Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District Opens New Santa Maria Office

Green building features and agency projects shared as part of ribbon-cutting ceremony

 Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District (APCD) last week celebrated  its new office in Santa Maria — at 1011 West McCoy Lane — with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house. 

The event was attended by APCD Board Members Ariston Julian (Mayor of Guadalupe and APCD Board Chair),  Alice Patino (Mayor of Santa Maria), David Brown (Mayor of Solvang), and Bob Nelson (County Supervisor, 4th District); Alma Hernandez, representative for Board Member Joan Hartmann (County Supervisor, 3rd District); Christina Hernandez, Guadalupe City Councilmember and representative for Assemblymember Gregg Hart;  representatives from the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce; partner agencies; stakeholders; and  members of the public.

Attendees got to see the new space and chat with APCD staff about current programs. 

APCD purchased the building in September 2021 and remodeled with sustainable concepts in mind that include: metal-insulated siding and roofing panels to provide a highly insulated building; dual-glazed windows that reflect  heat and provide an improved weather seal; heat pumps for heating and cooling; Heating, Ventilation and Air  Conditioning (HVAC) with Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) 13 filters for clean indoor air quality and  Clean Air Center capability; thermostats in each room to minimize energy use; skylights to increase natural light;  and high-efficiency LED lighting throughout.

The building is also designed to allow for a future solar array to feed  to a battery for power outages and to offset electrical use. APCD is also working on getting electric vehicle  chargers installed and taking steps to have the office certified as a Green Business through the Santa Barbara  County Green Business Program. 

APCD’s previous office in Santa Maria was a rented space at the corner of Cook and Miller streets. APCD also  rents an office in Santa Barbara, at 260 North San Antonio Road. APCD’s jurisdiction encompasses Santa Barbara  County, and it’s important to have a presence in multiple locations to respond efficiently to matters in all areas of  the county. The new office will serve as a hub for operations in the northern part of the county, and includes  space for public workshops, a lab for monitoring and compliance, and secure vehicle storage.  

The mission of APCD — founded in 1970 — is to protect the people and the environment of Santa Barbara County  from the effects of air pollution. As an independent agency, APCD adopts measures to control stationary sources  of air pollution, issues permits, monitors air quality, maintains an inventory of pollution sources, and implements  grant programs to benefit the community. Our 13-member Board of Directors consists of the five County Board  of Supervisors and the mayor or a city councilmember from each of the eight incorporated cities. 

“We were so excited to be welcomed into our new Santa Maria office by Board Members, partners, and  neighbors, and enjoyed sharing more about our work,” said Aeron Arlin Genet, APCD Executive Director. “This  building is an investment for APCD, our staff, and an investment in the community we serve.”