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Council directs staff to update housing‑element inventory and asks SBCAG for model data
Summary
Council instructed staff to pursue adding rezoned parcels to the housing‑element sites inventory, to protect zoning control and comply with no‑net‑loss rules, and voted to request SBCAG's underlying growth‑forecast models and documentation after questioning projections tied to Vandenberg base growth. Vote was 5–0.
Councilors moved to update the housing‑element sites inventory to add recently rezoned parcels and to create buffer capacity to satisfy state no‑net‑loss rules. Planning manager Greg Stones outlined the process: staff and the consultant would analyze candidate properties, contact HCD for concurrence, return to the Planning Commission, and then the council for formal adoption. Stones warned the consultant estimated the process could take up to six months.
Members discussed strategic reasons to update the inventory, including avoiding statutory triggers under Assembly Bill 1397 and protecting local zoning control if listed sites are not developed. Stones noted that some sites on the inventory — such as social clubs or older structures — may be unlikely to redevelop, so adding more viable sites provides a safety net.
Separately, staff presented SBCAG’s regional growth forecast showing projected county population increases and a Lompoc population increase of roughly 11,790 residents (about 27%) through 2060. Several councilors and public commenters said SBCAG’s household and employment forecasts appeared to undercount pending growth associated with Vandenberg Space Force Base and local projects. The council voted unanimously to ask SBCAG for the electronic forecast models, methodology and supporting documentation and to request that the base confirm its job projections so the council can evaluate and, if necessary, contest SBCAG assumptions.
Why it matters: The housing element inventory is a statutory mechanism that affects the city’s ability to plan for state‑required housing production. The SBCAG forecast underpins regional planning; if the models understate local demand, Lompoc could be disadvantaged in funding and annexation discussions.
Next steps: Staff will begin the inventory update process, contact HCD, return to Planning Commission, and request models and documentation from SBCAG and the base per the council’s direction.
