Kudos to the Buellton City Council

The Buellton City Council did itself proud at their recent meeting on February 26. The Council reversed an ordinance passed last December, which would have significantly increased housing density in mixed-use zoned areas. Responding to sentiments articulated by confused and frustrated residents, the Council also turned a corner by agreeing to take a comprehensive look — even if they need to work on Saturdays — at all of the City's zoning regulations. A comprehensive look will ensure that Buellton does not suffer from piecemeal development and over-densification. Community workshops have been promised to help us understand how Buellton is currently zoned and solicit our feedback so together we can forge a community vision that includes a reasonable and workable zoning framework.

Special kudos to:

• Mayor Russ Hicks for his leadership in keeping the Housing Element Update workshop "open" in order for everyone to have sufficient time to review and digest the materials, allowing the public to speak without time-restraints, and suggesting that the Council step back and view the zoning issue in a more comprehensive way;
• Mayor Pro Tem Victoria Pointer for her insistence that the Council review the mixed-use ordinance on density in conjunction with the 2009 Housing Element Update report, and her tenacious questioning of staff to bring more clarity to the discussion;
• Council member Dave King for questioning city staff assumptions, asking hard questions and listening deeply to community concerns;

Council members Ed Andrisek and Holly Sierra also receive kudos for their careful attention to public comments, insightful questions and thoughtful comments.

I am glad to see some comments and response to my blog. Some of the answers to your questions are:1.) Jonata Park Road is named after Jonata Park which is now the Pistol and Bow Club. At one time it was a fire station, then converted to a park which turned out to have water problems.
2.)The Avenue of Flags, including the median is owned by the City of Buellton so it can be recreated however agreed upon .
3.) Redevelopment kind of lost it's steam on AOF when speculators bought up most of it and put outlandish prices on several parcels. It was like holding the City hostage. However it is still a top priority with the City. Moving the Post Office, library, visitors bureau and even a small museum to 2nd Street and the AOF now makes more sense then ever! With this economy, now is a good time for the City to acquire land to do so.
I was a contributor to Cal-Ed study and I do believe we need to protect our M zoning, which is Industrial property. Jobs need to be created for the residents of Buellton to eliminate all the commuting.