A representative of the developer looking to build a mini-city
in northern San Benito County told supervisors this week that his
company is getting closer to creating a plan for El Rancho San
Benito.
Hollister – A representative of the developer looking to build a mini-city in northern San Benito County told supervisors this week that his company is getting closer to creating a plan for El Rancho San Benito.
Ray Becker, a local representative for Arizona-based DMB Associates, which owns 4,500 acres just south of the Santa Clara County line, told supervisors Tuesday that DMB hopes to have a formal plan for El Rancho San Benito by the end of 2006. Becker also said DMB would likely have a list of components and amenities for the development by spring.
The list will include the housing, retail, and open space. It will also include a jobs program and an analysis of the development’s potential economic impact on the county.
While county supervisors have generally held off on commenting about El Rancho San Benito until they see a full-fledged plan, Supervisor Jaime De La Cruz told Becker Tuesday that he wants the development to create jobs for area residents.
“Jobs are very important to my community,” he said.
Supervisor Don Marcus told Becker that he would be waiting with interest to see the economic impact report for the project.
Becker has said that El Rancho San Benito will likely have a positive affect on the county’s economy, because it will bring in residents and tax revenue and provide affordable housing and infrastructure improvements.
But if the development has a negative affect on the economy, DMB will close the gap for services such as police and fire.
According to DMB Community Programs Director Kathy Johnson, DMB would set up special taxing districts and negotiate agreements with county agencies to guarantee that the development has a revenue-neutral impact on county services.
“Because it’s unincorporated, we would work with the county finance director to determine what kind of districts are appropriate,” Johnson said.
Examples of such a district might be a special arrangement with a school district to cover the added burden of new students. DMB would negotiate a formula up front to assure that the costs in services created by the development and its residents were covered.
“If there is a shortfall, we’re committed to make up the difference,” Becker said.
Before DMB develops a plan for El Rancho San Benito, it will compile the comments it has gathered during an ongoing public outreach campaign into a report that will be made available to locals.
Becker has met with individuals and small groups to hear what they have to say about the proposed development. Recently, DMB held an open house and hosted a forum on regional traffic. On Oct. 6, DMB will hold a housing forum, and on Oct. 25 there will be a Spanish-language forum. In the end, voters must approve any plan that DMB comes up with because of the county’s 1 percent growth cap.
“All the information we have gathered over the last nine or 10 months we are trying to put together in an issues, priorities and expectations summary,” Becker said.
