The city and citizens of Lompoc are struggling with a Gordian knot that could puzzle Alexander the Great: how to revenue up the city growth while preserving our quality of life and irreplaceable prime farmland. Can we do both?

Many policy-makers and policy watchers are on opposite sides of city expansion into prime farmland or urbanization of the uplands. Other stakeholders align with prevailing city hall sentiment: annex, expand and develop.

It/s symptomatic of our global dilemma: too many people exhausting the planet/s arable land and natural resources. Except in Lompoc the next wave of people haven/t arrived yet.

After months of public input on the city/s future, the City Council/s updated general plan vision for Lompoc is still seen through a rear view mirror. The city/s main focus was and is to annex and build outward. Mayor Dick DeWees favors moderate growth, which would delete the proposed Bailey Avenue Specific Plan from other potential land annexations, with a passing nod to infill development along H Street. The rest of council voted for further study of high growth alternative 2B, which would retain the Bailey Avenue development.

While growth studies are underway, the city is forging ahead. Here is a summary of expansions beyond current city limits being considered or those in the first stages if implementation:

n Purchase of 8.59 acres next to River Park on the east Santa Ynez river bank for RV campsite expansion. The city wasted no time from closed session on May 20 to approving this ,380,000 purchase after a public hearing at the June 3 meeting. Two 30-year internal loans from the city/s insurance fund would pay for land and campsite development costs.

The hope is that the 44 added hookups to the existing 36 will boost city revenues and provide tourist dollars for merchants. River Park already has over 114 acres, of which only 45 are developed. Accelerating gas prices could certainly affect guzzling RVs. Real revenue or red herring?

nThough not specifically mentioned as part of the general plan update/s growth alternatives, more river land beyond the city limits is up for examination. Council exhumed the Central Avenue extension over the Santa Ynez River to Highway 246 with a request for a new SBCAG cost study. This project could subsume at least part of the north river park system on the east bank outside city limits, saddle taxpayers with a cost-prohibitive new bridge and destroy more irreplaceable prime farmland. Is the trade-off of highway shortcuts and easier commuter shopping on the north side worth it?

n Retention of Bailey Avenue Specific plan to develop prime farmland: Agriculturists say these 270 acres between Z Street at the western city limits and Bailey Avenue are among the richest farmland anywhere.

Property rights to develop and compensation for old sewer lines played a large role in the retention of this Alt 2B plan, although Councilman Mike Siminski emphasized his Bprimary reasonC for Bailey Avenue development was to mitigate the health hazards from possible respiratory illnesses caused by farm dust blowing over adjacent residential neighborhoods.

That kind of reasoning is analogous to homeowners who buy next to a busy commercial airport and then complain about the noise pollution. (Councilman DeWayne Holmdahl, who lives on North Z St., says he/s Bused toC the dust, but still voted to retain the Bailey Avenue annexation.)

A proposed 200-foot buffer along Bailey Avenue could stay the wind, farm dust and future city expansion, but a possible alternative might save both health and farmland, if the development (money) interest can be resolved. Working with the city, farm owners, or even in their own backyards, residents on Z Street with backyards facing the open fields could plant their own contiguous windbreak.

It/s doable. According to the city/s Urban Forestry division, Bthe fastest growing (tree) windbreak that does well in Lompoc is the Leyland Cypress; they are low-to-no-maintenance and require little fertilizer.C A 15-gallon tree could grow up to 15 feet in two to three years. But can produce dollars win over development dollars?

n Proposed annexation of a vacant 10-acre parcel at the Wye. Along with Burton Ranch, an incremental development with a potential of 476 units at the northwest corner of the Wye and Harris Grade Road, all four corners would be developed. The Wye area is already a hodgepodge of unincorporated and incorporated residential developments with small neighborhood retail. Thousands of people already live on Burton Mesa with thousands more anticipated as the city continues to annex the uplands. Could over-development exhaust future natural resources, services and infrastructures?

Policy-makers often forget that unincorporated Valley residents living next to city neighbors are equally impacted by city hall decisions. Because of their concentrated population, uplands residents especially drop an enormous amount of consumer dollars in Lompoc, even though the unincorporated cannot vote in municipal elections. Yet they, too, are an important part of the whole community.

Perhaps it is democracy/s way that government and citizens are often adversarial. To complicate matters, a majority of citizens don/t participate and policy-makers often ignore citizens/ concerns to placate moneyed interests or to follow their own agendas. Yet to effect any reasonable solution, there must be valid input from both parties.

We would do well to relax our intransigence, zap our apathy, go to the bargaining table with open minds and create workable solutions side-by-side. If Alexander could slice through his knotty problem, together we could surely brainstorm for Lompoc Valley/s future.

Watch for expanded city staff outreach programs for citizen participation in community planning and issues. Updates, city meetings and general information are posted online at cityoflompoc.com.

Morgann Tayllor is a retired journalist who is active in Lompoc Valley issues.

July 2, 2008