Program Description
The Planning Commission meets on the first, second and third Thursdays of each month at 1:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber, City Hall, 735 Anacapa Street, preceded by a 12:00 p.m. lunch meeting in Conference Room 15, City Hall, on the first and third Thursdays of the month, except as noted on the Planning Commission Meeting Schedule. The Commission also meets on Tuesdays at 7:45 a.m. at 630 Garden Street for site visits to projects.
History
In 1915 California passed legislation authorizing Planning Commissions and the creation of General Plans laying out how a community would develop. The City of Santa Barbara’s Planning Commission had its initial meeting on September 23, 1923. It was one of the first Planning Commissions in the country and was an outgrowth of the activities of the Plans and Planting Committee, a citizens group. In 1924 it forwarded a draft zoning ordinance to the city council for adoption. The first zoning ordinances were adopted in 1924 and 1926, and the City's first comprehensive General Plan in 1964. The General Plan has been regularly updated since then, most recently in 2011.