feet, but Patterson said that was a document error. 

Still, Serotkin was concerned about the height and the area’s accessibility during emergencies.

“Right now, the (story) poles kind of loom and block the view of the mountains,” she said. 

Serotkin also suggested that the project team and city staff work together to extend Entrance Road around the back so fire and emergency vehicles could access the area better.

The proposed height has been a main topic of neighboring mobile home residents’ criticisms of the project. 

Last week, Steve Hathaway, owner of Ellwood Station, said the project’s height will encroach on the privacy of the mobile home park residents.

“The families in our community will lose all reasonable residential privacy due to this massive, unmitigated overlooking effect and destroy all privacy,” he said.

However, Patterson said the project would not have any patios facing the mobile home park, and the project site is slightly lower than Ellwood Station.

“It will help offset the height of our buildings compared to theirs, probably enough to be very close to the 35-foot building height,” he added.

It also requests to use a concession to adjust the number of affordable housing units. 

Commissioner Fullerton voiced a noise concern about the project’s proximity to Dioji K-9 Resort & Athletic Club, a dog daycare and boarding facility.  

Patterson said there would be one or two units on that side. Project staff could also look at implementing double-paned windows for soundproofing, he added.

Future potential residents would be notified about the proximity of the dog daycare and boarding facility, according to Darryl Mimick, supervising planner with the City of Goleta. 

Fullerton said she could see future complaints about the noise even with the disclosure.

The Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce supported the housing development last week.

“With housing options becoming scarce and increasingly more expensive, more home ownership opportunities support people like me who grew up here or those who moved to the region to work,” said Rachel Murphy, public policy coordinator for the Chamber of Commerce.

Goleta can conduct only five meetings regarding the residential project, under SB 330. It was the project’s second meeting; its first was at the Goleta Design Review Board in June.

Planning Commissioner Anne Miller was absent for the meeting.