The purpose of the RMU district is to provide areas of the city for higher density residential-only and mixed-use (commercial and residential) development, particularly as infill development, to increase the availability of workforce housing while maintaining commercial opportunities in the city's downtown. The intent of this district is to:

A.

Help the city provide adequate sites to satisfy its regional housing needs allocation;

B.

Provide opportunities for lower-income, special-needs, and workforce housing;

C.

Cultivate pedestrian and alternative transportation-friendly neighborhoods where residences are nearby to business, service, and employment locations; and

D.

Encourage infill development in the city's downtown that preserves and enhances the city's "beach town" character.

(Ord. No. 788, § 2, 4-14-2025)

The following processes shall govern development of such units in the RMU district, in accordance with Chapter 14.72 (Accessory dwelling units and junior accessory dwelling units):

A.

Accessory dwelling units and junior accessory dwelling units shall be permitted in the RMU district.

B.

Accessory dwelling units, outside the coastal zone appeals jurisdiction, shall be subject to approval of an administrative coastal development permit.

C.

Accessory dwelling units, within the coastal zone appeals jurisdiction, shall be subject to approval of an administrative coastal development permit, appealable to the California Coastal Commission as provided in Chapter 14.78 (Appeals).

D.

Junior accessory dwelling units shall be subject to issuance of a building permit.

(Ord. No. 788, § 2, 4-14-2025)

A.

Uses identified in Section 14.19.040 shall be allowed as a use by right subject to the issuance of an administrative coastal development permit. For the purposes of this section, "use by right" means the city's review shall not require a development plan, conditional use permit, environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act, or other discretionary review or approval in accordance with Government Code Section 65583.2(i) and Government Code Section 65589.5(f) for multi-family residential housing. Any subdivision of a site shall be subject to all laws, including, but not limited to, Title 16 (Subdivisions), implementing the Subdivision Map Act. The city shall process an administrative coastal development permit for a use by right as follows:

1.

The planning director shall approve or deny administrative coastal development permits.

2.

No public hearing shall be required.

3.

Public notice shall be required in accordance with Chapter 14.76.

4.

Pursuant to Section 30603 of the Coastal Act, within California Coastal Commission's coastal appeals area, the planning director's decision to approve an administrative coastal development permit in the RMU zone district may be appealed to the coastal commission within ten working days. Proposed development in the RMU zone district that is located outside of the coastal zone appealable area is not appealable to the coastal commission.

5.

An applicant may request non-binding conceptual review by the architectural review board to improve project design.

B.

For all uses conditionally permitted pursuant to Section 14.19.060, a conditional use permit shall be submitted, processed, and approved as provided in Chapter 14.62.

C.

For all other permitted uses pursuant to Section 14.19.050, prior to the issuance of a coastal development permit, a development plan shall be submitted, processed, and approved as provided in Chapter 14.68, with the exception that architectural review board and planning commission review shall be limited to analysis of the project's compliance with Chapter 14.51, objective design standards, and the regulations of this chapter.

D.

Once a final decision of approval, conditional approval (if applicable), or denial is issued by the planning director or planning commission, as applicable, the notice of final action shall be provided within seven calendar days to the executive director of the coastal commission and to any interested parties who requested notice in writing.

(Ord. No. 788, § 2, 4-14-2025)

A.

The following uses shall be allowed as a use by right in the RMU district:

1.

Mixed-use commercial and multi-family residential developments, subject to the provisions of Sections 14.19.070 through 14.19.100, that provide a minimum of twenty percent of deed-restricted residential units for lower-income households;

2.

Multi-family residential-only developments, subject to the provisions of Sections 14.19.070 through 14.19.100, that provide a minimum of twenty percent of deed-restricted units for lower-income households;

3.

Public parks, playgrounds, and open space areas provided as part of a mixed-use or multi-family residential development;

4.

Low barrier navigation centers, as defined in Government Code Section 65660 and subject to the provisions of Government Code Section 65662;

5.

Supportive housing developments, as defined by Health and Safety Code Section 50675.2 and subject to the provisions of Government Code Section 65651;

6.

Transitional housing developments, as defined by Health and Safety Code Section 50675.2;

7.

Home occupations, as provided in Section 14.50.030;

8.

Accessory uses and structures incidental to permitted residential uses, including laundry and storage rooms; garages, carports, and parking lots; bus stop shelters; multi-family residence mailboxes; and bike racks;

9.

Accessory uses and structures incidental to commercial portions of mixed-use developments, including storage rooms, garbage enclosures, and loading zones; and

10.

Personal use cannabis cultivation, as provided in Chapter 14.59.

B.

For the purpose of this chapter, "lower-income" means a household that earns eighty percent or below of the area median income applicable to Santa Barbara County, adjusted for family size as published and annually updated by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.

C.

For the purpose of this section, permitted commercial uses for commercial portions of mixed-use developments shall be as follows:

1.

