Limbo

If the City Council actually voted last night, the only people who know the outcome were there in the room. Neither the Record nor KSBY are reporting the decision that was expected from last night's meeting.

From what I can gather, there were a moment or two of high drama: Lompoc resident Alice Milligan, a lead opponent, opened her Tuesday statements by calling on Mayor Dick DeWees to step down from voting on the center. She said that DeWees, as a member of the Lompoc Recovery Task Force, was involved in selecting the 608 West Ocean location, currently home to the Avenue Flower Shop.

DeWees replied that he was not involved in the search for the location, and City Attorney Sharon Stuart stated that no impropriety existed with DeWees joining three other council members to vote as part of council on the issue. Council woman Ann Ruhge, who approved the project in November as a member of the planning commission, recused herself from the vote.

Later, in her comments, Good Samaritan Executive Director Sylvia Barnard addressed criticisms rather straight-on:

Plans for the center call for a modular building that would be near the existing flower shop building. Milligan said having a modular building next to Spanish architecture is poor planning, and would contribute to lowering the surrounding property values.

Good Samaritan Executive Director Sylvia Barnard responded to concerns over property values by presenting how existing detox centers in Santa Maria have failed to decrease property values in the areas of that city. She also responded to concerns from neighborhood residents near the proposed Lompoc location.

“Will we be good neighbors,” she said before citing a quote from the Institute for Public Health Strategies. “Those who live next to existing treatment programs consistently say program residents are great neighbors to have. It's only logical because those residents are the only people on the block who by regulation have to be good neighbors.”

Barnard also pointed to several modular buildings that exist in Ocean Avenue, despite opponents saying there were none, and used a map to cite the large number of bars and liquor shops that dot areas where students traverse to and from their school campuses each day.

Spot on but the question is not accuracy but rather persuasiveness. On that score, I guess we wait 'til later in the day.