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Planned streetscape upgrades prompt downtown business backlash; council asks staff to return with options
Summary
Caltrans and city staff described a multimodal streetscape plan and an anticipated Caltrans SHOP funding request; downtown merchants warned that proposed lane reductions and parking removal would harm businesses. Council directed staff to return with focused options and community input and scheduled a follow‑up for Feb. 17.
City staff and consultants reviewed the Lompoc Streetscape Multimodal Improvement Plan, an adopted planning study that recommends bicycle/pedestrian corridors and streetscape work along state highways through the city. Staff described companion documents (pedestrian/bicycle master plan and local road safety plan) and said Caltrans has prioritized a first tranche of work — a class‑1 shared bike/ped path on the north end of H Street — and submitted a SHOP funding request with an estimated project cost of about $12 million.
"Their cost estimate is around $12,000,000 total project cost that would be from Caltrans funding, not from city funding," staff said during the presentation. The staff report and public outreach materials date from 2020–2022 and were approved by the Planning Commission and council in July 2022.
The presentation prompted extended public comment from downtown property owners and merchants. Dozens of business owners said they were unaware the plan would remove on‑street parking and potentially reduce travel lanes in key downtown blocks. One commenter said he spoke with merchants who "didn't know this plan existed," adding merchants were "flabbergasted" at the possibility of losing parking spaces that serve their businesses.
Several council members expressed a desire to preserve downtown access and asked staff to return with alternatives that retain parking and maintain traffic flow while pursuing safety improvements elsewhere. Councilmember Vega urged staff not to “sell ourselves out for a grant,” and requested options that shift bike accommodations to parallel streets where feasible.
Council directed staff to return with a refined set of options and community engagement by Feb. 17 so the council can provide direction before Caltrans proceeds further with any design work. Staff said the plan and the circulation element remain modifiable and that grant funding timelines make careful coordination important.
