Hollister
– When the City Council adopted its revised general plan in
December 2005, many praised the document as a progressive tool that
could help the city grow and flourish in a thoughtful,
environmentally friendly way. More than a year later, however, some
officials and residents are worried that the pl
an’s implementation is lagging.
Hollister – When the City Council adopted its revised general plan in December 2005, many praised the document as a progressive tool that could help the city grow and flourish in a thoughtful, environmentally friendly way. More than a year later, however, some officials and residents are worried that the plan’s implementation is lagging.
Franz Schneider, a Hollister resident who served on the general plan steering committee, wrote to the Free Lance in December with concerns about the plan’s implementation. He said the city has yet to develop and adopt design review guidelines, update public service master plans or do more to investigate inclusionary housing programs.
“I know we have (a) budget crisis,” Schneider said. “I know city departments are desperately understaffed and overworked … but 2008 will be here before we know it. We’ll be issuing building permits again and we won’t be ready unless the City Council sees to it that we are.”
The Free Lance could not reach Schneider by press time on Friday, but Councilman Doug Emerson acknowledged the city is “pretty far behind” in meeting the plan’s one-year benchmarks. He noted that he’s dealt with similar situations as a teacher, when schools could have grandiose plans but fall behind when it came to execution.
“In my mind, a very high priority is that long-range planning and vision,” Emerson said.
According to Emerson, it’s important that the city keep up with its planning efforts, even in the midst of its current budget crisis. The council will be voting on substantial cuts to nearly every department at its meeting Tuesday.
When asked about the consequences of neglected planning, Emerson said, “Well, if you think the status quo is OK, then with something like downtown revitalization, nothing will happen.”
City Manager Clint Quilter’s deficit reduction plan calls for a one-time cut of $12,000 in planning supplies and services; it also calls for city offices to be closed to the public one day per week. Emerson said this could actually help with the planning process, since staffers would still be working.
“Maybe we can get some of those things done, instead of constantly reacting,” Emerson said.
Planning Commissioner David Huboi, who also served on the general plan steering committee, agreed that “some issues have been slow in implementation;” he said he worries that some of his own priorities, like environmentally friendly architecture and affordable housing, are being neglected. However, Huboi said the new general plan is already having an effect.
As an example, he noted that the city approved the development of residential units above Pancho’s Mexican Restaurant because of the general plan’s emphasis on mixed-use development. That development often comes in the form of ground-level stores with apartments above.
Huboi, who is also a local architect, said the plan also has had a positive influence on his own projects. The plan’s call for “gateway development” allowed the Honda Powerhouse, which he designed, to include more landscaping.
“People have to be little bit patient … and sensitive to where we are in city staffing,” Huboi said.
Anthony Ha covers local government for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or [email protected].
