Soil contamination increases cost of Santa Barbara police station
October 29, 2025
By KAREN VELIE
The Santa Barbara City Council last week approved a $4.7 million budget adjustment for the new East Cota Street police station because of soil contamination.
After breaking ground in the spring, soil samples showed elevated levels of natural occurring arsenic. The contamination led to the removal of 10,000 cubic yards of soil.
Initially, the project was expected to cost $122 million with $10.2 million in contingency funds. During permitting, that number was raised to $135 million with $12.2 million in contingency funds.
The cost of the soil contamination will be funded through contingency funds.
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