City Should Implement Plan So We’re Ready to Grow Again
City Should Implement Plan So We’re Ready to Grow Again
Editor,
In November 2005 the Hollister City Council approved our current general plan.
The committee that prepared the plan reported that a number of things promised in the 1995 general plan never happened, and strongly urged that this plan should be implemented fully.
Everyone agreed.
The land use element of the 2005 plan had a matrix in it listing all the land use policies adopted, what steps were to be taken to implement them, by whom, and when.
Of 60 policies, 32 listed actions to be taken in one year. Six specific implementation measures were to be completed within that time.
It’s a year later.
Have we developed and adopted design review guidelines? No.
Have we updated public service master plans? Don’t think so.
What about funding RDA housing projects and offering development incentives? Only as much as were already doing; those are ongoing activities.
Investigate inclusionary housing programs? Well, sure. That’s always happening.
So everyone’s eyes are glazing over. This is boring stuff.
But these are commitments that the city has made.
If one-year commitments aren’t kept – and at least half of them weren’t – why should we have faith that the other commitments will be kept?
I no longer have any faith in the pronouncements that ground will be broken for the Highway 25 bypass any day now. That was supposed to be completed at least 10 years ago.
I know we have budget crisis. I know city departments are desperately understaffed and overworked. I know there are always circumstances beyond our control.
But 2008 will be here before we know it, we’ll be issuing building permits again, and we won’t be ready unless the City Council sees to it that we are.
I want to believe that they will.
Franz M. Schneider
Hollister
