A wave of relief washed over officials of a proposed day-care
center after the Hollister City Council granted their appeal
Tuesday night. The center risked losing $500,000 in grant money if
construction on the project doesn’t start by the end of March.
Private Industry Council, Inc. (PIC) of San Benito County was
denied a conditional use permit by the city Planning Commission
July 24 because of lack of sewer facilities. The city’s building
moratorium only exempts
”
essential public facilities.
”
PIC appealed the decision to the City Council.
A wave of relief washed over officials of a proposed day-care center after the Hollister City Council granted their appeal Tuesday night. The center risked losing $500,000 in grant money if construction on the project doesn’t start by the end of March.
Private Industry Council, Inc. (PIC) of San Benito County was denied a conditional use permit by the city Planning Commission July 24 because of lack of sewer facilities. The city’s building moratorium only exempts “essential public facilities.” PIC appealed the decision to the City Council.
“I’m very relieved,” said David Wright, chairman of PIC, a non-profit agency. “We’re really appreciative of what the City Council has done with this. This was a big major hurdle that it looks like we’re overcoming.”
The Council passed a resolution stating that the facility is “essential to the health, safety and welfare of the community” and that it “directly benefits the City of Hollister and alleviates the burden on City services to provide alternative care.”
“The Council has made very few exemptions (to the building moratorium),” City Attorney Elaine Cass said. “I think the issue of the grant and the type of use was important to the Council.”
The project now goes back to the Planning Commission tonight to get a permit issued. If the Commission approves the project, the next step is to put construction out to bid, Wright said.
PIC received a $922,544 grant in 2001 to build a 3,703-square-foot day-care facility that would serve 56 children. PIC had stressed the situation because it will lose half of its grant if it does not start construction by the end of March.
“Especially with the economy in Sacramento and the budget issues, there will be plenty of cities and communities vying for these funds because they’ve lost funds from other sources,” Wright said in an earlier interview.
To go around the sewer issue, PIC will use a temporary sewage holding tank that would be pumped and emptied by a septic service outside of Hollister.
The cost of the septic service runs around $400 to $600 a month. Since the day-care center wouldn’t be up and running until March 2005 and the moratorium might be lifted as soon as late 2005, Wright said the cost of the temporary tank is worth it to keep the $922,544 grant – even if the moratorium is not lifted on schedule.
“It’s up to the city. Everything we hear from the city is late 2005. (If) we do, we do,” Wright said about having to use the temporary holding tank for longer. “At least we get the center up.”
The Planning Commission meeting starts at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 375 Fifth St.
