The goal of the like-for-like rebuilding ordinance amendments the Board of Supervisors approved on Tuesday is to give Montecito residents a streamlined process to rebuild their homes destroyed or damaged in the Jan. 9 debris flow.

The supervisors voted to approve staff recommendations for the permitting requirement changes to the Montecito Land Use and Development Code, the county Land Use and Development Code, and Article II of the Coastal Zoning Ordinance.

Rebuilt structures can be relocated on their lots to meet top-of-bank setbacks, and can be built higher to comply with new base flood elevations from FEMA, which are expected to be released in June, according to county staff.

The amount of mud on properties, the post-event grade, won’t count against building height, Planning and Development Director Dianne Black said.

No design review would be required unless the structure’s exterior design is determined to be substantially different, she said.

The Montecito and county planning commissions suggested design review if the exterior design is proposed to be “changed,” but the supervisors decided to go with staff language of “substantially different.”

Homes being rebuilt may not be exactly the same — for example, people may not know the precise color it was painted, just that it was beige, or yellow, Black said.

First District Supervisor Das Williams said the like-for-like rebuilding meetings have brought up an “honest conflict of values” in the community, of “aesthetics and the ability to survive here.”

“Typically, aesthetic values trump much of the other considerations, but in this instance, I cannot condone that, I cannot side with that,” he said.

With the staff-recommended ordinance changes, there could be a few bad apples who try to take advantage of the rules, he said, but if the rebuilding process is too long and arduous, the county risks having people “de facto exiled from our community.”  

Allowing residents to relocate their structures is “vitally necessary” since some of the sites are dangerous — which is why the homes were destroyed in the first place, he added.

Second District Supervisor Janet Wolf talked about going through the rebuilding process with her family when their home was destroyed in the Painted Cave Fire.

“I know for me and my husband, it was important for us and for our kids to get back to some sense of normalcy,” she said.

During public comment, many Montecito residents urged the Board of Supervisors to adopt the staff-recommended like-for-like rebuilding ordinance changes.

Recovering from a debris flow is much more complicated than recovering from a wildfire, said Abe Powell, a member of the Montecito Fire Protection District board and a founder of the Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade.

The ordinance changes will help residents rebuild and sends the right message at the right time, he said: “When the mountain comes down on this community, we’re going to rise up and work together to help survivors recover and heal, because that’s how we do it in this town.”

John Keating, whose home was destroyed in the gas transmission line explosion, spoke softly, saying his vocal chords were burned in the fire.

He said his family lost everything in the fire and debris flow, and thanked county staff for their efforts making it easier to rebuild.

Anne Price, associate director of La Casa de Maria, said the retreat center lost nine of its 17 buildings, and many more were damaged in the debris flow.

The creek bed bordering its 26-acre property receded during the debris flow, and without the like-for-like rebuilding ordinance changes, the nonprofit would have limited options where it could rebuild, she said.

Cori Hayman, a member of the Montecito Association, said the group’s top priority is to “facilitate rebuilding as fast as possible while staying true to the community plan.”

The Montecito Association wanted the county to require design review for buildings proposing any exterior changes, and providing notice to neighbors.

Darlene Bierig, a former Montecito Water District board member and Montecito Association member, said the process should not have discretionary review for like-by-like rebuilding.

“I understand some peoples’ concerns, a house may move closer and a little higher, but these victims did not cause the problem. They are the victims of the mudflow, and need compassion and empathy, and to move people through the process as quickly as can be,” she said.

Black said that county staff members will hold internal meetings to make sure the permitting process is consistent, and that case managers for rebuilding recommend that everyone going through the process talks to their neighbors. 

“We would all be better off if neighbors know what’s going on, and hopefully we can avoid most if not all appeals,” she said. ​

— Noozhawk managing editor Giana Magnoli can be reached at gmagnoli@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.