In 1999, the City of Lompoc attempted to annex and develop 270 acres of prime agricultural land along Bailey Avenue. Environmental activists fought against the annexation at the time and won. The Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) — the county’s decision-making body tasked with hearing these requests — denied the City of Lompoc’s request in favor of protecting prime agricultural land.
Now, more than 20 years later, Lompoc is trying its luck once again. Lompoc has requested that 148.3 acres of prime agricultural land along Bailey Avenue be brought into its urban Sphere of Influence; a preliminary step toward the goal of eventually annexing and developing the area.
There is no question that the county is in desperate need of more housing. With virtually no vacant units along the South Coast, skyrocketing rents, overcrowding, and habitability issues, it is clear that more housing needs to be built to meet the needs of the community. However, decision makers need to be strategic about what type of housing is built and where. Housing does not need to be built away from employment centers at the expense of some of the most productive prime agricultural parcels in the county.