Morgan Hill officials have voted to send a letter rejecting San
Jose’s vision for Coyote Valley development, citing concerns that
our giant neighbor to the north has failed to address traffic and
education concerns. We’d add air pollution to the list of
deleterious affects the development will have in South Valley.
It is incumbent upon all South Valley leaders and citizens
– San Benito County and Hollister residents included – to remain
vigilant in the fight for a Coyote Valley development plan that
will not harm South Valley.
Morgan Hill officials have voted to send a letter rejecting San Jose’s vision for Coyote Valley development, citing concerns that our giant neighbor to the north has failed to address traffic and education concerns. We’d add air pollution to the list of deleterious affects the development will have in South Valley.
It is incumbent upon all South Valley leaders and citizens – San Benito County and Hollister residents included – to remain vigilant in the fight for a Coyote Valley development plan that will not harm South Valley.
So far, with San Jose officials ignoring input from South Valley and disregarding the plan’s negative impacts on Hollister, Morgan Hill and Gilroy, we’ve been unsuccessful.
But that doesn’t mean it’s time to give up the fight. In fact, we’d argue that now’s the time to step up the battle, perhaps by getting lawyers involved.
Yes, litigation can be expensive, but poorly planned development in the Coyote Valley will negatively impact South Valley for generations. As the robust growth Hollister saw in the 1990s clearly shows, the distance between our bucolic county and San Jose does not insulate us from the machinations of Silicon Valley leaders.
So far, from planning for medical services (none) to schools (no representation on the planning task force for Gavilan Community College which serves Coyote Valley) to outreach to heavily impacted neighboring communities (no representation for San Benito County, Morgan Hill or Gilroy officials); from traffic (what we’ve seen so far will clog U.S. 101 and commuters looking for a more affordable place to live will likely hop on Highway 25 to Hollister) to air pollution (air quality will likely decrease in South Valley as a result of Coyote Valley development), the news isn’t good.
So, it’s up to San Benito County, Morgan Hill and Gilroy residents and their elected officials to keep the pressure on San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales, who seems to view Coyote Valley as a resume-builder for seeking higher office, and the task force to think of their South Valley neighbors now as they plan this development. And it should be clear that if South Valley’s needs aren’t met in the planning stages, we’ll be more than ready to meet San Jose in court.
It’s that important.
