A housing development in Santa Barbara’s Painted Cave community got a rare second chance on Wednesday. Painted Cave resident Rich Robar questioned how the county could even consider allowing additional housing in the area. These risks, while concerning, do not deem denial of the project, Commission Chair Roy Reed stated plainly. Commissioner Kate Ford agreed with this, noting that the main problems seemed to lie with the condition of Painted Cave Road, not just the houses. Credit: Callie Fausey“Equally significant, the FPP concludes that the projects will not create any adverse fire‑safety impacts for the Painted Cave community,” Steinfeld explained.