Vote yes on Meas. Y
Hollister voters have a chance to make a real contribution to
the vitality and quality of life in the downtown district. We urge
a yes vote on Measure Y Nov. 4.
Vote yes on Meas. Y
Hollister voters have a chance to make a real contribution to the vitality and quality of life in the downtown district. We urge a yes vote on Measure Y Nov. 4.
Voters, weary of badly planned housing growth during the 1990s, passed Measure U in November 2002. That capped growth at 244 homes per year within the city limits.
Measure Y will not lift that cap citywide, but it removes the cap from a narrowly defined downtown zone. That brings the opportunity for redevelopment of what was once San Benito County’s retail core, transforming it into a place where people can live, work and play.
Hollister is no different from downtown districts across the nation. What were once family retail businesses have been mostly supplanted by big box stores at the edges of towns. Think of the downtowns that are thriving. They are filled with places to gather – restaurants, cafes, galleries, theaters and the like. They are lively with the presence of lots of people.
As the Hwy. 25 bypass nears completion, downtown Hollister is at a pivotal crossroads. Soon, San Benito Street will just be the centerpiece of downtown and not a state highway.
Measure Y offers developers a modest incentive to invest in the downtown district in a way that is in keeping with a modern approach to what has come to be called new urbanism. It also is a hand-in-glove fit with the city’s current general plan.
Communities that have chosen not to act aggressively have seen their downtowns empty out as vacant storefronts proliferate. Measure Y is the right idea at the right time.
