The Lompoc City Council voted unanimously last Tuesday to seek additional information from the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments and Vandenberg Space Force Base before deciding whether to formally challenge a newly adopted regional growth forecast that council members say may underestimate the city’s future housing and employment needs.
The 2025-60 Regional Growth Forecast, approved by the SBCAG board of directors on June 25, projects Santa Barbara County will add about 75,460 residents, 37,590 households and 47,700 jobs over the next 35 years. The forecast serves as the foundation for SBCAG’s 2029 Regional Transportation Plan and Sustainable Communities Strategy, helping guide long-range transportation investments, land-use planning and other regional policy decisions.
Lompoc Mayor James Mosby cast the lone dissenting vote when the SBCAG board approved the forecast in June. At his request, the report was brought before the City Council on July 21 for review…