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Lompoc council adopts updated General Plan safety element after CAL FIRE revisions, adds evacuation and wildfire measures
Summary
The City Council adopted amendments to Lompoc's 2030 General Plan safety element, accepting CAL FIRE-required measures, revised evacuation analysis and new wildfire and flood mapping; council asked staff to pursue a letter to Caltrans about San Lucia/Santa Lucia Road impacts.
The Lompoc City Council on Sept. 2 adopted updates to the city's General Plan safety element and an addendum to the 2030 General Plan environmental impact report, formalizing new wildfire, flood and evacuation measures recommended following state review.
The contract planner, Laurie Tamura, told council the update incorporates recently released fire-hazard mapping and a 2022 local hazard mitigation plan, and responds to CAL FIRE comments. "The safety element update is triggered by a couple of different actions'that either occurred by the state or through the city action," Tamura said during her presentation.
The update adds 17 new action measures to the element; Tamura said 14 through 22 of those were direct requirements from CAL FIRE and other additions address climate-change hazards such as extreme heat and drought. The plan includes revised evacuation analysis prepared by DKS Associates and updated floodplain mapping that covers areas along the river corridor.
Council and staff discussed specific local implications. Council members asked how recent Caltrans changes to Santa Lucia (San Lucia) Road affect evacuation planning. Tamura and Police Chief Martin said Caltrans's interim closure plan allows emergency access: "The blockade they're putting on that roadway is going to be an emergency situation. We'll be able to drive over it," Chief Martin said, adding the city would place personnel to manage the barricade in an evacuation.
Several council members pressed for clearer recordkeeping and interagency coordination on McLaughlin Crossing and other constrained crossings. Council member Ball asked staff to document the city's concerns to Caltrans and the county; Ball secured support from other council members to request such a letter to put the city's position on the record.
Planning commission edits were incorporated into the council's action. The commission recommended removing two seismic-related policies (policies 2.2 and 2.4) from Goal 4 on the grounds that building-code and zoning requirements already address the concerns. Tamura said the building department's inventory shows four to five downtown buildings with some seismic vulnerability.
The city submitted revised materials to CAL FIRE in 2024 and received an approval letter in August 2024, Tamura said. The council also agreed to remove a land-use figure staff determined belongs in the land-use element rather than the safety element.
Resolution 6771 (2025) adopting the safety-element update and the environmental addendum was moved and seconded at the meeting and approved by council. The update will guide future permitting, evacuation planning and mitigation priorities tied to flooding, wildfire and climate hazards.
The council vote followed public comment from residents who urged clearer mapping with landmarks and raised concerns about commuter patterns and first-responder staffing during a citywide event. Tamura confirmed presentation materials and maps are posted online for public review.
The council's adoption concludes the local hearing on the safety element; staff will return with any follow-up items needed to implement the measures and with the requested correspondence to Caltrans regarding the Santa Lucia Road modifications.
