John Gowling, a Buellton resident, told the Buellton City Planning Commission that the city’s upcoming general plan update should prioritize flood safety, arguing that local creeks and incomplete maintenance agreements have left the city vulnerable to property flood damage.

Gowling spoke during the meeting’s public-comment period and urged commissioners to “put the safety element up front” in the general plan. He told the commission he has reviewed the city’s existing plan and identified what he called long‑standing defects in maintenance and easement arrangements for local watercourses.

Gowling said County Flood Control currently performs some maintenance but that formal agreements between the county and the City of Buellton appear to be missing since Buellton incorporated in 1992. He cited January 9, 2023, flooding that damaged common areas in the Rancho De Maria subdivision and said obstructions and debris in channels—together with undersized channelization—have caused flow to divert into unintended flood plains and damage private property.

Gowling also said he and local property owners, including Charles Klein and a retired flood-control engineer he named as Steve Lickin, found the existing channel shape “not adequate to carry the hundred‑year storm,” and warned that culverts under Highway 246 and South Avenue could create serious flooding if obstructed. He noted a legal process in the Government Code allowing challenges to a general plan within 90 days of adoption and said the city should address the safety element early in its update.

Commission Chairperson Reese thanked Gowling for the early involvement. No action was taken; public comment items are not acted on during the meeting.

Why it matters: The remarks highlight local concerns about creek maintenance, easement clarity and flood infrastructure. Those issues could affect property owners’ risk exposure, future permitting and the city’s priorities as it updates its general plan.