Mission Hills District and City of Lompoc resolve water dispute over Burton Ranch development
LOMPOC, Calif. – With a unanimous approval from the Mission Hills Community Services District (MHCSD) Board on Wednesday, a legal dispute between the Board and the City of Lompoc over water and wastewater services for the proposed Burton Ranch Development has been resolved.
The MHCSD Board's approval parallels a unanimous approval of the Burton Ranch Development Agreement and Wastewater Services Agreement from the Lompoc City Council on Tuesday.
“This is a significant accomplishment not only for the Burton Ranch homes but for the Lompoc Valley. The City and Mission Hills CSD worked together for the benefit of our broader community,” said Brad Hagemann, MHCSD General Manager. “This kind of collaboration always leads to better results for our residents and ratepayers.”
In July of 2020, the City of Lompoc brought a suit against MHCSD for a determination of how water and wastewater services would be provided to the Burton Ranch Development.
The recently approved Agreement, calls for the MHCSD to provide water to and collect wastewater from the Burton Ranch Devoplement. Collected wastewater will then be delivered and treated by the City of Lompoc's Regional Wastewater Reclamation Plant.
“We are pleased that the Mission Hills CSD Board and Lompoc City Council have been able to resolve the utility service dispute that has delayed bringing these needed homes to Lompoc. Our collective efforts have resulted in an environmentally superior water and wastewater management plan that is fair to all parties,” said Derek Hansen of The Towbes Group, one of the Burton Ranch Development owners."
Hansen continued with the next steps in the process explaining, “When the City approves revisions to the Burton Ranch Specific Plan at a later date, we will be able to move forward with bringing up to 476 new single family and multi-family homes, plus a community park, to the 150-acre ‘Wye’ parcel off Highway 1 and just north of Hancock College’s Lompoc Valley Center.”
Groundbreaking on the housing development is expected to take place next year according to the City of Lompoc.
