With new blood on the Buellton City Council after August’s mail-in election, a familiar face returns to the Planning Commission.
“I’m honored to have the opportunity to continue serving,” three-year Buellton resident Daniel Contreras told the Sun. “Having previously served on the commission, I look forward to building on the experience.”
In early 2024, the council appointed Contreras to fill a mid-term vacancy after former Commissioner Patty Hammel retired from the dais 11 months early.
For the majority of 2025, however, that 4th District commission seat was empty in parallel with the City Council’s eight-month vacancy. Both boards were short a member between January and September.
That changed when 4th District Councilmember Carla Mead, a newcomer to city government, was sworn in on Sept. 25. Her first formal action as an elected official was appointing Contreras to the Planning Commission. He was the sole applicant.
“I read through your application, and I think you and I have very similar goals,” Mead told Contreras. “One of the things that stood out to me is this idea of balancing economic development and safeguarding Buellton’s unique character and values, and I think that is something that every person in this room can agree to, and everyone sitting on this dais as well.”
Originally from Whittier, Contreras told the Sun that he and his family moved to Buellton about three years ago for a change of pace.
“We wanted to get [somewhere] a little bit more quieter and a little bit slower. Living the fast-paced life of LA takes a toll on you with two kids in the household,” said Contreras, who works for Santa Barbara County as a General Services division manager.
In his application to Buellton for Planning Commission consideration, Contreras described one of his platforms as prioritizing development projects that repurpose closed businesses and idle properties.
“One of the things we kind of really cherish around here is the open spaces that we have. We also have a lot of facilities and parcels that are just gathering dust at the moment, and we’re not revitalizing those areas,” he told the Sun. “I think that’s very important that we get to revitalize those areas before we go on to our open spaces.
“One that I’m really looking forward to is the development for the former Pea Soup Andersen’s property,” said Contreras, who added that he misses the shuttered restaurant’s soup and roast beef.
The historic site’s owner submitted concept plans for a proposed redevelopment—a mixed-use building with a new restaurant, other commercial spaces, and one-bedroom condos—in October 2024.
Contreras said he doesn’t know specifics about the project’s status in the Planning Commission’s review and public hearing pipeline. Buellton’s planning and development website describes the pitch as “only a submitted concept. … There is a substantial process before anything will be built on the site.”
The Planning Commission’s Oct. 2 meeting was canceled due to a lack of agenda items, so the committee’s first hearing as a complete five-member board since late 2024 will be Oct. 16.
“I see this role as an opportunity to listen, collaborate, and help guide decisions that will shape Buellton’s future,” Contreras said, “in a positive way.”
This article appears in Oct 2 – Oct 9, 2025.