Developer asking Santa Maria to annex Orcutt land for proposed mixed-use project speaks about the benefits of the plan
ORCUTT, Calif. -- The developer of a proposed mixed-use project in Orcutt, which needs annexation into the City of Santa Maria to be built, is looking to gain support for the plan.
Michael Stoltey spoke with News Channel on Friday to help the community gain a better understanding of the planned "Richards Ranch" development that has drawn a lot of publicity over the past few weeks.
The project site is located on four-parcels that cover nearly 44 acres at the busy intersection of Highway 135 and Union Valley Parkway.
The property is currently located in the unincorporated community of Orcutt, just across the street from the southernmost border of Santa Maria.
"Richards Ranch is a mixed-use project," said Stoltey. "We're looking to provide neighborhood commercial services along Union Valley Parkway, and then apartments along Union Valley Parkway to really provide mixed-use element, and then townhomes along the southern half of the property in a gated townhome community."
Stoltey said he worked for about eight months looking to move the project through the Santa Barbara County approval process.
"Unfortunately, since 1997, Orcutt effectively does not have water for new projects and new developments, and so to be able to supply water for the project, the only solution was to move the project into the City of Santa Maria," said Stoltey. "There is no water available in the community of Orcutt for this project. The only water that is available at this time for this project is in the City of Santa Maria."
Seeing that Santa Maria has the required water supply necessary to build the project, Stoltey has initiated the process of having Santa Maria potentially annex the 44-acre site.
For many in Orcutt, they are against the prospect of having the high-profile property go into the hands of their northern neighbor.
"Myself, and most of the residents that I know, we are against the annexation," said longtime Orcutt resident Don Flagg. "We are not against the development. The reason being, the Orcutt sphere of influence, we would like to see that development stay in the area because we're actually looking at incorporation and cityhood right now, to see what we can do. The tax base that would bring in would be very helpful to the cityhood of Orcutt once that's established."
Flagg added that he is unhappy how the issue of water is being used against his longtime home.
"It's almost like that's the carrot in front of the horse," said Flagg. "You can develop as long as you go with Santa Maria because they have the water. It's almost like water is being used as a hostage and I don't feel like that's fair and equitable for the Orcutt area."
As for the financial implications of the possible annexation, Stoltey counters Orcutt would still profit should annexation of the site gain approval.
"Through the annexation process, there is a tax exchange agreement that would take place, so a large component of the tax resources from the site would actually be available to Santa Barbara County and to the local community, which would never place if it were to stay here because it can't be developed without that water," said Stoltey. "By law, LAFCO (Local Agency Formation Commission), the governing body over annexation, to make things fair in annexation, by law if a property moves from a county to a city, there is a tax exchange agreement that takes place so that the county can still benefit from that exiting resource, which would be this project."
Another key point Stoltey emphasizes with the planning of Richards Ranch is how it would benefit the surrounding community.
"We designed the project to look and feel and fit Orcutt," said Stoltey "There is a valuable component in the sense that Orcutt desperately needs additional commercial resources. It needs a neighborhood grocer. It needs additional housing, and housing that we're developing looks and feels like Orcutt."
Stotley is hoping to keep an open dialogue with Orcutt residents. He recently spoke at a meeting earlier this week and has scheduled another community meeting on Tuesday, May 23, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the OASIS Senior Center.
"The whole development team is local," said Stoltey. "Something that is very important to us is that we continue to engage in the community and that we develop a project that looks and feels like Orcutt."
For Flagg and others, they remain unconvinced having the property potentially move into the hands of Santa Maria is in the best interest of Orcutt.
"I have not talked to anybody that's in favor of it becoming part of Santa Maria that I've talked to," said Flagg. "It doesn't mean they're not out there, but the nucleus of people that I'm around haven't found anybody that's in favor of it."
Flagg added there is a group of community members who are actively beginning the steps of possibly trying to incorporate the town of more than 30,000 people.
"Right now we are looking into see what it's going to take for cityhood," said Flagg. "We have meetings next month with key people to find out what it will take to move forward with that because probably moving forward with that would be the only way to stop future annexation."
Any potential annexation of the Richards Ranch site is many months away from happening. Right now, Santa Maria city staff are going through hundreds of comments submitted by residents during the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) process.
The Draft EIR can be viewed here on the City of Santa Maria website.
Stoltey noted that if the project gained all of its necessary approvals through Santa Maria and LAFCO, construction on Richards Ranch could begin sometime in 2025.
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