Santa Barbara Creek Buffer Ordinance: The City is Coming to Take Your Property

First introduced to the public in January 2025, the City of Santa Barbara is trying to move as fast as possible through the review and approval process of a new ordinance that aims at severely restricting the use of land around all creeks within city limits, effectively rendering significant portions of thousands of properties unusable.

Upcoming: Deadline for submitting public commentary

March 24th is the new deadline to submit public commentary to the City. Please make your voice heard.
Submit comments to CreekBuffers@SantaBarbaraCA.gov and sign our petition.

Don't know where to start? Check our compiled list of comments and questions.

Key facts about the proposed ordinance

1
Land up to 50 feet away from the top of a creek's bank becomes effectively unusable. That is true for both structures and landscaping.
2
This ordinance doubles the existing 25 feet buffer zone around Mission Creek to 50 feet, and it introduces the same buffer zone along all other main ("major") creeks within City limits, were none exists today.
3
Under the ordinance, both new development and rebuilding for any reason (including after major property loss) are severely restricted and subject to City approval. For example:
  • The City will force you to change the layout of your home if you need to rebuild, pushing as much of the original square footage as they can to outside the buffer zone and losing usable outdoor space (landscaped yards, patios, decks, pools, etc.) in the process because they aren't allowed within the creek buffer either.
  • No new decks, fencing, hardscaping, retaining walls, trees other than native plants, landscaping, etc. are allowed in the buffer zone.
  • In undeveloped lots, construction of a new single unit home is severily restricted. The livable square footage is capped at 1,200 sq ft inside and outside of the buffer, and the property owner must obtain a modification permit which presents many hurdles and conditions.
4
Three different types of creek sections are defined in the ordinance:
  • Major creeks, with a proposed buffer of 50 feet from top of the bank. Includes: Arroyo Burro, Arroyo Honda, Chelham Creek, Cieneguitas Creek, Coyote Creek, Laguna Creek (Laguna Channel), Las Positas Creek, Lighthouse Creek, Mesa Creek, Mission Creek, Old Mission Creek, Rattlesnake Creek, San Roque Creek, Sycamore Creek (East, Middle, and West forks), Toyon Creek, Westmont Creek.
  • Flood control project creeks, with a proposed buffer of 35 feet from the top of the bank. Includes some sections of major creeks.
  • Minor creeks, with a proposed buffer of 15 feet from the top of the bank. The ordinance defines a minor creek as "any creek that is not a major creek or a flood control project creek", without providing any more specifics. The City provided a preliminary and not necessarily complete creek classification map, which shows dozens of such minor creeks across the city. As defined by the City, anything can be a minor creek, including drainage dicthes and other places where water flows, and many residents will be surprised to learn they live by one.
5
Thousands of properties and existing structures across the city are affected by this new ordinance.
6
According to the City, one of the main motivations behind this ordinance is streamlining existing permitting hurdles. However:
  • the City hasn't provided clear information on what specific hurdles or examples they are referring to.
  • the new ordinance goes well beyond trying to improve the efficiency of permitting around creeks: it introduces new major restrictions and approval steps that didn't exist up until now.
7
Other motivations include improving water quality, reducing risks from erosion or flooding, and protecting riparian habitat. However, no data or studies have been provided to justify this course of action.
8
The ordinance text is clear in that the long-term goal is to displace structures (and therefore residences) away from creeks:"It is the goal of the City to minimize negative impacts to creeks, to restore creek habitat where feasible, and to move as many structures as possible to outside of creek buffer areas."

Keep reading

Check if your property could be impacted, and visit our blog for additional information.

Connect to stay up to date & Sign our petition

We are a group of Santa Barbara property owners who oppose the new ordinance. We're currently working on two fronts: 1) organizing and creating awareness, and 2) gathering facts as well as legal and other expert opinions.

Sign our petition and help us spread the word to neighbors, friends, and family. You can download printouts in English and Spanish and use them to reach out to the community.

Connect to share your feedback or testimonial, ask questions, contribute with your time or expertise, or simply to keep up to date. We would love to hear from you: info@sbcreekneighbors.org