The state is expected to lift the moratorium on new sewer
hookups in Hollister late next year. Before that big plug is
finally pulled from the local development pipeline, it’s essential
that the city have a clear plan in place to determine what gets
built and when.
The state is expected to lift the moratorium on new sewer hookups in Hollister late next year. Before that big plug is finally pulled from the local development pipeline, it’s essential that the city have a clear plan in place to determine what gets built and when.
Nearly 1,200 new residential units – single family homes, apartments, duplexes, senior housing complexes – were already in line for building permits before the moratorium was imposed in 2002, and these projects won’t be affected by the city’s growth cap.
That doesn’t mean all 1,200 will break ground immediately after the moratorium is lifted, but given those numbers and the virtual certainty that other projects will be forthcoming, it does raise the possibility that Hollister could see a big post-moratorium building boom reminiscent of the late 1990s.
In adopting Measure U, which established the city’s growth cap at 244 housing units per year, local voters made clear their sentiment that future development be more carefully managed than it was in the past.
So how do we come up with a plan for orderly growth that meets our community’s housing needs without overtaxing infrastructure and also establishes a clear set of rules for builders?
We start with the city’s new general plan as the guiding document. The general plan, developed with much citizen participation and a considerable investment of city money and staff time, was adopted more than a year ago to provide a guide for Hollister’s growth over the next 20 years.
The general plan’s purpose is to direct and coordinate future decisions about planning and development and to establish the process through which development in the city will proceed.
That said, we again call for the City Council to push to put into place the zoning code, inclusionary housing regulations, infill housing land use plan, open space plan and other ordinances that will allow for full implementation of the general plan. The council has fallen behind its own timetable for adoption of these enabling ordinances and needs to get back on track.
The guide for post-moratorium development in Hollister should place a priority on meeting local needs.
Certain community housing needs have become much more acute in the five years since the moratorium went into effect. There is such a shortage of apartments in Hollister, for example, that the city has banned further apartment-to-condominium conversions until February of next year. Housing specifically for senior citizens, including complexes that offer assisted living options, is also at a premium here.
There is a lot to be done and, believe it or not, we can finally see light at the end of the dark, stagnating moratorium tunnel. But we need to be ready with a plan to guide the coming growth once the moratorium ends. Otherwise, we’re just setting ourselves up for more trouble.
