Cabrillo Business Park (CBP) Lot 19 Google R&D Facility (Case No. 25-0001-PCR)
Summary
SCH Number
2025110935
Public Agency
City of Goleta
Document Title
Cabrillo Business Park (CBP) Lot 19 Google R&D Facility (Case No. 25-0001-PCR)
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
11/21/2025
Document Description
The proposed project (“Project”) will develop the currently vacant 7.6-acre Lot 19 of the Cabrillo Business Park (CBP), located at 6701 Discovery Drive (formerly 355 Coromar Drive), with a new research and development (R&D) facility (Project). The R&D facility is comprised of three (3) new buildings and related site improvements. The main R&D building, Building A, is comprised of 98,847 SF (net) with two stories and third-story mezzanine elements, located in the central portion of the Project site. Building A is supported by Building B, a single-story mechanical/electrical building (not occupied), and Building C, a three level 231-space parking structure. A portion of the first floor of the parking structure (Building C) is devoted to employee amenity uses, including a fitness room, showers/restrooms, bicycle, miscellaneous storage areas, and utility areas (5,383 SF, net). The total net building floor area of the Project is 104,230 SF. The Project also includes screened yard areas that contain ground-mounted electrical/mechanical equipment, above ground tanks to store helium, nitrogen, and back up fuel supplies, and other outdoor storage needs. The Project site is developed with an existing stormwater detention basin at the southern (rear) portion of the site. The Project does not propose any modifications to the existing detention basin area. The Project will serve as the primary research and development location to build, test, refine, and improve prototype quantum computing machines that will one day be manufactured for use by end-users to facilitate new processes and solutions across different industries and platforms.
Contact Information
Name
Brian Hiefield
Agency Name
City of Goleta
Job Title
Senior Planner
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Name
Kathleen Popovec
Agency Name
Google, LLC
Job Title
Development Manager
Contact Types
Project Applicant
Phone
Email
Location
Cities
Goleta
Counties
Santa Barbara
Regions
Citywide
Other Location Info
6701 Discovery Drive (formerly 355 Coromer Driver)
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Statutory Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Pub. Resources Code section 21080.69
Reasons for Exemption
The Project is statutorily exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to Public Resources Code section 21080.69. Public Resources Code section 21080.69 exempts from environmental review “a project that consists exclusively of a facility for advanced manufacturing, as defined in Section 26003, if the project is located on a site zoned exclusively for industrial uses” (“Advanced Manufacturing Exemption”). Advanced manufacturing includes “manufacturing processes that improve existing or create entirely new materials, products, and processes through the use of science, engineering, or information technologies, high-precision tools and methods, a high-performance workforce, and innovative business or organizational models” utilizing advanced materials, microelectronics and nanoelectronics, integrated computational materials engineering, or additive manufacturing, among other things. (Pub. Resources Code, §§ 21080.69, 26003(a)(1)(A).) This definition includes systems that result from substantive advancement, whether incremental or breakthrough, beyond the current industry standard, in the production of materials and products. (Id., § 26003(a)(1)(B)(i).) These advancements include improvements in manufacturing processes and systems that are often referred to as “smart” or “intelligent” manufacturing systems, which integrate computational predictability and operational efficiency. (Id.)
The Project qualifies for the Advanced Manufacturing Exemption because the processes and production surrounding quantum computing fall squarely under the umbrella of “advanced manufacturing”. The research and development envisioned for the Project will be creating new processes through its study of quantum error correction with the ultimate goal of building a scaled-up quantum computer. This process will be conducted through the use of “science, engineering, or information technologies, high-precision tools and methods, a high-performance workforce.” (Pub. Resources Code, § 26003(a)(1)(A).) Moreover, the Project is proposed on a site designated for industrial uses. Thus, the Project falls under the Advanced Manufacturing Exemption and no environmental review is required.
County Clerk
Santa Barbara
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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