A World War II Santa Barbara Airport hangar is getting a second life thanks to Marc Winnikoff, who is turning the structure into a research and development facility.

The Goleta Design Review Board granted the project preliminary approval last week, appreciating how the project was reusing a piece of the past. 

“When I looked at these plans at length at home, tears came to my eyes because it is such a beautiful project,” board member Martha Degasis said. “I’m not just saying that figuratively. I mean it really is exemplary and beautiful.”

Winnikoff is proposing relocating a 9,042-square-foot World War II squadron airplane hangar, known as Hangar 5, along with two World War II-era quonset huts from Tri-County Produce to 135 Castilian Drive, off of Los Carneros Road.

While the developers want to use as much of the existing material from the hangar and huts as possible, Winnikoff explained that depending on the condition, they might have to add metal paneling to the sides and roofs. 

“​​We’re hoping we can use the structure of whatever we can,” Winnikoff said. “If it’s substandard and it’s not safe, we won’t, but that’s our intent.”

However, the developers won’t know for sure until they conduct an inventory of all the pieces. City staff said they might have to come back to the Design Review Board if that’s the case.

The project also includes two solar carports along with 47 new parking spaces and 11 bicycle parking spaces.

Currently on site is a 21,928-square-foot office building, and the hangar and huts would be added to the eastern portion of the site. 

The project was first reviewed by the board in May. At the time, Winnikoff said the hangar and the quonset huts were set to be demolished before he took them over. 

At the initial meeting, board members asked the developers to consider a pedestrian path between the existing building and the hangar. 

Winnikoff said they did consider a pathway between the quonset huts and hangar, but it would have to come at the cost of losing landscaping, and the developers are already requesting permission to reduce the required amount of landscaping from 30% to 27.4%.

The project now will go to the Goleta Planning Commission for review. If approved, it will return to the Design Review Board for final design detail feedback. 

Board chair Scott Branch recused himself from the hearing because of a conflict of interest.