New housing and new stores are taking root in Lompoc after a move to drastically trim impact fees, Mayor Jim Mosby said Monday during a State of the City presentation. 

The Lompoc Valley Chamber of Commerce organized the lunchtime event attended by about 40 people at the Dick DeWees Community and Senior Center, where more than 100 chairs had been set up.

“I have to say right off the bat, the state of the city of Lompoc is good and getting better,” Mosby said. “We’re turning the corner and moving forward fast. We’ve been kind of stagnant for a while, but we are moving forward and getting better.” 

He also touted Measure B, a 0.5% sales tax hike on the June ballot to fund streets, sidewalks and stormwater improvements in the city. 

The tax would push Lompoc’s current sales tax rate from 8.75% to 9.25%. As a special tax, it requires more than 66% voter approval to pass. 

“This is an opportunity to fix one of the biggest problems that’s looming for us, and that’s deferred maintenance,” Mosby said. 

Lompoc’s population has remained stagnant at roughly 43,000 for two decades, leading Mosby to claim that it’s the only viable city in California “that’s been stuck in this rut, which makes it very difficult.”

In 2025, Lompoc reduced impact fees for development, Mosby said, contending that they had become cost-prohibitive. Those fees typically help fund improvements related to the growth. 

“We were able to justify and reduce our impact fees by 92%,” Mosby said.

Last year, Lompoc had zero single-family residences built with the two the previous year, he claimed.

“We’re turning the corner now with units, and we should be over the 300-unit mark. They’re lined up. They might not all get done this year,” he said. “We’re desperately turning the corner. That’s big news for our town.”

Construction is underway on the River Terrace development on the southeast side of Lompoc. That project will add 259 units, including single-family homes and duplex residences. 

New homes are needed as some forecasts predict 10,000 new job at Vandenberg Space Force Base by 2030.

“We are positioning ourselves for this growth and development,” he said. 

Good things happening include the expansion of Spencer’s Fresh Markets in the city with Vallarta “pretty much locked in” to open in the former site of a 99 Cents store. 

“So we have a lot of people who are also planning for what’s going on at the base and seeing what we’re doing in town. Again, with these impact fees, the reduction is enticing them to come here and spend money and build out our town,” he said.

The effort includes trying to expand the city’s boundaries but has encountered hurdles trying to add 2,200 housing units west of the city to the Bailey Corridor.

That prompted him to echo a common claim made by a majority of current City Council members.

“We’re not allowed to grow, and it’s pushback from South County,” he said, adding that the city continues to push forward. 

In addition to the mayor’s presentation, Lompoc Unified School District Superintendent Clara Finneran provided a quick update on bond-funded projects at local campuses with roof and floor replacements.

She also spoke about the significant need for housing, which led to LUSD to explore a workforce housing project amid concerns about a lack of places to live impacting the ability to recruit and retain the best educators for students.

“We’re really excited about that, super excited about the future,” she added.

During his presentation, the mayor sprinkled his presentation with references to historical documents, including those from 1968 projecting Lompoc’s population at 192,000 by 2020.

Mosby read from a late 1960s community brochure touting the benefits of Lompoc noting the mild temperatures, gentle to moderate breezes and lack of smog. 

“‘Year-round fine weather makes living in the Lompoc Valley of Flowers as near perfect as any place in Southern California,’” Mosby read. “And I think that’s true today, and I think it’s one of the items that really does sell our community.”