Newspaper Wrong on Hotel
Editor,
As a former county planning commissioner who recently resigned my seat, I take issue with your editorial regarding the Spur Hotel on several points.
First, while I openly disagreed with Commissioner Dan DeVries on policy/zoning issues regarding Tres Pinos and the proposed Spur Hotel, I find your commentary on his position to be offensive, insulting and intellectually feeble. Commissioner DeVries should be credited for making a motion to continue the matter of the proposed hotel, to which I affirmed secondarily and was passed unanimously by the Planning Commission, so that the application can be more thoroughly reviewed in the future. Rather, you single out Mr. DeVries and publicly admonish him to “reverse his earlier mistake” without examining other commissioners for and against this application. In my view, this is unfair and unbalanced journalism and disgraceful of the Free Lance. I believe you owe Mr. DeVries a public apology for your lapse in judgement and pointed criticism.
Second, you pose two hypothetical questions in this editorial, the first of which was simply idiotic with respect to “overindulging winery visitors.” This concern was brought to the attention of the planning commission by opponents of the hotel, but is not substantiated by fact. The only thing “undoubtedly intoxicated” is this poorly-phrased hypothetical and its fundamental logic. I encourage you to take more time to prepare your commentary and perhaps actually attend planning commission meetings before voicing misconceived opinion.
Third, in this same editorial, I believe you failed to notice a crucial fact that was unashamedly brought before the county planning commission with respect to water supply by vocal opponents. For 17 years, the Tres Pinos Water District has been “out of compliance” with respect to water storage for fire protection. Worse, members of the Tres Pinos Water District apparently used their opposition to the proposed hotel as a political platform with which to become elected to the water board, thereby manipulating a public utility for purely political reasons to restrict/retard development within its jurisdiction. Hotel opponents claim “We don’t have the water supply” to support development and proudly point to a self-imposed building moratorium while summarily rejecting offers made by the applicant to improve the water distribution system in Tres Pinos. If true, the water district is knowingly putting its constituents in harm’s way in the event of a fire, particularly its children and the elderly. A grand jury investigation might certainly be warranted to ascertain the validity of this concern.
In my view, the county planning commission has strived to follow ethical standards of due process in its deliberation regarding the proposed hotel, The Spur, in Tres Pinos. I agree that the proposed project has the potential to improve the local economy with minimal environmental and social impact. And I am disappointed that the planning commission was apparently swayed by emotional public opinion in opposition of the proposed hotel contrary to an expertly prepared staff report based on cited findings, evidence and precedent to support the zone change application and staff’s recommendation to approve the hotel in Tres Pinos.
I believe The Free Lance could and should do a better job of imparting its opinion on this project and “reverse its earlier mistake” of condemning Commissioner Dan DeVries and give credit to all the hard work he has done on the planning commission to help improve and undo 20 years of poor planning practices prior to the current planning administration in San Benito County.
Michael G. Smith
Hollister
