Seeking a greener, friendlier Santa Maria

Seeking a greener, friendlier Santa Maria

By Deborah Brasket/Looking Forward

What's your vision for the city of Santa Maria? What goals would you like to see pursued over the next two years?

At a recent city-goals workshop, the Santa Maria City Council routinely voted to re-adopt the same goals it had established for 2006-08. This was disappointing to many who had come to the workshop hoping to share visions for the future.

It was particularly disappointing, because some of the specific goals, such as “better the quality of life for our next generation to come,” seemed more appropriate as generalized mission statements than as two-year budget goals. Others, such as improving public restrooms and exploring the possibility of an equestrian center, had already been dealt with.

One goal that should have been eliminated or modified was “planning for future annexations and growth.” Over the past two years, we've seen an extraordinary number of annexations proposed, and the city has grown to the point where many residents are saying slow down.

We need a public discussion about how much we want to grow, how fast, and where before we propose any new annexations.

What many Santa Marians believe is the city needs smart growth that looks to the needs of current residents, while encouraging businesses that can help people move up the economic ladder into higher paying jobs. Our goal should be to balance housing with jobs, open space and transportation, and to create a green economy - prosperous and environmentally sustainable.

Santa Maria is one of the hardest-hit regions in the nation in the current mortgage crisis. We need to create more affordable, workforce housing that fits low- to moderate-income budgets. In addition, existing affordable housing, such as rental units, should be protected from demolition or conversion to condominiums.

Mechanisms to achieve affordability, such as cooperative ownership of apartments, mixed use, second units and housing developments that utilize already developed land, should be emphasized.

Agricultural lands surrounding the city should not be annexed to develop the site for other uses. We need to preserve open spaces and agricultural lands that surround our city, and we need to maximize green space and public parks within the city limits.

New housing developments should be walkable, with maximum open space, including, parks, playgrounds and bikeways. All development should be contained within the urban limit line, to avoid sprawl.

Good city planning includes investing in transportation systems that reduce congestion, pollution and nonrenewable energy. Resources should be reallocated toward making mass transit, pedestrian and bike alternatives accessible and convenient.

Some positive developments in this direction have begun. This year, the city has committed to using its transportation funds to build a much-needed downtown transit center. Future transit funds should be used exclusively to develop and improve alternative transportation means, so as to reduce traffic congestion and oil use.

Developing a sustainable, energy-efficient economy is a win/win solution for everyone. Santa Maria should explore ways to create or attract new green-collar jobs, offering benefits like health coverage and living wages with on-the-job training. Requiring that all new city buildings be constructed with green materials, using renewable energy sources, and other energy-saving installations would be a further positive step.

At the same time, the city should discourage the creation of low-wage jobs that put a drain on the local economy, impacting our affordable-housing crisis and over-burdened health-care systems.

Our goal should be to create a strong and growing green economy that benefits all of the people that live and work in Santa Maria. Balancing affordable housing with jobs, open space and efficient transportation systems moves us in the right direction.

Deborah Brasket is executive director for the Santa Barbara County Action Network (SB CAN). She can be reached at 722-5094, or Deborah@sbcan.org. Looking Forward runs every Friday, providing a progressive viewpoint on local issues.

February 8, 2008