For parcels with a research development industrial (RDI) land use designation, as listed in Section 14.26.030.

2.

For parcels with a general commercial (GC) land use designation, as listed in Section 14.20.030.

(Ord. No. 788, § 2, 4-14-2025)

Mixed-use commercial and multi-family residential developments that do not meet the affordability requirements of Section 14.19.040(A)(1) and multi-family residential-only developments that do not meet the affordability requirement to Section 14.19.040(A)(2) shall require approval of a development plan in accordance with Section 14.19.030(C). Uses subject to development plan approval shall comply with the provisions of Sections 14.19.070 through 14.19.100 and all applicable provisions of the Title 14 of the city's code.

(Ord. No. 788, § 2, 4-14-2025)

A.

Permitted uses subject to a conditional use permit in the RMU district shall be as follows:

1.

As provided in Chapter 14.62;

2.

For parcels with a research development industrial (RDI) land use designation, as listed in Section 14.26.040; or

3.

For parcels with a general commercial (GC) land use designation, as listed in Section 14.20.040.

B.

Such conditional uses shall not prevent the development from meeting the standards in Sections 14.19.070 through 14.19.100, inclusive.

C.

Projects proposing such conditional uses shall also incorporate multi-family residential use. In addition to the findings in Section 14.62.040(8), the following finding must also be made:

1.

The proposed use will not be detrimental to the health, safety, and general welfare of the residential use also proposed by the project.

(Ord. No. 788, § 2, 4-14-2025)

Projects shall be designed pursuant to the design standards in Chapter 14.51.

(Ord. No. 788, § 2, 4-14-2025)

The number of dwelling units per gross acre shall be a minimum of twenty and maximum of twenty-five, unless otherwise allowed by applicable state housing law or Title 14 of the city's code.

(Ord. No. 788, § 2, 4-14-2025)

The following development standards shall apply:

A.

Affordability. Projects qualifying for an administrative coastal development permit pursuant to Section 14.19.030 shall record a restrictive covenant that ensures the continued affordability of all acutely low-, extremely low-, very low-, low-, and moderate-income rental units for fifty-five years and all acutely low-, extremely low-, very low-, low-, and moderate-income for-sale units for forty-five years, unless a different affordability term is required by low-income tax credit regulations or other applicable law.

B.

Setbacks. All structures shall be located pursuant to the following setbacks:

1.

No less than five feet from the property line or twenty-five feet from the street centerline, whichever is greater.

2.

For sites with frontage on Via Real, no less than fifteen feet from the property line abutting Via Real, and five feet from all other property lines.

C.

Distance Between Buildings. The distance between two adjacent buildings shall be no less than ten feet.

D.

Building Coverage. Not more than seventy-five percent of the net area of the property shall be covered with any portion of a building.

E.

Building Height. No building or structure shall exceed a height of thirty-five feet.

F.

Parking. Unless modified by state law, minimum parking requirements shall be as follows:

1.

Visitor, guest, and employee parking: One space per five units.

2.

Parking for units affordable to lower-income households:

a.

Studio and one-bedroom units: One parking space per unit.

b.

Two-bedroom or larger units: One and one-half parking spaces per unit.

c.

Four-bedroom or larger units: Two and one-half parking spaces per unit.

3.

Parking for all other units:

a.

Studio and one-bedroom units: One parking space per unit.

b.

Two-bedroom units or larger: Two parking spaces per unit.

c.

Four-bedroom or larger units: Two and one-half parking spaces per unit.

4.

Parking for commercial uses shall be as provided in Section 14.54.040.

G.

Open space. At least twenty percent of the net area of the property shall be used for common and/or public open space. A maximum of fifty percent of the required open space may be provided on rooftops or decks above ground level.

H.

Fences, Walls, and Plantings. Fences, walls, and plantings providing a solid screen (i.e., at least ninety percent opacity when viewed from the public right-of-way) that are located in a front yard setback shall not exceed a height of four feet.

I.

For mixed-use developments, at least eighty percent of the ground floor frontage facing the primary street shall be designated for commercial uses and at least fifty percent of the gross floor area shall be designated for residential use. For the purposes of this section, a leasing or property management office for a residential development on the same site shall be considered a commercial use.

(Ord. No. 788, § 2, 4-14-2025)

The following development standards shall apply to specified sites, in addition to the development standards in Section 14.19.090:

A.

Sites with frontage on Linden Avenue or Carpinteria Avenue within Community Design Element Subarea 2a shall be limited to mixed-use (commercial and residential) development.

B.

For sites with frontage on Linden Avenue or Carpinteria Avenue, fifty percent of the residential units shall be a mix of studios and one-bedroom units.

(Ord. No. 788, § 2, 4-14-2025)

Noticing shall be conducted pursuant to Chapter 14.76, with the exception that no public hearing shall occur or be noticed for projects qualifying as a use by right pursuant to Section 14.19.040.

(Ord. No. 788, § 2, 4-14-2025)