Independent land-use consultants say Del-Webb senior housing
project would be leapfrog development, a drain on city revenues
The city of Hollister recently released the findings of its
independent 9212 report pertaining to the potential impacts of
Measure
”
S
”
— the city of Hollister Housing Opportunity Act slated for
ballots in November — and the findings are not flattering.
Independent land-use consultants say Del-Webb senior housing project would be leapfrog development, a drain on city revenues
The city of Hollister recently released the findings of its independent 9212 report pertaining to the potential impacts of Measure “S” — the city of Hollister Housing Opportunity Act slated for ballots in November — and the findings are not flattering.
If passed, the initiative would amend Hollister’s general plan to permit approval of a mixed-use residential community of up to 4,400 new residences on 1,365 acres currently owned by Ken Gimelli and generally located north of Highway 156 and east of Highway 25. In short, it would open the door of approval for the Pulte-Del Webb upscale senior housing project, which developers want to build near the airport.
When a proposed initiative is circulated for the ballot, Section 9212 of the California Elections Code allows the city council to require a report regarding the potential impacts of the initiative. On June 19, 2006, the Hollister City Council requested an analysis of the initiative’s potential impacts as permitted in Section 9212.
A 9212 has a much more limited scope than an Environmental Impact Report, which would normally be required for a project of this scale and size. The 9212 for this initiative was put together by Barbara E. Kautz, of Goldfarb & Lipman LLP, Jeffery Baird, of Baird & Driscoll Community Planning, and Michael Waller, of Hexagon Transportation Consultants, Inc.
The findings were grim. The community impacts included higher growth rates; significant, but undefined traffic impacts, leapfrog development and annual operating and capital deficits.
In terms of growth rates the number of new housing units built in Hollister between 2000 and 2023 with the inclusion of the Pulte project would increase by approximately 75 percent, from 5,845 new homes to 10,245 new homes. In 2000 Hollister had 9,924 total housing units. Hollister’s projected 2023 population would increase from 55,000 to 63,000 for a 100 percent senior project, to nearly 70,000 for a project with only 10 percent senior housing.
The report indicates that traffic impacts, too, would be significant. According to the 9212, the initiative does not explain how Hollister’s street system could accommodate the 16,000 to 50,000 trips per day generated by the 4,400 homes in the development. The new vehicle trips would significantly impact the level of service on virtually every major street that serves the property or provides access to commercial businesses in Hollister.
One of the most significant problems the document points to is leapfrog development. According to Baird, the Gimelli property could be developed now, before sites in Hollister’s city limits and sphere of influence would be developed, contrary to the city’s current infill policy.
Finally, according to initiative proponents, the new development, even if comprised of only 4,050 senior homes would generate $648,000 less in revenues to the city than it would cost in city services. City Manager Clint Quilter said that city staff believes that the police and fire costs included in Pulte’s study have been underestimated by between $663,000 to $2.04 million, resulting in a total annual operating deficit of $1.3 million to $2.7 million per year.
Pulte representatives have seen the findings and don’t dispute them, but they say such nitpicking isn’t necessary – yet.
“Some of the statements are factually correct, but the premise is way off target,” said Mike Serpa, vice-president of the Del Webb brand. “The premise is done as if we have a project we’re applying for. We’re not applying for a project. This takes the project and puts it down with the current infrastructure system, obviously that’s true of course we would have to mitigate the project.”
Serpa was also defensive about the fact that the 9212 accuses the development of generating higher growth rates, when Serpa said that they used numbers that came directly from the city and yet their numbers don’t match up with the city’s numbers. Still he admits that the population would increase, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
“The population would change, but when they talk about this project they’re talking like it would happen tomorrow, that’s not possible,” Serpa said.
He was adamant that this development would generate new economic development and businesses.
So, the findings will have an impact on how the corporation markets its ballot proposition, but there are always challenges.
“The policy makers have to question how hard to look at this. They need to ask themselves, If Sun City isn’t the answer what is and how is Hollister going to avoid situations like this [moratorium] in the future? We are proposing that this concept be considered not as a project, but as a concept for use in the city’s tool bag.”
Del Webb’s legal team is preparing a formal letter for Hollister’s city attorney because both legal parties agreed their were some inaccurate points in the 9212.
Serpa understands some of the city’s concern. He said that the scary aspect of challenging this is that the city and the county haven’t built projects like this in the past; they have never seen good projects negotiated successfully with positive results, Serpa said. So, their expectations are low, and Serpa said he believes it can be intimidating.
“We all have to be prepared to work very hard. If we want to improve there will have to be some change. We want to be part of some of those conditions,” Serpa said.
