One month after two outgoing San Benito County Supervisors used
their final vote to help approve the controversial Hillside
Ordinance, angry residents convinced the newly-seated board to
reconsider.
Hollister – One month after two outgoing San Benito County Supervisors used their final vote to help approve the controversial Hillside Ordinance, angry residents convinced the newly-seated board to reconsider.
Dist. 1 Supervisor Don Marcus put the ordinance back on the board’s agenda Tuesday after hearing from many residents that they were unhappy with its approval. He hoped to get more community input on the divisive ordinance restricting housing development on hillsides. And the people of San Benito County were happy to give it.
“I want to thank you for letting me speak this morning,” long-time resident John Buchanan told the board before delivering his comments. “The people of this county spoke clearly and overwhelmingly on this issue when they voted 69 percent against Measure G. I dare say none of you supervisors was elected with a 69 percent vote. I ask you today not to tweak the ordinance, but to rescind and nullify it.”
In its approved state, the ordinance would have limited the size and scope of homes built on hillsides with a slope of 15 percent or more. No more than four homes could be built on hillsides with that slope. Homes would be limited to 28 feet in height and 10,000 square feet in floor area. The planning commission recommended on Nov. 3 that the board reject the ordinance, but it was approved 3-1 on Dec. 8.
Several other residents spoke against the ordinance. Nenette Corotto told the board the ordinance’s approval was a sign that locals are being “suffocated by bureaucracy,” Paul Wattis told them the ordinance was “too ambiguous” as it is drafted; and Ray Pierce expressed concern that the ordinance would interfere with the Transfer of Development Credits program currently in the works.
But Peggy Kingman offered the board a rebuttal to these arguments, telling them “I’m very tired of Measure G being brought back up. This was one element of Measure G; it’s not the same thing.”
Kingman continued by asking the board to keep the Hillside Ordinance in effect as it was originally approved, pleading with them to preserve the hillsides of San Benito County.
“We do have to consider the overall beauty of our town. It’s just like the song ‘America the Beautiful’ where they talk about ‘purple mountains’ majesty’… I just don’t think they’re quite as majestic when they’re studded with houses.”
San Juan Bautista resident Rebecca McGovern agreed, telling the board that nixing the Hillside Ordinance would extend an open invitation for large-scale developers to take over San Benito County.
“Our natural habitat is in a critical state right now,” she said. “Let’s have an election: Do people want Daly City, or San Benito County?”
Supervisor Pat Loe agreed, telling her fellow board members, “I think it would be dangerous to rescind this now, because it would send out the message that we want people to come in and develop on our hillsides.” Loe is the only remaining supervisor who voted to approve the ordinance in December, now that Ruth Kesler and Bob Cruz have been replaced.
Dist. 5 Supervisor Jaime De La Cruz, who has said for months he is ready to overturn the previous board’s decision on Hillside, made a last-ditch effort to do so but settled for sending the ordinance back to the planning commission.
“I was going to try to make a motion today to kill it, but it looks like I’m not going to get any support from the board on this one,” De La Cruz said before making a motion to have the planning commission review the ordinance. The motion was approved unanimously.
As the planning commission continues to study the ordinance, the supervisors said they hoped several workshops could be held to gather public input.
Jessica Quandt covers politics for the Free Lance. Reach her at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or at [email protected].
