Buellton holds scoping meeting for General Plan 2050 EIR; residents press for steelhead, traffic and water review

Buellton City planners and their consultants convened a public scoping meeting on May 20 to begin preparation of a program Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the proposed General Plan 2050, presenting projected growth, proposed land‑use changes and the CEQA review schedule.

Consultants with Civic Solutions and Meridian Consultants outlined the update’s scope and projections, saying the plan period to 2050 would guide land use, circulation, housing and conservation policy. Adam Bizarwitz of Civic Solutions described estimated planning‑period growth of about 4,141 housing units, 9,667 residents and 4,028 jobs, and noted the city’s recently approved 123‑acre urban growth boundary expansion (Measure C, November 2024) that will be reflected in the plan’s land‑use map.

Tony Locado of Meridian Consultants told attendees the city completed a preliminary review and determined a program EIR is required under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). He outlined the process: the Notice of Preparation (NOP) is being circulated for a 30‑day scoping period, technical studies will follow, a draft EIR will be released for a 45‑day public review, and the city must provide written responses to comments in the final EIR before certification.

The consultants listed the full set of CEQA topics the program EIR will analyze — including aesthetics, biological and cultural resources, hydrology and water quality, transportation and circulation, air quality, greenhouse gases, public services, and wildfire — and emphasized that tribal consultation and interagency coordination will be part of the analysis.

Public commenters raised several recurring concerns. Buellton resident John Darwin urged the city to separately analyze the southern steelhead, a species he described as double‑listed under federal and state endangered species law, and to correct what he called "erroneous data" in the current General Plan 2025. He also asked the city to coordinate with fisheries experts and the county flood‑control agency about potential effects of increased access and trails along Zaka Creek and the Sanz River.

"The existing General Plan 2025 contains erroneous information about the southern steel head trout," Darwin said, and recommended the city retain a consultant with specific expertise in the species and in drainage interactions with critical habitat.

Nancy Emerson, representing the environmental land‑use group We Watch, summarized a longer letter and urged the EIR scope be flexible and comprehensive. She listed transportation, cumulative air‑quality impacts of multifamily and commercial expansion (noting Avenue of the Flags and McMurray Road), long‑term water security during drought, wildfire hardening and tree‑planting priorities, and aesthetic impacts of the North urban growth boundary as urgent topics for analysis.

Other participants raised housing and traffic concerns. A teacher who said he works at CNS High School asked how specifically the EIR will address mitigation of congestion and ensure housing opportunities for younger residents; another commenter recalled past regional transportation warnings and urged the city to prioritize the circulation element.

Michelle Ellis, a nurse and former public‑health staffer, encouraged planners to adopt a "Blue Zone" vision that emphasizes walkability, healthy food access and design choices that promote population health; she said she would submit supporting materials in writing.

In response, Locado said the biological‑resources section will address threatened and endangered species, including southern steelhead, and that the EIR will analyze potential effects on Zaka Creek and the Sanz River. He also said the growth projections presented will provide the baseline for traffic, water, utilities and public‑service analyses.

The consultants and the city planning moderator reminded attendees that the NOP scoping period closes May 26 and invited written comments for consideration in setting the draft EIR’s technical scope. The meeting closed with thanks to participants and a reiteration that the draft general plan and draft EIR will be circulated for public review before any certification or decisions by the planning commission or city council.

What’s next: written comments on the Notice of Preparation will be accepted through May 26 and should be directed to the city’s planning director; the draft EIR will follow with a 45‑day public comment period and written responses will be included with the final EIR.