A three-story, 44-room hotel is expected to be built despite a recent appeal by Santa Barbara resident Steve Johnson.
"The approval was based on incorrect information," Johnson claims.
Back in October, Johnson appealed the project at 1721 West Montecito Street, which is located in a FEMA-regulated Special Flood Hazard area, according to city documents.
Currently, the project includes 10,000 square feet of underground parking, which is the root of Johnson's concern.
"The ramp goes in flat and then dives down to the basement. The flat is where the flood level is. The water is just going to pour right in through the entrance to the driveway," Johnson said.
He adds that the city approved the project under the impression that flood shields could be used to stop the water, but Johnson says that’s not allowed by FEMA for this type of project.
"At a minimum, there should be a condition that says, okay, we approve the project, but no flood shields will be used," Johnson said.
Resident Kurran Dylan works next door to the property and says flooding isn’t an issue on that street.
"I’ve had no issues. The only time I had issues, I used Carrillo to exit and then park and that whole exit was completely flooded. The underpass and everything. Other than that, I haven't had any issues," Dylan said.
If built, the development would be the 78th hotel property in the city of Santa Barbara, which sees an occupancy rate of 82%, according to the Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce.
We reached out to city officials on Friday but none were available for an interview. The applicant, Cam Land Use and Development, was also contacted but declined to comment.
The city council is expected to officially deny Johnson’s appeal at their meeting on February 25 on a staff recommendation to uphold the planning commission’s approval of the project.
