Though county officials have released few details about a Feb. 5
hearing to consider repealing a key approval for the Spur Hotel
project, one supervisor indicated the meeting will relate to a
lawsuit challenging the level of required environmental study and
another said developers might end up having to do more work on that
end.
Though county officials have released few details about a Feb. 5 hearing to consider repealing a key approval for the Spur Hotel project, one supervisor indicated the meeting will relate to a lawsuit challenging the level of required environmental study and another said developers might end up having to do more work on that end.
Supervisor Don Marcus on Monday noted how the hearing to repeal the approved zoning change will relate directly to the litigation – therefore, he said, preventing supervisors from talking much about it.
Marcus said the board at the meeting will examine “options” to address the lawsuit.
“Basically, we’re going to provide what’s best for the county.,” said Marcus, who voted in favor of the zoning change for the Tres Pinos site in October from a residential to commercial designation.
Supervisor Anthony Botelho, meanwhile, indicated the county might require more environmental work than previously mandated under the proposal.
“There’s a process you have to go through,” Botelho said. “Whether it’s the Eades or somebody else, you have to make sure the appropriate mitigations are made for the project to be suitable.”
Spur Hotel developer John Eade declined to comment on the issue, citing the litigation.
While considering the hotel, the county faces the lawsuit from hotel opponents Friends of Tres Pinos over what the group alleges to be lacking environmental work on the hotel project, as required by the county.
Cory Briggs, an attorney for Friends of Tres Pinos, said he had been unaware of the hearing or its purpose. He also noted that he wrote a letter for the group to the county, requesting talks on the matter, and that he never heard back.
He said the group will “continue to push through with the litigation.”
After months of heated debate over the proposal, supervisors approved a zoning change for the 44-unit hotel project Oct. 24 on a 3-2 vote. They did so while allowing the Eades to move ahead without conducting the full environmental examination.
Supervisor Reb Monaco, like other officials, declined to provide details about the hearing scheduled by the county Jan. 22 – the same day the board met in closed session – for a week from today. Monaco, however, did say he expects that developers John and Jae Eade would be “discouraged” by the meeting.
Monaco also expressed frustration at the government process, saying he’s “disheartened” by the many obstacles holding up the Spur Hotel project, proposed for the corner of Southside Road and Highway 25.
“I still believe it’s a good project,” he said.
Botelho also noted that the county is looking at making the hotel zone change “project specific” to prevent developers from building something else there.
Thompson said a report will be compiled by staff and made available to the public Feb.
The San Benito County Supervisors Meeting
WHAT: consider repeal of Spur Hotel zoning change
WHEN: 1:30 p.m. Feb. 5
WHERE: County Administration Building, 481 Fourth St.
