The Local Agency Formation Commission denied a request Thursday
for a continuance to reconsider annexing property for a proposed
senior housing project.
The Local Agency Formation Commission denied a request Thursday for a continuance to reconsider annexing property for a proposed senior housing project.
A proposal to exchange eight acres of the Annotti property for land already within the City of Hollister’s sphere of influence was submitted to LAFCO after city officials had worked out an agreement with the property owner. The Hollister City Council passed a resolution to accept the land exchange, but LAFCO members upheld their previous action and denied the annexation with prejudice.
“It’s not just up to cities to take a piece in and take a piece out. That’s why we recommend a comprehensive review,” said LAFCO Executive Director Rob Mendiola.
The Estancia project would generate 170 new homes on 24.5 acres located between Airline Highway and Union Road. The annexation of the senior housing proposal has been rejected twice because of a lack of availability of services.
The Annotti property was purchased by Marilyn and Richard Ferreira and Martin Miller in 1996 with the intention to build the Estancia senior project. In 1998, the City Council rezoned the project as a Planned Unit Development before it was annexed.
“We feel uncomfortable that a review or reconsideration has been stretching out for over a year,” Mendiola said. “We feel evidence is clear there is no significant difference in the situation.”
Miller requested a continuance until a municipal services review could be completed and until the city provided a capital improvement project plan, which would be completed in 30 days.
Because of state-mandated action to halt building within the city until 2005 because of a sewer spill last year, Hollister City Attorney Elaine Cass hoped LAFCO would annex the property so construction could begin without further delay when sewer connections are allowed.
Commissioner Bob Cruz said he had problems with the city’s request because services were not in place.
Cary Alexander, a developer with Warmington Homes, said city services surrounded the property.
“You don’t have to manufacture them. They’ll be there when the capacity is there,” he said.
Alexander said it takes time to process the mapping for that particular project and allowing the developer time to prepare would decrease the time it would take to build the project.
Richard Ferreira asked LAFCO to accept the exchange of property so it could be annexed into the city’s area of services.
A map indicating the boundary lines shows locations where the allocations of 900 residential homes were approved along with 400 special unit allocations by the city since 1999, which is expected to be built out between 2002 and 2005.
Ferreira said if the property is not annexed by the time the sewer moratorium is lifted in October 2005 there is a chance the unit allocations will be used up.
“There will be market-rate houses that will go up in that 17 acres, market-rate houses for people out of the area,” he said.
Commissioner Brian Conroy moved to approve the continuance but the motion was not seconded. In case the city completed the CIP and the municipal services review, Cruz made a motion to deny the reconsideration without prejudice. With Commissioner Richard Scagliotti’s second, the motion passed unanimously.
