The Santa Maria City Council has unanimously approved the ‘Santa Maria 2045 General Plan,’ a comprehensive framework designed to guide the city’s development over the next two decades. This plan addresses the anticipated addition of nearly 60,000 residents and over 16,000 new housing units by 2045.
Chenin Dow, the city’s Director of Community Development, emphasized the necessity of both increasing housing density and annexing new land to meet these growth projections. ‘We do have a significant amount of redevelopment that has occurred and higher densities that have occurred over time,’ Dow stated. ‘Looking at the remaining available developable sites, there simply aren’t many left.’
The plan aims to balance urban expansion with the preservation of agricultural land, a key component of Santa Maria’s economy and heritage. Mayor Alice Patino highlighted the importance of this balance, particularly in accommodating new infrastructure such as a proposed high school. ‘I think it’s really important for people to realize we can’t just stack and pack people on top of one another in our community, and have a healthy community,’ Patino remarked.
Key elements of the 2045 General Plan include:
- Encouraging higher-density housing developments in the downtown area to maximize existing space.
- Rezoning certain commercial areas to allow for single-family residential use, thereby increasing housing availability.
- Strategically annexing adjacent land to provide space for new developments while preserving essential agricultural zones.
In addition to the general plan approval, the council authorized an application for a grant from the California Department of Transportation. If awarded, the approximately $30 million grant would fund a new transportation loop designed to enhance pedestrian and bicycle connectivity throughout the city.
These initiatives reflect Santa Maria’s proactive approach to managing growth, ensuring that development aligns with the community’s needs and values while maintaining the city’s unique character.