City seeks community input on Santa Maria’s future

SANTA MARIA, Calif. - The City of Santa Maria is making progress on the General Plan for the next 25 years.

The big question the city of Santa Maria has for everyone is simple, “What kind of Santa Maria do you want to live work and play in, in the future?" said spokesperson Mark van de Kamp with the City of Santa Maria.

But creating the general plan is more involved.

"That will depend on a lot of private investments, the economy and when this pandemic is over," said van de Kamp.

City leaders believe this is an opportunity for everyone to get involved with the vision of the city’s future.

"It allows us to look at where we’re at today and where we want to go into the future," said Director of Community Development Chuen Ng.

To be more specific, the plan will involve how we use land, how we accommodate population growth and job growth.

"There are projections for Santa Maria that in 30 years we may go from a population of about 108,000 people to 130,000 or 140,000 people," said Ng.

As the General Plan 2040 efforts progress, the City is continuing to look to the community for input.

"We want to know what our residents think and want as far our community is concerned, as far as a place to live, a place to work, a place to shop," said Ng.

Ultimately the city hopes to address the needs of the residents both for today and into the future.

If you would like to share your input about Santa Maria's future, visit: http://www.imaginesantamaria.com