San Benito County has grown too much, too fast. Tens of
thousands of proposed houses, which would more than double the
population, are waiting in the wings for election of a pro-growth
Board of Supervisors. If approved, they will change our county
beyond recognition
– for the worse.
San Benito County has grown too much, too fast. Tens of thousands of proposed houses, which would more than double the population, are waiting in the wings for election of a pro-growth Board of Supervisors. If approved, they will change our county beyond recognition – for the worse.
Measure G would slow growth by imposing a reasonable limit on the rate of development – a maximum of 2 percent a year for new residences, with a preference for seniors, and other moderate and low-income households. Exceedingly important, the 2 percent limit may be increased only by the voters of the county, not, as it is now, by politicians and the developers and land speculators who may influence them.
Excessive growth causes traffic jams, over-crowded schools and inadequate police, fire and other emergency services. Unfortunately, residential development costs more for public facilities and services than it provides in public revenues. Unless commercial and industrial development can catch up and keep up with residential growth, county, schools, and other government finances suffer. Existing county residents are penalized; their services must go down or their taxes and fees must go up. Hollister, with its growth, is a prime example.
Too much growth is going to destroy the qualities that most of us enjoy about San Benito County – the rural, smalltown neighborly character, the open space and scenic vistas, the contact with nearby nature, the prolific fields.
A YES vote on Measure G will help preserve agriculture. Similar to other agricultural counties, it prevents farm land from being further cut up into five acre lots. Everyone agrees that five acre parcels are too small for viable farming. These lots will result in scattered residential development on prime farmlands. This interspersed development will totally conflict with farming (spray, dust, noise, odors, etc.) and will inevitably be the death of agriculture. (Witness the area zoned 10-acre around Morgan Hill.) Destruction of agriculture means the loss of jobs in farming and food processing; agricultural workers will suffer. Contrary to an oft-repeated falsehood, Measure G imposes no restriction on the size of processing plants that supervisors may approve.
To compensate farmers who do lose speculative development value, Measure G establishes a transferable development credits program. This program permits farmers to sell credits for development on the thousands of acres of non-agricultural land in the county. This allows farmers to realize substantial cash now, yet remain in farming. TDC programs have worked well elsewhere; there is no reason why they won’t work well here. The supervisors have full authority to expand and shape the program for best results.
San Benito County is at a critical juncture. There will be a mass of housing developments, subdivisions, even new towns proposed in the years ahead, to accommodate the overflow from Silicon Valley.
If these proposals are approved, they will transform the county into another ugly, urban agglomeration, akin to San Jose – only worse, because it will be without the tax revenues and public services and facilities that industry provides there. Our way of life will be ruined.
Voters can prevent this looming calamity by voting YES on Measure G, the Growth Control Ordinance.
Citizens for Responsible Growth in San Benito County
