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Council directs technical general‑plan update focused on land use, conservation and open space
Summary
After a staff presentation, the council voted 5‑0 to pursue a technical update of the general plan that would update land‑use, conservation, open space and related optional elements and retitle the plan toward 2050; staff recommended a multi‑year, phased budget and appointed community engagement.
Contract planner Laurie Tamora and planning manager Greg Stones presented options for updating the City of Lompoc’s 2010 general plan and related elements at the May 20 council meeting. They noted several required and optional elements were decades old and misaligned with current state law and community priorities.
Tamora described three options: (1) a limited set of ad hoc policy edits (estimated about $100,000 and up to 18 months), (2) a technical update focusing on land use, conservation, open space and select optional elements (estimated $600,000 and about two years) and (3) a full general‑plan rewrite to a 2050 horizon with a new Environmental Impact Report (estimated about $1 million and approximately four years).
"Staff is recommending that the city council move forward with option 2," Tamora said, adding that the technical update would better align the elements, allow targeted community engagement and create a defensible environmental record. The recommendation included forming a general‑plan advisory committee and planning regular community meetings to improve turnout and input.
Councilmember Ridge moved to accept staff’s recommendation for option 2; Councilmember Ball seconded. The motion passed 5‑0. Councilmembers discussed timing, potential budget offsets and the role of the update in any future annexation and LAFCO referrals. Staff said the proposed funding plan could be staged across fiscal years and that the city would issue an RFP to secure consultants for the environmental and plan update work.
The council directed staff to proceed with option 2 and to return with consultant proposals and a refined budget schedule.
