Is it South Gilroy or North Hollister? That’s a pertinent
question in light of DMB’s plans to build El Rancho San Benito, a
development of nearly 7,000 housing units just south of the San
Benito-Santa Clara county line.
Is it South Gilroy or North Hollister? That’s a pertinent question in light of DMB’s plans to build El Rancho San Benito, a development of nearly 7,000 housing units just south of the San Benito-Santa Clara county line.
Obviously Santa Clara residents won’t have a vote on whether or not we accept the massive development on 4,500 acres off Highway 25, but those who call San Benito home will play a key role in the future development of the land.
And like most things in life, there are both negatives and positives to the decision.
On the positive side, the project, if approved by San Benito county voters and commissioners, will bring an estimated 1,800 construction-related jobs to the region for a decade or more. Likewise it will contribute millions of dollars annually in property taxes to county coffers. And DMB has made some generous offers to help the county with significant issues such as the widening of Highway 25 and building their own road to U.S. 101. The traffic created by DMB’s project should leave most of San Benito County unaffected, though it will clog 101 south of Gilroy with workers headed north.
As for negatives, the residents of Rancho San Benito will be far more likely to head to the Garlic Capital while dining out and spending their retail dollars. Not to mention, that although the project plans to preserve the bulk of its current land, it will still sprout a mini-city on the farm fields of north county.
We’re especially concerned about impacts on U.S. 101 and Highway 152. In addition, the project exemplifies the kind of non-contiguous, leap-frog development that brought Los Angeles and its environs to its current sprawl-like state.
Outside of commenting on the environmental impact report that the project will eventually require, residents on the north side of the San Benito County line will have little impact on the ultimate decision about DMB’s plans to build El Ranch San Benito.
Considering Gilroy residents will also be largely affected by DMB’s plans, the developer should reach out to them as well in a gesture of good corporate citizenship. Obviously our county’s concerns are paramount, but bringing 15,000 to 20,000 new residents to just outside of Gilroy warrants at least a little input from our neighbors.
El Rancho San Benito will be a defacto South Gilroy every bit as much as it will be a north Hollister. Considering most residents probably haven’t made up their minds yet, it certainly wouldn’t hurt the cause to include our northern neighbors in the discussion, especially since the final yeah or nay rests squarely on SBC voters’ shoulders.
