The need for a regional partnership to deal with transportation
issues was emphasized during a transportation forum Tuesday, which
was organized by the development company looking to build a new
town in northern San Benito County.
Hollister – The need for a regional partnership to deal with transportation issues was emphasized during a transportation forum Tuesday, which was organized by the development company looking to build a new town in northern San Benito County.
About 50 people gathered at Veterans Memorial Building and listened to a panel of officials – including San Benito County Council of Governments Executive Director Tom Quigley, Santa Clara County Valley Transportation Authority Deputy Director John Ristow and Caltrans District 5 Director Greg Albright – talk about transportation.
“We’re really here to talk about transportation,” said Ray Becker, the local representative for DMB Associates. The Arizona-based development company wants to build a community called El Rancho San Benito on 4,500 acres just south of the Santa Clara County line, along Highway 25 and the Pajaro River.
DMB is hosting forums that focus on specific issues in an attempt to gain local input as it develops a plan for the project.
During the forum, Quigley said that because San Benito has $346 million worth of traffic projects – such as the widening of highways 25 and 156 – but only $192 million in revenue, he is eager to join with other entities, both public and private, to get road improvements in the county done.
“I’m going to need the help of Caltrans, Santa Clara County, DMB or whatever developer comes along,” he said.
Ristow agreed, and said that regional partnerships will be crucial to creating solutions for traffic problems, which know no boundaries. He also said that he is interested in El Rancho San Benito because Santa Clara County workers need housing.
Albright said that he understood that San Benito County bears the brunt of east/west traffic in the region, and he wants to work with both counties to come up with ways to mitigate the impact.
Among the handful of attendees who spoke Tuesday night, many expressed a concern that San Benito County gets overlooked when it comes to traffic improvements.
“It seems like San Benito County gets the short end of the stick,” said resident Rich Sabbatini, adding that he would like to see DMB take part in funding improvements for all of Highway 25, rather than just the 4.5 miles of the highway that boarders the El Rancho San Benito property.
“I’m not against the project in any way,” Sabbatini said. “But I think you need to address Highway 25 all the way to Hollister.”
While DMB made no proposals of its own during the forum, Albright said he wanted to work with developers to make highway improvements.
“If a developer comes in, that developer has three partners up here wanting to talk about cooperation,” he said.
According to Becker, forums like the one held Tuesday will be important to DMB as it drafts a plan for El Rancho San Benito.
“I think the people of San Benito County are very, very focused on making sure they get their share,” Albright said.
DMB will host another forum, which will focus on housing, on Oct. 6 at 7pm at Veterans Memorial Building. There are plans to hold a forum for Spanish speakers in November.
