After more than a year of canvassing and courting locals,
development company DMB will finally get specific today about its
plans for building a mini-city in northern San Benito County.
Hollister – After more than a year of canvassing and courting locals, development company DMB will finally get specific today about its plans for building a mini-city in northern San Benito County.
During a by-invitation-only luncheon at San Juan Oaks Golf Club, DMB will share a preliminary plan for the nearly 4,500 acres it owns just south of the Santa Clara County line near the Pajaro River. Local DMB representative Ray Becker said that those invited to the luncheon fall on both sides of the growth and development issue, which has caused contentious debate in the county.
Among the long-awaited details to be unveiled today are:
The number and type of homes the project will include
How DMB will address traffic concerns
How El Rancho San Benito and DMB will try to foster job creation and economic vitality in the county
How DMB will provide public services for El Rancho San Benito and improve them for the county at large
In addition to today’s luncheon, DMB will disseminate its plan through the mail, online and through upcoming public meetings and workshops, according to Becker.
During the past year, DMB has held meetings and forums to get a feel for locals’ concerns and desires regarding a large-scale development in San Benito County. Last month, DMB took a group of county residents on a whirl-wind trip to one of its developments in Arizona.
Despite the outreach effort, county supervisors have been holding off on developing opinions about El Rancho San Benito until they see more details. While voters will have to approve a zoning change for the land DMB plans to use for El Rancho San Benito, supervisors will ultimately make the decision of whether to waive the county’s 1 percent growth cap.
“I’m certainly remaining non-committal until we have further details specific to the project and even more importantly, a financial economic impact report as to what long-term affects a large metropolitan community will have on San Benito County,” Supervisor Don Marcus said.
Luke Roney covers local government and the environment for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 335 or at [email protected]
