1 From: Lacy Litten <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, December 1, 2023 5:37 PM
To: City Council; Web-City Clerk
Subject: General Plan Housing Element - Annexation Proposal Attachments: Annexation Map Proposal.pdf
*** EXTERNAL EMAIL: Please use caution when opening links or attachments.*** Dear Mayor Patino and Councilmembers,
Our organization works closely with farmers and landowners throughout the Sant Maria Valley, and we thought it was important to reach out to you about the General Plan Housing Element.
We understand the constraints and mandates you and associated staff are under to fulfill the ne eds of our burgeoning
city. Santa Maria is an ideal place to live and work. As we look toward the future and mandatory change, we must preserve the aesthetically rural and small town feel that drew us all and keep us all here.
Our involvement in the housing conversation began last year. We met se veral times with Mr. Chuen Wu, Director of Community Development, to discuss how farmers can help the city reach its goals. We know that you know the importance of farming, and we want to offer an alternative solution that is potentially beneficial for all stakeholders.
What we propo sed to Mr. Wu is similar to Alternative C. We support infill first. However, these projects need to realistically consider parking, traffic, and quality of life. The creativity of the Mervyn’s/Fallas project provides mixed use/city feel living for those who want it in the downtown area. Conversely, many of us pr efer single family residences in suburban neighborhoods. Annexation on the eastside of the 101 to Telephone Road, from Clark Road to Prell Road, would provide the city with ample acreage to sprawl. (See attached map for a visual of area.)
It is important to note that while we support the po
tential of exploring this option, we have not engaged with specific landowners in the suggested area for development. If you have a desire to speak further around this concept, and gauge the interest of those landowners, I would be happy to connect you.
Respectfully,
- Lacy Litten
www.factsfromfarmers.com