Santa Barbara County officials halted construction on a new Isla Vista eatery this summer after learning that workers had been remodeling the structure without a building permit.

The new restaurant, called The Spot, leased the space once occupied by Espresso Roma at 6521 Pardall Rd. Curtis Jensen, a Santa Barbara County building inspector, said he received an anonymous complaint in August that construction in the building had started without adequate permits. Jensen said he found that construction workers had begun remodeling the plumbing and the walls, and therefore placed a “Stop Work” sign on the building Aug. 12.

Jensen said Edwin Olsen Trust, the Washington-based organization that operates The Spot, has scheduled a meeting with the planning department of the Santa Barbara County Building Division for the first week in October, when they will begin the process of obtaining a building permit.

In order to apply for a commercial building permit Edwin Olsen Trust will need to have an architect or engineer present at the meeting, Jensen said. He said the project must be approved for zoning – meaning officials will look at the history of the building and how it was originally intended to be used – before the project can be transferred to the building division.

Jensen said the building division may grant the permit within four to six weeks, depending on the amount of construction required. However, if the plans need corrections the approval process may take longer.

The Spot’s management is also applying to transfer Espresso Roma’s alcohol license with the Dept. of Alcoholic Beverage Control, which could make it the 15th restaurant in I.V. that serves alcohol. The Spot’s management could not be reached for comment.