The Guadalupe City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve the development of seven apartments on a vacant lot at 855 Pioneer St.
Proposed by the Housing Authority of the County of Santa Barbara, the project would be a three-story, nearly 39-foot-tall building called Dunes Vista Apartments. The complex would include 450-square-foot, one-bedroom units and 650-square-foot, two-bedroom units.
Additionally, the project would add eight on-site parking spaces, including one ADA-compliant space.
The project was designed by Arris Studio Architect, with project representative Rebecca Newman saying during her presentation to the city that it’s a “100% affordable project.”
Six out of the seven units would be subject to deed restrictions, meaning they would be legally required to remain affordable for low-income households earning between 60% and 120% of the area median income. The seventh apartment would be set aside for an on-site manager.
While a timeline for the project wasn’t disclosed, the project would use off-site modular construction to speed up the process. Under the city’s conditions of approval, the developer must notify staff at least five working days before starting work, as well as submit an estimated construction schedule.
Following a pre-application for this project in 2025, developers reduced the density from nine single-bedroom units to the seven larger units to better serve families.
Following the unanimous approval, Mayor Ariston Julian emphasized the potential long-lasting benefit for local families.
“Look forward to that,” Julian said. “It’s needed, especially if it’s going to stay in affordable housing for perpetuity.”
During public comment, residents raised concerns regarding potential neighborhood congestion and environmental impacts from the project. Resident Edward Zarate said the street is already dealing with parking issues.
“Ninth and Pioneer gets a lot of flooding, and I think these are things that need to be addressed,” he said. “I’m not opposed to having a place for people to live, but I think we’ve already done a lot on Pioneer Street by putting additional housing.”
Councilwoman Whitney Furness agreed on the parking issues on Pioneer Street, but noted the parking being added with the apartments.
“This gives homes to quite a few more people with some parking,” Furness said. “It’s better than no parking, in my opinion.”
