he Local Agency Formation Commission approved the annexation of
eight acres of county land into Hollister Thursday, a move that
takes local developers significantly closer to building a
161-dwelling senior community between Airline Highway and Valley
View Road.
Hollister – The Local Agency Formation Commission approved the annexation of eight acres of county land into Hollister Thursday, a move that takes local developers significantly closer to building a 161-dwelling senior community between Airline Highway and Valley View Road.
The bulk of the 24 acres for the senior community project – about 16 acres – was previously annexed into the city. But in 2003 LAFCo – the agency charged with approving boundary changes in the county – denied a request to annex a final eight acres into the city because of concerns about the availability of city services. On Thursday the agency approved the annexation of the remaining property because it is “substantially surrounded” by city land.
“I think it’s great. I think it’s long overdue,” Hollister Mayor Robert Scattini said after he heard that the annexation was approved. “A lot of senior citizens are really looking forward to that and I hope as soon as the moratorium is lifted we can get the thing started. We need senior housing.”
Getting the land annexed into the city was a major hurdle for the project. Now that it’s been cleared, the developers will go through the city’s planning process and hope to begin construction in 2007.
The idea for the Annotti Senior Housing Project, as the project is tentatively being called, stretches back nearly a decade to when Marty Miller and Richard and Marilyn Ferreira purchased an option to buy 24.4 acres located between Airline Highway and Valley View Road near Union Road.
“We were just basically talking about what can be done, in the way of development, that would be a benefit to the community,” Miller said. “It struck us that there isn’t a whole lot of senior housing in the community.”
In 1998, they bought the property with the intention of creating a community for adults over 55. Plans for the project include 161 dwellings – including affordable units – as well as private streets, a community center, gardens and outdoor recreation areas.
Now that LAFCo approved the annexation, Miller and the Ferreiras can start taking the project through the city planning process, according to Development Services Director Bill Avera. The process will likely include more environmental studies of the project and review by the city Planning Commission, he said.
Though he said the length of the planning process is different for every project, Avera said he didn’t anticipate the Annotti project to hit any major road blocks because it has already received allocations for housing. The project will not be affected by the city’s growth control ordinance – which limits new house construction to 244 houses per year – because allocation for the 161 units was made before the ordinance, according to Avera.
Miller said he hopes to work with the city and hammer out the details for the project – such as infrastructure improvements and the number of homes that can be built per year – before the state lifts the sewer moratorium it imposed on the city in 2002 after 15 million gallons of treated sewage spilled into the San Benito River.
“We want to be able to, the day the Regional Water Quality Control Board says you can do some building, be able to break ground,” he said.
City Manager Clint Quilter has said that, barring some hang-up with environmental studies, the city will have a new sewer plant by late 2007, which would result in the moratorium being lifted.
Throughout the process, city has supported the annexation of the property so the senior community could be built. Twice this year the city has taken steps to see that annexation was approved.
In September, the City Council approved the project’s plan for services – including police, fire, water and sewer that will be paid for with developer fees. On Monday, City Council members passed a resolution to begin the annexation process of eight acres of county land into Hollister so local developers can move forward with plans to build a 161-dwelling senior community between Airline Highway and Valley View Road.
Luke Roney covers local government and the environment for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 335 or at lr****@fr***********.com.
