Residents raise traffic, scale and design concerns as Buellton staff preview Highway 246 and Avenue of the Flags projects
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Summary
Residents urged caution about the scale and traffic impact of proposed mixed-use and commercial projects along Avenue of the Flags and Highway 246; planning staff said concept plans have been posted and that a traffic study and a specific plan amendment for a proposed drive-through are part of the review process.
A resident and Green Team member told the Buellton City Planning Commission she is concerned that proposed projects along Avenue of the Flags and Highway 246 would be out of character and create traffic problems, and planning staff said conceptual plans have been submitted and that a traffic study and a specific plan amendment will be part of the review.
Theresa Riley, who said she lives in Ranch Club Estates and serves on the Green Team when she can, told commissioners she and other neighbors worry about building height, density and traffic around planned projects on Avenue of the Flags. "4 stories is much too high," Riley said, describing the neighborhood context as mostly two- and three-story buildings and saying the community wants pedestrian-friendly streets with landscaping and places to sit.
Riley also criticized a proposed 30-foot-tall novelty coffee-pot feature and warned a drive-through at the Highway 246 Commercial Center could back traffic onto the avenue, citing the traffic issues that arose when a drive-through opened on Upper State Street.
Planning staff told the commission the Anderson site (formerly a restaurant) has concept plans posted on the Buellton Engage page and is anticipated to return to the planning commission and city council in the coming months for public hearings. Staff said the Highway 246 Commercial Center application is in plan-review and that the city is working through the scope of a traffic study; staff also said a drive-through would require a specific plan amendment because the existing specific plan does not allow drive-throughs.
Staff noted the Arco AMPM gas station project at the north end of the avenue is expected to be scheduled for a public hearing within the next month, and that the Highway 246 project will undergo further review prior to any public hearing. Planning staff invited residents to review concept materials on the city engagement page and to contact the planning department for specifics.