Nearly two dozen residents from the Santa Maria Airport Mobile Home Park appeared before the Santa Maria Planning Commission Thursday, asking city officials to help them in their efforts to relocate in anticipation of the Airport Business Park and golf course development.

The Planning Commission was discussing the proposed Airport Business Park Specific Plan and environmental document at the informal study session Thursday.

The commission is being asked to make a recommendation to the City Council on a proposed general plan amendment and zoning changes that would allow the construction of the business park.

The commission will hold a public hearing on the matter at 6:30 p.m. July 5 at City Hall, 110 E. Cook St.

Residents of the 96-unit park at 4000 South Blosser Road have been following the airport's plan because the proposal requires the removal of the mobile home park.

Residents and their supporters told the commission they are frustrated by what they see as a lack of communication with the Santa Maria Public Airport Board of Directors.

“You guys think more of the salamanders and the wildlife than our kids,” said 23-year park resident Juan Ceja, referring to the development's possible effect on endangered species in the area.

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“Our homes is the same as your homes,” he added.

Commissioners seemed to understand the worries of the residents, but were unclear how they would be able to help.

“I really sympathize with these people,” said Commission Rodger Brown, who noted he had some of the homeowners in school when he was teacher at Righetti High.

Some measure of protection was offered by Senior Assistant City Attorney Wendy Stockton, who said the city has an ordinance regulating mobile home park closures.

However, the ordinance would come into play only when the closure is more imminent.

Plans to develop a business park at the airport have been in the works for more than a decade, but have been held up because some of the proposed project would be built on land that is home to the federally protected California tiger salamander.

The draft environmental impact report for the project includes mitigation measures to protect the amphibian. Those measures closely resemble requirements that airport officials believe will be released by the federal government in an official biological opinion.

The specific plan for the business park was approved in May by the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments, sitting as the local Airport Land Use Commission.

The Santa Maria Public Airport District board of directors gave its approval to the proposal in June.

This incarnation of the airport business park is an update to two prior proposals.

Taking into account the salamander habitat, the business park and golf course have been scaled back to 740 acres from an original proposal of 1,095 acres.

The plan includes 16.3 acres of commercial and professional buildings, 132 acres of light manufacturing, 262.3 acres of recreational open space, and 105 acres of conservation open space for the salamander habitat.

Residents of the mobile home park are asking that the park be moved to another piece of airport property so that they can preserve the tight-knit community they have built.

Much of their frustration comes from the various timelines they have heard with regard to the park closure. They have been told the facility would be able to stay for another eight years, and Thursday they were told construction at the park site wouldn't likely begin until 2025.

Elias Barriga, president of the park homeowners association, said residents are not against the development, which could bring higher-paying jobs to the community.

“We would like to have those jobs because those are the jobs for our kids,” he said. “We have been asking for years for a plan (for closure and relocation) but get (only) promises.”

Malia Spencer can be reached at 739-2219 or mspencer@santa

mariatimes.com.

June 25, 2007