Santa Barbara County Planning and Development

The Board of Supervisors finds that inappropriateness or poor quality of design in the exterior appearance of buildings, structures or signs adversely affect the desirability of the immediate area and neighboring areas for residential, business or other purposes and by so doing, impairs the benefits of occupancy of existing property in such areas, impairs the stability and value of both improved and unimproved real property in such areas, prevents the most appropriate development and use of such areas, produces degeneration of property in such areas with attendant deterioration of conditions affecting the health, safety and general welfare of the county and destroys a proper relationship between the taxable value of real property in such areas and the cost of public services provided therefore.

It is the purpose of the Boards of Architectural Review to prevent these and other harmful effects of such exterior appearance of buildings, structures or signs erected or altered in any neighborhood or on any site subject to architectural review and thus to promote the health, safety and general welfare of the county, conserve the value of buildings and encourage the most appropriate use of land within the unincorporated portion of this county.

The Board of Supervisors created special provisions for certain projects subject to the jurisdiction of the North County Board of Architectural Review:

Single-family dwellings, and commercial/industrial projects not open to the public, that are not visible from public roads and other public areas, are exempt from review by the NBAR
Action by the NBAR on a non-exempt single-family dwelling is advisory only and is to be completed within either three meetings or three months of application submittal, whichever occurs first. Single family dwellings resulting from Development Plans, Subdivision Maps, or other previously approved discretionary or ministerial projects that required BAR approval are still subject to BAR approval.

These special provisions do not apply to Development Plans within the jurisdiction of the Planning Commission and structures subject to approved ministerial and discretionary permits, including subdivision maps that require review and approval by the Board of Architectural Review in order to mitigate visual impacts or provide for consistency with the Comprehensive Plan, including adopted Community Plans.

North County Board of Architectural Review (NBAR)

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