Solomon Hills Initiation

On March 8 the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission voted unanimously to support the initiation of the Chamber supported Solomon Hills project. Located just south of Orcutt, the proposed 4,000 residential unit project also includes commercial and open space zoning to meet the daily needs of the community and aims to act as a model of sustainable communities in Santa Barbara County. The Planning Commission’s decision to support initiation does not mean that the project is approved at this time. Rather, the applicant can now begin the process of studying the viability of the project as well as working with local communities in order to create a design for the project that best meets the needs of Santa Barbara County.

Chambers, and businesses, throughout the county sent in letters of support and spoke in favor of the project at the March 8 hearing. Solomon Hills represents an exciting opportunity for the County to finally get ahead of the housing stock challenges our communities have been facing for years. one of the major advantages of a forward-looking project of this scale is the ability to think bigger about how we can work together as a community to address the challenges created by our local housing crisis. The Chamber is exploring the idea of working with the County, the project applicant, and our north county neighbors to develop an employer sponsored housing program that ensures units go to employees of Santa Barbara County employers in need. The Chamber will continue to watch the project closely as it continues to progress.