The San Benito County Board of Supervisors is promoting our community as the “Home of Pinnacles National Park” (Jan. 13 board of supervisors meeting).This is a viable theme as long as our county continues to maintain an agricultural rural environment.
With that in mind, I question the proposed plan by the San Benito High School District to develop a former school site. The plan is “to develop a holistic community incorporating residential housing, retail and commercial spaces.”
The land in question is off The Pinnacles Highway south of Fairview on Best Road. The property is 69.5 acres of open range land and currently used for livestock grazing.
I understand the school district’s motivation for wanting to develop the former school site. There is a need for more affordable housing in San Benito County. However, this is not the place for a number of reasons, the most obvious being urban sprawl.
Furthermore, the implications of this proposal are enormous considering just the infrastructure impact this project would have on the rural, residential quality of those who currently reside in south county.
In closing, I would hope the stakeholders in our community will examine the ramifications the proposal may have on those who live in beautiful San Benito county.
John E. Bessa
Retired Educator
