Hollister
– The city’s moratorium on apartment-to-condominium conversions
could end five months before the City Council’s February
deadline.
Hollister – The city’s moratorium on apartment-to-condominium conversions could end five months before the City Council’s February deadline.
At Monday’s council meeting, City Manager Clint Quilter and Redevelopment Director Bill Avera presented a timeline for the creation of a new ordinance to guide future conversions; the council plans to lift the moratorium once the ordinance is approved. The city’s timeline calls for the council and the Planning Commission to hash out the details in May, with final approval scheduled for Sept. 4.
“It’s a reasonable timeline, because it’s something we can’t do quickly, but it’s not the full 10 months,” Councilman Doug Emerson said after the meeting. “It gives us time to create a really good ordinance.”
The council approved the conversion moratorium in February to protect the city’s limited supply of apartments while staff members formulated long-term plans. On March 20, the council voted to extend the moratorium until Feb. 3, 2008.
Council-members and staffers have said the city needs both condos and apartments to house its workforce.
“At the study session (in May), you’ll be able to look at both sides and work through all the issues … and you can give staff direction at that point,” Quilter said.
Some locals have taken a dim view of the city’s actions, arguing that they violate the rights of property owners. Others – including developer Lee Schmidt of County Property Exchange – have said it’s reasonable for the city to use some restrictions to protect rental housing.
The details still need to be worked out, but according to the planning department’s staff report, the ordinance could include tenant notification requirements, relocation requirements, linking conversions to the construction of new apartments, and a requirement that some units be preserved as rentals.
“We’ve got to balance the two things, because we need that rental housing, but we also need something affordable for people to buy,” Emerson said. “There’s not an easy answer we can point to.”
Anthony Ha covers local government for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or [email protected].
