The expansion of a city’s sphere of influence is generally the first step toward the annexation and urbanization of rural land. Photo by Suzan Hamilton

On the agenda was one of the most important decisions to come before the council since Buellton was incorporated 15 years ago: whether to study expanding the city’s “sphere of influence” to include 2,000 acres of farmland and grazing land to the west, north and northeast of the city on either side of Highway 101. Buellton presently covers 1,025 acres and has a population of 4,500.

The expansion of a city’s sphere of influence is generally the first step toward the annexation and urbanization of rural land — a step that dozens of residents said Thursday would spoil their bucolic valley with sprawl, traffic, low-income housing and crime.

“There is no need to make Buellton the metropolis of the Santa Ynez Valley,” Jon Macaluso said. “The fact that the City Council would even entertain this notion boggles my mind.”

Much of the land around Buellton is in agricultural preserves. Photo by Suzan Hamilton

As the hearing progressed, the crowd spilled out of the council chambers and into the parking lot. Mayor Diane Whitehair assured everyone that another hearing would be held on July 12 to discuss the matter. She asked people to refrain from applauding speakers, but they applauded anyway.

Longtime residents told the council they had voted for Buellton to become a city in 1992 so that it would never turn into San Jose or San Fernando, or even Santa Barbara. They recalled riding their horses over the freeway overpass when they were children, an overpass they said was unsafe for children today.

At Thursday’s hearing, a newly-formed group called Buellton is Our Town joined with other valley residents to turn in 1,100 petition signatures to the council, bound up in yellow “caution” tape, stating their opposition to any expansion of the city.

Buellton's Avenue of the Flags is framed by mountains. Photo by Suzan Hamilton.

“There is no need to rush,” Hartmann said. “I implore you, stop here. Stop now. Stop.”

Opponents noted that much of the land in the study area was presently designated as agricultural preserve. If each of the 2,000 acres were allowed three or four homes, and each home were occupied by three or four people, the population of Buellton could swell to a population of 30,000, they said.

“Do you want Buellton to remain unique, or do you want this to be another freeway sprawl town you pass through on the way to somewhere nice?” asked Mike Adriansen, who was representing a homeowners’ group just outside the study boundary. “Do you want to be remembered as visionaries or functionaries?”

A few speakers urged the council to continue the study for the purpose of gathering more information.

Norman Williams, the owner of one of the largest properties in the study area, told the crowd he wanted to be a good neighbor. He said he had no intention of building “cookie-cutter” subdivisions on his land. The real danger, he said, was that the county of Santa Barbara would set aside his land for inexpensive homes.

“We don’t want to be usurped for low-cost housing,” Williams said.

Rich Untermann, a Santa Barbara builder who is working for Williams, told the townspeople that since growth was unstoppable anyway, they should try to take charge of it. New developments, he said, could have bikeways and pedestrian walkways, reducing automobile use.

“You can make it that way,” Untermann said. “Be innovative and do it right. At least move ahead.”