Commission reviews Median 3 concept: plazas, amphitheater, food trucks and vendor kiosks

Buellton planning staff and Sergeant Town Planning presented conceptual plans to remake Median 3 into a downtown park and sequence of outdoor "rooms" meant to function as a town plaza.

The plan shows a 2nd Street Plaza with up to two community buildings (each up to 600 square feet) that could host a cafe, visitor center and public restrooms. A south lawn with a shaded stage and amphitheater is proposed for performances and community events; a centrally located food‑truck pod beneath a dense tree canopy and a fountain with the historic flag feature were presented as focal elements. The north plaza would include vendor kiosks modeled on Bothell's program, and protected bike lanes, diagonal/parallel parking islands and mid‑block crosswalks would improve connectivity.

A Sergeant Town Planning representative explained the design intent: "This large vacant grassy median...is really at the heart of the envisioned downtown," and described the sequence of spaces as intended to produce different characters — from plazas to lawns to vendor areas. Commissioners asked whether restrooms were included (staff: yes, likely in a South Plaza community building), whether kiosk styles could match surrounding architecture (consultants: options can be adjusted to match), and how food trucks would access the pod (consultant: curb cuts and retractable bollards were proposed). Consultants and commissioners repeatedly emphasized the need for significant canopy trees to create shaded outdoor rooms; a consultant noted that similar investments have catalyzed substantial private investment in other towns.

Staff asked the commission to provide comments; the concept will be forwarded to City Council in September for additional review.