A bid by Lompoc City Councilmember Jim Mosby to operate a sports/recreation complex on a piece of land zoned for agricultural use was denied by an appellate court on Jan. 17.
Mosby petitioned the California Second Appellate Court in 2015 after Santa Barbara County ordered him to close the complex, which included a paintball course and two soccer fields.
But county Superior Court Judge Donna Geck granted Mosby a stay, allowing him to continue operating the complex while the county defended its findings in court. Mosby also applied for rezoning but was denied twice by the county supervisors.
The appellate court agreed with the county’s decision. The court found that the complex’s impact was too much for the land to handle.
The court also cited a lack of public restrooms and pesticide use on adjacent farms as reasons to deny the appeal.
Mosby wasn’t aware of the decision until he was informed by the Sun and said he didn’t want to comment for the story.
This article appears in Jan 19-26, 2017.