Regarding the Aug. 24 article, “Lompoc Council Hears New Plan for Bailey Avenue Development,” state officials believe California has “a housing crisis.”
The term “crisis” is often used to advance political agendas and, in this case, the solution was to require jurisdictions like the City of Lompoc and Santa Barbara County to amend their General Plan housing elements to conform to a new set of affordable housing guidelines.
Lompoc, with a very lean planning staff, completed its amendments, and had them approved by the deadline. The county, with a robust planning staff, failed to have its amendments approved and now a project that is nearly 20 years in the making may be approved despite repeated opposition by the Local Area Formation Commission.
The Bailey Avenue Development, as Noozhawk reported, would add 340 tightly spaced housing units just outside the current Lompoc city limits.
Lompoc has sought to annex this strip of land for decades for housing and LAFCO has consistently denied the request because it’s on “prime agricultural land.”
So, it appears that foot dragging by county planners could result in the approval of a 20-year dream and be a defeat for LAFCO.
Ron Fink
Lompoc
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Regarding the Aug. 28 BizHawk article, “Ghirardelli Chocolate Co. Back on Track to Open Santa Barbara Shop,” how long before the chocolate melts and they shutter up? 12 months?
Ron West
Santa Barbara
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Regarding the Aug. 22 news release, “Friday Football Focus Celebrates 40 Years of High School Football Highlights,” congrats to the KEYT team.
It’s a true highlight for us. We always look forward to Mike Klan, Dave Alley and the highlights. We listen carefully for humorous comments and just enjoy seeing local high school football.
Keep up the great work!
Kirk Greene
Santa Barbara
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Sadly, the Battistone Foundation reportedly is divesting the Edgerly Apartments, two wonderful downtown apartment buildings that house approximately 200 American seniors — all of whom may lose their housing.
In contrast, our feel-good, virtue-signaling City of Santa Barbara leaders voted to spend $500,000 to provide free legal advice to undocumented people here in the city.
That money was taken from the housing fund, and was money that might have been used as a down payment toward the Battistone properties.
What is wrong with our city leaders? Why are they placing foreign nationals ahead of vulnerable U.S. citizens?
Jeff Havlik
Santa Barbara
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A cheery postcard was mailed to Carpinteria residents about the Carpinteria Advanced Purification Project (CAPP), a project of the Carpinteria Valley Water District.
CAPP involves capturing groundwater runoff and injecting it back into the water table. This is a great project and a good idea.
However, the project as currently planned inflicts significant costs on nearby neighbors. What the postcard does not mention is that the construction of the injection wells where water will be pumped into the ground require extremely loud drilling, 24/7, for months (apparently, if drilling stops, the well will collapse).
One injection well will be at St. Joseph Catholic Church on Linden Avenue. The other well was originally sited at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also on Linden, but the church declined to participate. So the water district decided to put the injection site on the sidewalk easement on Meadow View Lane, adjoining the church parking lot.
Our community, the Meadows, backs onto Meadow View Lane. Several houses in the community would be little more than 50 feet from the construction site.
The noise from the drilling will register at 85 decibels, a level known to cause hearing damage. The project’s solution to this nuisance is to build a 24-foot wall around the drill, but that will decrease the sound level by only 10 decibels.
Apparently, relocating this well is possible but expensive.
I do not want to be a NIMBY, but it is not reasonable to put this kind of nuisance in a residential neighborhood.
Meadow View Lane may not look like a residential street because of the LDS church parking lot and the fact that our homes back onto it rather than face it. But it is a residential street, and it is unfair to impose this public burden on us when it can be located elsewhere.
Carrie Miles
Carpinteria
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