A new general plan adopted by the City Council this week focuses
on revitalizing downtown Hollister, developing the city’s gateways
and phasing new development to avoid the kind of rapid, sprawling
growth of the 1990s that overburdened city services.
Hollister – A new general plan adopted by the City Council this week focuses on revitalizing downtown Hollister, developing the city’s gateways and phasing new development to avoid the kind of rapid, sprawling growth of the 1990s that overburdened city services.
To this end, the city’s new general plan – a land-use document that will guide the city’s development until 2023 – calls for dense, concentric development around the core of the city to preserve the hills surrounding Hollister as open space and make it easier for the city to deliver services to homes.
Council members say that they are pleased with the new general plan, especially its focus on the downtown area.
“It’s an attempt to really put some vision into downtown,” Councilman Doug Emerson said. “It’s a plan that gets away from the sprawling add-on here and there.”
The general plan that was adopted Monday is the fruit of more than two years of work by consultants, citizens and city planners. Throughout the process the public had several opportunities to voice concerns and desires for the general plan, which cost about $520,000 to develop.
Now that it’s been adopted, new development must conform with the general plan, according to former City Planner Susan Heiser.
“It’s implemented through zoning ordinances, sign ordinances, all the different ordinances and projects and regulations adopted by the city,” she said.
The focus on downtown was in response to community input, according to Franz Schneider, who sat on the General Plan Steering committee. Plans for revitalizing Hollister’s struggling downtown include zoning the area for mixed-use retail and residential space and trying to attract unique specialty stores and entertainment venues. Once the Highway 25 bypass – a route that will circumvent downtown and connect with Airline Highway near Safeway – is complete, downtown is expected to become a more pedestrian friendly area, which will further aid revitalization efforts.
“Hopefully when the bypass happens, downtown will become a walking-type village,” said Planning Commissioner Raymond Friend, who worked with his colleagues on the city Planning Commission and the five-member steering committee to help draft the new general plan.
Downtown business owner Rick Maddux, also a member of the Hollister Downtown Association, said the HDA supports the general plan’s vision for downtown. That group is especially enthusiastic about plans for mixed use retail and residential, saying that people living downtown will result in more people shopping and dining there.
After years of hearing talk about revitalizing downtown but seeing no action, Bill Mifsud of Bill’s Bullpen said he came to question whether the city was sincere in wanting to bring new life to the area. He’s changed his outlook, however, saying that he believes the current City Council is serious about implementing the general plan and doing something to bolster downtown.
“This council is definitely a lot more proactive. Their talk is not cheap,” he said. “They’re making sure this general plan works for all taxpayers.”
Mifsud did say that he thinks change won’t happen quickly, but he is confident that improvements for downtown are on their way.
“I definitely see light at the end of the tunnel,” he said. “This council seems to have an agenda and a game plan.”
The new general plan calls for zoning changes at the city’s north and west gateways to encourage commercial and residential development and beautify the bleak scenery that currently greets people who enter the city.
The north gateway – which stretches from San Benito Street at McCloskey Road to the northern outskirts of downtown is slated for commercial zoning and landscaping in the new general plan. The west gateway – San Juan Road at the San Benito River bridge – is slated to be a mixed-use district with housing, neighborhood-serving retail and a public plaza.
Planning Commissioner David Huboi said developing Hollister’s gateways will help to establish Hollister’s identity by signaling to motorists that they are entering a city and heading toward downtown.
“If you’re a traveler, the gateway kind of gives you the idea of what’s to come, instead of just bingo you’re in downtown” he said. “It prepares you and makes you more aware that you’re entering a downtown area.”
One Hollister resident is already working on developing a restaurant row on north gateway property.
A strategy to phase new housing development is also a crucial new part of the recently adopted general plan, according to Huboi.
“It was brought about by our infrastructure constraints and restraints,” he said.
Under the phasing strategy, development in certain areas radiating outward from the city’s core will be given priority and incentives, such as reduction of development fees. Phasing is aimed at insuring that development occurs around the city’s core.
“We all wanted that,” Schneider said. “It was just assumed that that would be part of what we put together.”
Though the general plan has been adopted and received widespread support from those in city government and the community at large, it is just a stack of paper if it isn’t implemented, Emerson said – a concern that Schneider shares because of the city’s whittled down staff.
“Without constant vigilance, I don’t have the confidence that it’s going to happen,” Schneider said. “Implementation is not automatic.”
Luke Roney covers local government and the environment for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 335 or at [email protected].
