Thursday, November 29, 2007
While the battle rages along the Gaviota Coast over development of agriculturally zoned land, Lakeview Estates in the Sta. Rita Hills quietly attempts to slip in below the radar. Most of you will have heard of the Sta. Rita Hills, which has gained fame with its world-class pinot noir, but chances are few of you have heard of Lakeview Estates.
Lakeview Estates is a 1,568-acre subdivision consisting of 35 parcels and located above a proposed, but never completed, reservoir (hence “Lakeview”) on the Santa Ynez River, about 10 miles west of Buellton and five miles east of Lompoc. This subdivision spills down from the ridge of the Sta. Rita Hills to the Santa Ynez River and contains some of the most coveted wine grape land in Santa Barbara County. The subdivision is surrounded entirely by agricultural lands in a region that produces some of the best wine grapes in the world, as well as a mix of other crops, from broccoli to tomatoes. Registered in 1968 with little forethought to development, the hope was these “lakefront” parcels would become valuable in the future.
In actuality, the parcels of Lakeview Estates have sold at well below the value of nearby parcels of similar size because it has been impossible to obtain a building permit. The history behind this is complex, but it boils down to the fact that Sweeney Road — which winds its way over 6½ miles from the outskirts of Lompoc through farm fields and grazing land eventually narrowing down to a one-lane dirt track squeezed between a barn and a house before reaching Lakeview — is not adequate to accommodate fire equipment access. In addition, access to Lakeview is through an easement, which does not allow for an increase in burden over its historical use. It is clear that additional housing serviced through this easement will be an increased burden. Any increase in traffic would affect the immediate neighbors as well as all of those who live or work along Sweeney Road. All this without first getting these people’s consent for the change.
This may all change with the vote of the Santa Barbara Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) on Thursday, December 6. On that date, LAFCO will consider whether or not to grant Lakeview Estates the right to form the Sta. Rita Hills Community Services District. This formation would allow the district to obtain an unrestricted easement through the use of Eminent Domain. This will ensure the development of these non-conforming agriculturally zoned parcels. They will undoubtedly be transformed from their current state to multimillion-dollar estates wedged in the middle of an expansive and productive agricultural region. The county’s taxpayers will most likely be burdened with the expense of expanding Sweeney Road to meet the needs of these well-heeled future residents. It seems likely that the fire department will also lobby for a connection to Mail Road, which ends only two miles to the east, to provide a back door that would alleviate safety concerns inherent in the development of such a fire-prone region.
In addition to the increased burden on the area’s roads, the Community Services District will have the right to distribute water throughout the subdivision from the river gravels below. Those of us who currently depend on that water for agricultural uses will have additional uses to compete with during dry years when water is scarce.
LAFCO is a regulatory agency chartered by the State Legislature with the task of discouraging urban sprawl. The formation of the Sta. Rita Hills Community Services District would be a classic case of “leapfrog development,” the very essence of urban sprawl. Without the Community Services District, the parcels of Lakeview estates will continue to be dedicated to agricultural uses as intended. Agriculturally zoned land should be used for agriculture. If LAFCO supports this change, this special district will create rural residential parcels in all but name, and begin the urbanization process for the Sta. Rita Hills. It is remarkable that this decision might be made without a more thorough review of the effects that it will have on the surrounding area, and the county as a whole. Please help by voicing your opinion at the LAFCO meeting on Thursday, December 6, at 2 p.m. at the County Board of Supervisors hearing room in the Betteravia Government Center in Santa Maria.