Tatum Multifamily Housing Development
Summary
SCH Number
2025110357
Public Agency
Santa Barbara County
Document Title
Tatum Multifamily Housing Development
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
11/10/2025
Document Description
This Zoning Clearance is based upon and limited to compliance with the project description, and all conditions of approval set forth below, including mitigation measures and specified plans and agreements included by reference, as well as all applicable County rules and regulations. The project description is as follows:
The project is a request for a “use by right” approval of a 517-unit housing development project pursuant to Government Code Section 65583.2(c). 106 units will be affordable units for households earning less than 80% of the area median income (AMI), and 411 units will be market-rate units. 20 of the market-rate units will be deed restricted to qualifying moderate-income households (80% to 120% of the AMI). The project proposes to develop the market-rate apartments in two phases. The number of bedrooms and unit square footages are as follows:
Affordable Unit Summary
Unit Type Unit Sq. Ft. No. of Bedrooms No. of Units Total Sq. Ft.
A1 668 1 51 34,068
B1 882 2 24 21,168
B1-ALT 948 2 2 1,896
C1 1,204 3 26 31,304
C3 1,144 3 3 3,432
Total Number of Units: 106 Total Square Footage: 91,868
Market-Rate Unit Summary: Phase I
Unit Type Unit Sq. Ft. No. of Bedrooms No. of Units Total Sq. Ft.
S1 598 0 18 10,764
S1-ALT 609 0 8 4,872
A1 753 1 12 9,036
A1-ALT 753 1 14 10,542
A2 728 1 8 5,824
A2-ALT 760 1 9 6,840
A2-ALT1 759 1 6 4,554
A2-ALT2 743 1 10 7,430
B1 1,064 2 12 12,768
B1-ALT 1,152 2 21 24,192
B2 1,026 2 14 14,364
B2-ALT 1,063 2 21 22,323
C1 1,400 3 15 21,000
C1-ALT 1,445 3 2 2,890
TH-1 1,546 3 8 12,368
TH-1-ALT 1,513 3 8 12,104
Total Number of Units: 186 Total Square Footage: 181,871
Market-Rate Unit Summary: Phase 2
Unit Type Unit Sq. Ft. No. of Bedrooms No. of Units Total Sq. Ft.
S1 598 0 30 17,940
S1-ALT 609 0 8 4,872
A1-ALT 753 1 14 10,542
A2 728 1 16 11,648
A2-ALT 760 1 9 6,840
A2-ALT1 759 1 8 6,072
A2-ALT2 743 1 8 5,944
B1 1,064 2 30 31,920
B1-ALT 1,152 2 21 24,192
B2 1,026 2 20 20,520
B2-ALT 1,063 2 21 22,323
C1 1,400 3 18 25,200
C1-ALT 1,445 3 2 2,890
TH-1 1,546 3 10 15,460
TH-1-ALT 1,513 3 10 15,130
Total Number of Units: 225 Total Square Footage: 221,493
Site amenities include play areas, dog parks, two pools and pool cabanas, outdoor dining areas, indoor and outdoor fitness areas, and indoor lounges. The western portion of the site will be designated as an approximately 3.14-acre shared open space that will be improved with walking trails and a one-acre community park, which will be developed and then dedicated to the County as a public park. The public park will be developed with a turf area for passive/active recreation, picnic areas, fitness equipment, granitecrete paths, an RV pad, a restroom building, and bicycle parking.
The parcel has been subdivided into five separate parcels by grant deed and certificates of compliance. The property is currently owned by the applicant. The parcels consist of the following:
• Parcel Open Space – West parcel for open space.
• Parcel Market Rate 1 – West market-rate parcel.
• Parcel Market Rate 2 – East market-rate parcel.
• Parcel Affordable North – North affordable parcel.
• Parcel Affordable South – South affordable parcel.
The applicant is requesting the following waivers under the State Density Bonus Law:
• Waiver to allow the required DR-Zone setback to be reduced from 10 feet to 8 feet for accessory carport structures and associated site improvements along the northern (rear setback) and eastern (side setback) property boundary.
