Santa Barbara Municipal Code Ch. 30.35 Coastal-Oriented Zones

The purposes of Coastal-Oriented Zones are as follows:

A. Coastal-Oriented Hotel and Restaurant (CO-HR) Zone. The Coastal-Oriented Hotel and Restaurant (CO-HR) Zone, strives to promote, maintain and protect visitor-serving uses. Hotels and restaurants are the primary uses.

B. Coastal-Oriented Hotel and Visitor-Serving (CO-HV) Zone. The Coastal-Oriented Hotel and Visitor-Serving (CO-HV) Zone, because of its proximity to the shoreline and location along two major arteries, strives to promote, maintain and protect visitor-serving and commercial recreational uses. Tourist and traveler related uses shall be encouraged in this zone in a manner which does not detract from the desirability of the shoreline as a place to visit. Residential uses are appropriate in certain areas. Land classified in the CO-HV Zone may also be overlaid with a second classification of being in the Coastal-Oriented Commercial, Arts and Recreation (CO-CAR) Zone.

C. Coastal-Oriented Harbor (CO-H) Zone. The Coastal-Oriented Harbor (CO-H) Zone strives to maintain the harbor as primarily a working harbor with visitor-serving and coastal-related uses secondary to coastal-dependent uses, and that Stearns Wharf will consist of a mixture of visitor-serving, and coastal-dependent and coastal-related uses. In addition, this zone is intended to preserve and protect the coastal environment in terms of light, air, and visual amenities.

D. Coastal-Oriented Commercial, Arts, and Recreation (CO-CAR) Zone. The Coastal-Oriented Commercial, Arts, and Recreation (CO-CAR) Zone strives to achieve balanced use of the City's Waterfront and maintain the small scale, local character that is unique to the Waterfront area. Land uses shall be encouraged in this zone that maintain and enhance the desirability of the Waterfront as a place to work, visit, and live. This zone is intended to foster a vital, mixed-use neighborhood and preserve and protect the coastal environment in terms of light, air, and visual amenities. Residential uses are appropriate in certain areas. Land classified in the CO-CAR Zone may also be classified in the Coastal-Oriented Hotel and Visitor-Serving (CO-HV) Zone.

E. Coastal-Oriented Manufacturing Industrial (CO-MI) Zone. The Coastal-Oriented Manufacturing Industrial (CO-MI) Zone strives to provide for appropriate coastal-dependent and coastal-related industrial uses in close proximity to the Harbor/Wharf Complex. The zone encourages the establishment of coastal-oriented industrial uses in keeping with the policies of the California Coastal Act and the City's Local Coastal Plan.

(Ord. 6217, 4/21/2026)

Table 30.35.020 and the subsections that follow prescribe the land use regulations for Coastal-Oriented Zones.

Use classifications are defined in Chapter 30.295, Use Classifications. In cases where a specific land use or activity is not defined, the Director shall assign the land use or activity to a classification that is substantially similar in character. Use classifications and subclassifications not listed in the table or not found to be substantially similar to the uses below are prohibited.

The table also notes additional use regulations that apply to various uses. Numbers in parentheses refer to specific limitations listed at the end of the table. Section numbers in the right-hand column refer to other sections of this Title.

TABLE 30.35.020: LAND USE REGULATIONS—COASTAL-ORIENTED ZONES

A. Dual Zoning: CO-HV and CO-CAR. The land uses allowances within the CO-HV Zone and the CO-CAR Zone apply within the dual CO-CAR/CO-HV Zone.

B. Additional Land Use Regulations: CO-HV Zone.

1. Required Findings for Business and Professional Offices. Business and Professional Offices may only be allowed where the Review Authority finds that:

a. The use is compatible with visitor-serving uses;

b. Visitor-serving uses remain the primary use of the structure; and

c. Non-visitor-serving uses do not exceed 50% of the total square footage of the structure.

2. Other Allowed Uses in the CO-HV Zone. Other visitor-serving or commercial recreational uses deemed appropriate by the Planning Commission are allowed in the CO-HV Zone.

C. Additional Land Use Regulations: CO-H Zone.

1. Other Allowed Uses and Development in the CO-H Zone. The following uses and development are allowed in the CO-H Zone.

a. Primary Harbor Uses: Other coastal-dependent uses as deemed appropriate by the Planning Commission.

b. Secondary Harbor Uses: Other coastal-related uses as deemed appropriate by the Planning Commission.

c. Stearns Wharf Uses: Other coastal-dependent, coastal-related, and visitor-serving uses as deemed appropriate by the Planning Commission.

2. Five-Year Review of Uses. At least once every five years from March 30, 1993, the Board of Harbor Commissioners shall review the extent and nature of the uses existing in the Harbor and Shoreline Area of the CO-H Zone and make a recommendation to the Planning Commission regarding the adequacy of coastal-dependent uses (Harbor primary uses) in relation to coastal-related and visitor-serving uses (Harbor secondary uses) in order to assure that the harbor remains a working harbor. A review of the mix of uses may occur at any other time at the direction of the Board of Harbor Commissioners or Planning Commission. Subsequent reviews shall be at five-year intervals thereafter. The Coastal Commission shall receive a copy of the recommendation and accompanying background materials associated with each review.

D. Additional Land Use Regulations: CO-CAR Zone. Other coastal-dependent, coastal-oriented, commercial recreational, or arts-related uses that are found to be consistent with the intent of the CO-CAR Zone by the Planning Commission are allowed in the CO-CAR Zone.

E. Additional Land Use Regulations: CO-MI Zone. The following uses and development are allowed in the CO-MI Zone.

1. Other coastal-related uses deemed appropriate by the Planning Commission.

2. Any other use allowed in the M-I Zone subject to the restrictions and limitations contained therein and issuance of a Conditional Use Permit. A Conditional Use Permit may be granted in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 30.215, Conditional Use Permits, subject to the following additional findings:

a. The use is compatible with coastal-dependent or coastal-related uses; and

b. The property would have no feasible economic value if limited to coastal-dependent or coastal-related uses. This finding shall be substantiated by competent evidence determined by the Planning Commission to be objective which includes no present or future demand for coastal-dependent or coastal-related uses. Structures in existence or developments which have a valid and unexpired approval from the Coastal Commission on the effective date of this subsection may be used for all uses allowed in the M-I Zone.

(Ord. 5815, 2017; Ord. 5834, 2018; Ord. 6027 § 4, 2021; Ord. 6217, 4/21/2026)

Table 30.35.030 prescribes the development standards for Coastal-Oriented Zones. Section numbers refer to other sections of this Title. Additional regulations that apply throughout the City are located in Division III, Citywide Regulations.

TABLE 30.35.030: DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS—COASTAL-ORIENTED ZONES

A. Dual Zoning: CO-HV and CO-CAR. The CO-CAR Zone development standards shall apply to all development projects on land with a dual CO-HV/CO-CAR zoning designation.

(Ord. 6217, 4/21/2026)