Local vendors will soon have a new opportunity to sell their wares in Lompoc, and the city wants to hear from the business community about the best way to bring the vision to life.
The Lompoc Outdoor Community Market would revamp the city’s weekly swap meet tradition (which ended in 2014) to create a community gathering space and a place for local commerce. The city hasn’t yet announced a specific start date for the market, but it’s slated for early April, and the plan is to hold it on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. once it gets off the ground.
Longtime Northern Santa Barbara County local and City Councilmember Jeremy Ball remembers swinging by the swap meet during his teenage years.
“It was always abuzz,” Ball said. “I have fond memories of it.”
But in 2014, the swap meet faced some challenges when the city received complaints from surrounding resident and commercial neighbors about noise, trash, and parking issues, Recreation Manager Mario Guerrero said at a Dec. 15 City Council meeting.
“Due to the inability to reach consensus to address all the concerns, the council discontinued the service agreement with the concessionaire” at the time, Guerrero said.
But in recent years, Mayor Jenelle Osborne told the Sun, some community members have called wanting to reinstate the once-popular event.
“We began a discussion about it prior to COVID, because there were community members saying, ‘We miss this opportunity, and we think it could be done better,’” Osborne said. “So we made a council request.”
This time, Lompoc is committed to striking the right balance between the improved market and the community’s needs. The now city-operated event will come to fruition following upcoming February and March workshops, during which individuals and businesses are invited to be a part of the planning process.
“I think to create such a diverse, local celebration is amazing, but as we’re explaining the process and trying to make it easy for our entire community to participate, it’s really up to us to make sure that there’s equitable access,” Councilmember Ball said.
The proposal is to hold the market in the downtown parking lot located at I Street and Ocean Avenue. Vendors will have a couple of different booth options: a 13-by-13-foot spot, a 20-by-13-foot spot (large enough to accommodate one vehicle), or a spot in a designated area for food trucks and booths.
“This is all conceptual,” Guerrero said at the council meeting. “We’re totally open to any layout that’s going to bring people to the market.”
Another key aspect of the new market is the way it incentivizes surrounding businesses to participate. Osborne said the current proposal allows businesses within one block of the market to have their booth fee waived, and any brick-and-mortar business in Lompoc will have the opportunity to get a reduced booth fee.
“The idea was to address the concerns that some of the surrounding businesses had about taking away business from them,” Osborne said. “Say someone like Sissy’s [Uptown Cafe] feels impacted. Well, hey, let’s give you a booth to sell your pies, or South Side [Coffee Co.] could come over and serve coffee.”
While the exact details of the booth fee structure will be guided by feedback gathered during the upcoming workshops, Osborne is confident the market will help bring economic vitality and a sense of community back to Lompoc after the rough pandemic year.
“In the time of COVID, it’s really an opportunity to potentially help some brick-and-mortars reconnect with their community by being able to, at least once a week, have an outdoor market where people want to come and socialize but can still honor all of the parameters we have regarding COVID,” Osborne said.
With the proposed market being located in Councilmember Ball’s district, he said it holds “a soft spot” in his heart.
“Open Streets, our downtown market—those have been the best things that I think Lompoc has done in many ways, in terms of celebrating community over the past few years,” he said. “So I think this is an extension of that opportunity. … This is right with what I’m hoping for the future of not just this district, but for Lompoc.”
Those interested in learning more about the market or participating in the city workshops can contact the Lompoc Recreation Division at (805) 875-8100 or recreation@ci.lompoc.ca.us to receive updates and information.
Highlight
• The city of Santa Maria Utilities Department wants to make recycling more accessible to local businesses by offering complimentary bins. “The bins can be used around the workplace, break rooms, and are ideal for under desks,” according to the city. “Businesses can select from two options of bins: a tall, wall-hugger with a lid for cans and bottles (or a lid for paper) or a smaller option for paper recyclables.” Businesses can get up to four bins while supplies last. The offer is only valid for businesses with city trash and recycling collection services. Those interested can contact the Utilities Department at (805) 925-0951, Ext. 7270, to schedule their recycling bin pickup.
Staff Writer Malea Martin wrote this week’s Spotlight. Send tips to spotlight@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Feb 11-18, 2021.