• Waiver to allow a maximum height of 53'-8", exceeding the DR-Zone height limit of 35 feet.
• Waiver of 40% open space requirement in the DR Zone. The project proposes approximately 39% of the site as open space.
• Waiver of Eastern Goleta Valley Community Plan Policy GEO-EGV-2.2 to allow development on slopes exceeding 30%.
• Waiver of Eastern Goleta Valley Community Plan Development Standard DevStd ECO-EGV-6B to allow encroachment within the 25-foot native woodland buffer adjacent to the coast live oak woodland habitat.
• Development Standard established in LUDC §35.39.010.D.4. MM BIO-1 that requires replacement of removed native trees at a prescribed ratio. The project will remove 412 native trees and will plant 404 native trees on site and 82 native trees off site.
• Waiver of the Eastern Goleta Valley Community Plan Policy ECO-EGV-2.5 to waive the habitat replacement ratio for the coast live oak woodland. Oak trees will be mitigated for as described above.
The applicant is requesting a vehicular parking ratio, pursuant to State Density Bonus Law, of: (A) zero to one bedroom: one onsite parking space, (B) two to three bedrooms: one and one-half onsite parking spaces. 860 parking spaces are proposed and 350 bicycle parking spaces are proposed.
412 native trees are proposed for removal. 404 replacement native trees will be planted on site, and 82 replacement native trees will be planted off site. Grading will include approximately 143,000 cubic yards of cut and 138,000 cubic yards of fill. The parcel will be served by the Goleta Water District, the Goleta Sanitary District, and the Santa Barbara County Fire Department. Access will be provided from San Simeon Drive. The project includes the connection of San Simeon Drive along the southern portion of the site between San Marcos Drive and Turnpike Road with associated right-of-way improvements, including parkway landscaping and pedestrian sidewalks. The property is a 22.87-acre parcel zoned DR-20/30 and shown as Assessor's Parcel Number 065-040-026, located at 4750 Hollister Avenue in the Eastern Goleta Valley Community Plan area, Second Supervisorial District.
Contact Information
Name
Willow Brown
Agency Name
County of Santa Barbara
Job Title
Planner
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Name
Ron Wu
Agency Name
Red Tail Multifamily Land Development, LLC
Job Title
Applicant
Contact Types
Project Applicant
Phone
Email
Location
Cities
Goleta (unincorporated)
Counties
Santa Barbara
Regions
Countywide, Unincorporated
Cross Streets
Hollister Avenue
Zip
93110
Total Acres
22.87
Parcel #
065-040-026
State Highways
101
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Ministerial
Type, Section or Code
15268
Reasons for Exemption
CEQA Guidelines Section 15268 exempts ministerial projects from the requirements of CEQA. The determination of what is “ministerial” can most appropriately be made by the particular public agency involved based upon its analysis of its own laws, and each public agency should make such determination either as a part of its implementing regulations or on a case-by-case basis. Each public agency should, in its implementing regulations or ordinances, provide an identification or itemization of its projects and actions which are deemed ministerial under the applicable laws and ordinances. Pursuant to Santa Barbara County Land Use and Development Code Section 35.39, housing developments located on sites that were rezoned under the 2023-2031 Housing Element Update and meet certain standards are allowed as a “use by right” and are subject to ministerial review and approval.
The project is exempt from CEQA as it is allowed as a use by right pursuant to Government Code Section 65583.2(i) and Government Code Section 65589.5 for multifamily residential housing. The subject properties were rezoned to accommodate the County’s 2023-2031 Regional Housing Needs Allocation for very low- and/or low-income households. Housing developments on sites that were rezoned and include at least 20% very low- and/or low-income units are allowed as a use by right and are not subject to any discretionary reviews or approvals, or environmental review under CEQA. 20.5% of the units qualify as very low- or low-income units, and therefore the project qualifies as a use by right and is ministerial.
County Clerk
Santa Barbara
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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