After more than two years in the works, a draft of Hollister’s
revised general plan is close to making its way into the hands of
city council members.
Hollister – After more than two years in the works, a draft of Hollister’s revised general plan is close to making its way into the hands of city council members.
The plan focuses on encouraging development close to the city’s core in order to create a vibrant downtown and nearby affordable housing.
“It changes the direction of growth in the city, away from typical suburban spread to dense concentric development around the city’s core,” said city planning manager Susan Heiser. The draft is designed to preserve the hills surrounding the city as open space, as well as to make the delivery of city services easier.
“This is very much intended to be a visionary document,” said Daniel Iacofano with MIG, Inc., the Berkeley firm that developed the plan.
To encourage this kind of growth, the draft suggests encouraging developers to build around Hollister’s core by allocating housing units near the center of the city and offering regulatory reform to make building easier.
Included in the draft is a retail development strategy that envisions retail areas throughout the city with such amenities as coffee shops and corner stores within walking distance of residential areas.
Downtown could see more unique businesses, such as theaters, restaurants and boutiques, designed to draw residents from throughout the city.
The general plan draft also allows for larger commercial endeavors, such as chain-stores, that would offer goods and services not available downtown.
The need for more low and moderate income housing in Hollister is also addressed. Because of the city’s sewer moratorium and Measure U, the growth-control initiative passed by voters in 2002, it is difficult for the city to build sufficient affordable housing. Growth control restricts the number of houses that can be built to 244 per year, with a minimum of 40 being affordable housing.
Rather than go to the voters to have the growth control rules changed to allow more affordable housing, Iacofano suggested the city change how it implements the ordinance and reserve more of the 244 houses for affordable housing. While a specific number was not mentioned, Heiser said that the city may dedicate 100 or more houses to affordable housing.
“We’re not proposing to go to the voters. That would impede our ability to approve the general plan,” he said. “We can do this at an administrative level.”
Once approved by the city council, the general plan will guide Hollister’s development for the next two decades. A general plan is required by state law. After it is adopted, all zoning ordinances must adhere to the plan.
“It’s implemented through zoning ordinances, sign ordinances, all the different ordinances and projects and regulations adopted by the city,” Heiser said.
A state-required environmental impact report for the general plan draft will be available August 8 and be open to public comment until September 21. City planners hope to hand the plan over to the council on November 7, when they will vote on whether the plan should be adopted.
The general plan draft can be viewed online at www.hollister.ca.gov.
Luke Roney covers politics and the environment for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 335 or at lr****@fr***********.com
