Responding to comments from the supporters of a new YMCA, the
Hollister Redevelopment Agency on Monday directed the staff to
modify the request for development proposals at the former
Leatherback site by expanding the potential size of property that
would be used as a
”
community service area
”
and requiring that the portion of land would remain under that
use after five years instead of going back to the developer.
HOLLISTER
Responding to comments from the supporters of a new YMCA, the Hollister Redevelopment Agency on Monday directed the staff to modify the request for development proposals at the former Leatherback site by expanding the potential size of property that would be used as a “community service area” and requiring that the portion of land would remain under that use after five years instead of going back to the developer.
The specific changes requested by Scott Fuller, board chairman of the San Benito County YMCA, were to specify a larger community service area – from 5,000 to 10,000 square feet – in lieu of the original 5,000 square feet and to clarify the intent to turn over that area to the community at the end of the five-year development period.
The council, acting as the RDA board, agreed with the request.
The development of the former Leatherback site has been a major goal of the RDA as identified in the current five-year implementation plan, according to the staff report. The site owned by the RDA has been sitting vacant for three years, and demolition work is near completion.
“This is merely the first stage of a long process, and negotiations on all the proposal specifications will take place with potential developers,” said Bill Avera, director of development.
He pointed out that there were many other steps before a development agreement could be finalized, including balancing the value of the requested community services against the cost of the property. The city must offset all costs for community services in the final equation.
City Manager Clint Quilter pointed out that the economics to develop the 6.8-acre property, located on the southeast corner of Hillcrest Road and McCray Street, may not leave adequate space for the proposed 35,000-square-foot YMCA proposal.
“In that case, we would have to arrange to put the ‘Y’ on an adjacent property,” Quilter said.
City officials were unwilling to specify which developer initiated inquires for the site. But Mi Pueblo, which has more than a dozen operations in Northern California, has been brought up as a potential tenant. Quilter said Mi Pueblo “was not the development company,” but he did not say that the business would not be a tenant. If Mi Pueblo were to expand into Hollister, it would be in direct competition with local Hispanic chain Hollister Super Market and others in general.
Jim Gibson, owner of Hollister Super, addressed the council on the issue.
“Mi Pueblo and Hollister Super were both on the list of top 100 supermarkets in California,” said Gibson, adding that he was “disappointed that his tax dollars were being used to bring in direct competition because Hollister Super had served the community well for so long.”
He also commented that he was surprised the solicitation was on the consent agenda and not on the regular agenda, where it might have gotten more attention.
Gibson noted how 30,000 square feet would go to a grocery store, with the rest to general commercial development – “which would not help downtown.”
One speaker, meanwhile, said she hoped that the proposals leave room to retain Bulldog Boxing in the community because, “they had done so much for kids from the other side of the tracks.”
