Prompted in part by a recently uncovered letter from the state
calling for a revision of the county’s general plan, the San Benito
County Planing Commission recommended Wednesday that the Board of
Supervisors review the plan that includes certain elements which
haven’t been revised in 25 years.
Hollister – Prompted in part by a recently uncovered letter from the state calling for a revision of the county’s general plan, the San Benito County Planing Commission recommended Wednesday that the Board of Supervisors review the plan that includes certain elements which haven’t been revised in 25 years.
The letter, which was dated May 16 and addressed to former Planning Director Rob Mendiola, stated that the county’s general plan is long overdue for a revision. Interim Planing Director Michael Bethke, who assumed the post in mid-May soon after Mendiola was fired for undisclosed reasons, said that he found the letter late last month when he was sifting through stacks of papers at the planning department.
“It was a firm, but friendly, reminder that several elements are getting older than 10 years – some 20 to 25 years,” Bethke said.
The state requires that a county’s general plan be revised every eight years, which means updating at least five of the seven elements. Over the past eight years only two of the seven elements have been updated.
Many believe that the county’s outdated general plan is unsuited to meet the changing needs of the county because it does not address pertinent issues such as preserving agriculture land and preventing urban sprawl.
Last month, in a response to the state’s letter, Bethke wrote: “To be sure, the outdated status of the county’s general plan is one issue that obviously warrants immediate attention.”
While the letter brought the issue of the county’s aging general plan to the forefront during Wednesday’s commission meeting, several commissioners have been eager to see some sort of revision of the plan.
The general plan, which is a long-range plan for development in the county, consists of seven state-mandated elements: Land use, last updated in 1998; circulation, last updated in 1990; housing, last updated in 2004; conservation, last updated in 1995; open space, last updated in 1995; safety, last updated in 1980; and noise, last updated in 1984.
Planning Commissioner Daniel Devries called the existing general plan “antiquated”, and said it was no longer adequate.
“The county has changed so much,” he said. “There are so many pressures that the county didn’t face before.”
Among the things that the current general plan is inadequate in addressing, according to Devries, are the preservation of prime agricultural land – which he said is being used for housing – and where to place high density affordable housing.
Though they have not yet received the planing commission’s recommendation to review the general plan, county supervisors are receptive to looking it over and seeing how it can be updated.
“I’m very anxious to be a part of that,” Supervisor Don Marcus said.
Marcus highlighted zoning and land use as two of the elements he’s interested in reviewing.
As for zoning, he said that changes can be made to make some agricultural land usable for commercial and industrial use. When it comes to land use, he said he wants to look into noise and nuisance issues resulting from how some in the county use their rural parcels. Over the past several months, supervisors have received constant complaints about loud roosters, dirt bike tracks and rodeos causing disturbances.
“It would behoove us to look at the rural land issue,” he said.
Before the Board of Supervisors undertakes and any kind of general plan revision, however, Marcus said he wants to see the planning department get a permanent director. The county is in the process of recruiting for the position.
“Once we get a permanent planning director, we can take a look at that,” he said.
Supervisor Anthony Botelho also has said he believes a permanent director should be at the department’s helm before the county undertakes a general plan revision. Botelho also shares the belief that some agricultural land should be rezoned along highways and train tracks for industrial and commercial uses.
Supervisor Pat Loe said she is open to reviewing the general plan, but declined to identify specific elements in need of revision.
“I think we need to look at it,” she said. “We need to look at the whole general plan, all the elements and the cost involved.”
Marcus also said he was concerned with the cost of updating the general plan, a process which will likely require the hiring of a consultant.
“Absolutely, cost is always something to be concerned with,” he said. But, he added, the benefits of an updated general plan would likely outweigh the costs.
Hollister, which is in the final stages of revising its general plan, will end up paying a consultant $518,000 by the time the city council gets a chance to vote on it next month.
Luke Roney covers local politics and the environment for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 335 or at lr****@fr***********.com
