After months of hard work and public outreach by the City of Goleta’s Planning Department, the City of Goleta is very close to having its first ever New Zoning Ordinance (NZO) adopted by the City Council! Public input began at the beginning of the year when a Revised Draft NZO was released to the public on January 31, 2019. During the spring of 2019, the City hosted nine Planning Commissioner workshops, six open houses and one joint City Council/Planning Commission workshop. Planning Department staff also met with the Design Review Board, City Councilmembers, Planning Commissioners and stakeholders to discuss specific issues and receive feedback. After this outreach effort, staff made revisions to the Revised Draft NZO, culminating in the release of the Public Hearing Draft NZO on August 14, 2019.

The Planning Commission will conduct a public hearing on September 9, 2019, to consider a resolution recommending the City Council adopt the New Zoning Ordinance. If the resolution is recommended, then the item is taken to City Council for deliberation. This is anticipated to happen before the end of the year. Stay tuned for details and sign up here for updates on the NZO.

The City’s current zoning ordinance was inherited from the County when we incorporated, and does not reflect the City’s General Plan, which governs land use and physical development within the City and establishes policy direction for the City’s growth. The New Zoning Ordinance revises citywide zoning regulations to implement the General Plan, updates development and design standards and permitting procedures, and helps realize the community’s vision for the future – a safe, beautiful, vibrant and livable community with a robust local economy and a sustainable relationship with the environment.

More information is available at www.GoletaZoning.com.