The residents of San Juan Bautista could have some new neighbors
soon as the Board of Supervisors gives its tentative approval to
the San Juan Vista Estates subdivision.
Following a nearly hour-long public hearing Tuesday, the Board
directed the planning staff to prepare a resolution to approve the
14-lot project that would create some of the most expensive homes
in the county, with prices ranging up to $1 million, according to
county records.
The residents of San Juan Bautista could have some new neighbors soon as the Board of Supervisors gives its tentative approval to the San Juan Vista Estates subdivision.
Following a nearly hour-long public hearing Tuesday, the Board directed the planning staff to prepare a resolution to approve the 14-lot project that would create some of the most expensive homes in the county, with prices ranging up to $1 million, according to county records.
The Board’s decision to prepare the resolution did not guarantee approval as supervisors still have the option to deny it went they vote on the project. The resolution on whether to approve the project will come at the Aug. 12 Board meeting.
For now, the subdivision’s applicants are happy to see the project reach this stage.
“We are pleased that the staff can now recommend the project for approval,” said Mark Johnson of Pacific Grove, one of the subdivision’s applicants.
Developers of the project declined to comment on the Board’s apparent decision to bring the matter back for final approval next week, because they did not want to take the chance on saying anything that might harm their chances.
During the prolonged public hearing, supervisors asked several pointed questions about the project’s apparent lack of affordable housing. However, the project’s developers agreed to pay a substantial fee in lieu of building two or three homes for lower-income residents.
The agreement requires the developers to contribute $444,747 of fees to the county in lieu of building the lower-income homes.
The Board appeared to be split on how the fees should be spent.
“I feel that if there is anyway possible, this money should be used over in San Juan Bautista because they are going to feel the burden of any impact these new homes will bring,” Supervisor Ruth Kesler said.
However, Supervisor Bob Cruz had other ideas on how the funds could be used.
“That money should be used for affordable housing,” Cruz said.
The proposed San Juan Vista Estates project site would be located at the westerly corner of the intersection of Highway 129 and Searle Road, at the lower end of the San Juan Valley.
The 195-acre parcel is intended for a Planned Unit Development, and was originally designed to consist of 31 residential estates lots that would include a service station with a car wash, a hotel with 150 rooms and three restaurants. The project site would also employ about 125 people.
However, during the past four years since the subdivision was first proposed, it has undergone several design changes, which have included eliminating the planned hotel and commercial center, and scaling down the number of homes from 31 to 22, to 18.
The current proposal would consist of 14 homes spread across the site along the hillsides just west of San Juan Bautista. The plan was almost disrupted when, during the hearing, Johnson asked the Board if a 15th lot would be allowed with the option of splitting it into two.
“Now what is this? Here, I thought we had agreed to 14 lots, now at the last minute you want to change that to 15,” Cruz said. “I want to know right here and right now, are you asking for 15 lots? Because, by my estimations, if you were to go to 15, you would need to build three affordable housing units not just two.”
The applicants said they would stay with 14 lots.
