Hollister
– While the state of California grew by nearly a half-million
people in 2005, only 277 of the new residents call San Benito
County home, according to numbers released this week by the state
Department of Finance.
Hollister – While the state of California grew by nearly a half-million people in 2005, only 277 of the new residents call San Benito County home, according to numbers released this week by the state Department of Finance.
The largest amount of growth occurred in unincorporated areas of the county, with 211 – a 1.1 percent increase – new residents in 2005. At a distant second, Hollister had a .2 percent increase with 63 new residents. San Juan Bautista added three residents last year, also a .2 percent increase.
The low population growth isn’t a result of people not wanting to move into San Benito County, said Al Martinez, executive director of the San Benito County Economic Development Corporation. Instead, he said, it is a symptom of Hollister’s sewer moratorium and growth restrictions in both the city and the county that limit the supply of housing and drive up the prices of homes already built here.
Imposed by the state in 2002 after 15 million gallons of treated sewage spilled into the San Benito River, the moratorium prohibits new construction requiring sewer hook-ups. City officials anticipate the moratorium being lifted in 2008, when a new sewage treatment plant is built. In addition to the moratorium, Hollister has a voter-approved growth ordinance that limits annual allocations for residential units to 244. San Benito County has a 1 percent cap on annual growth.
“The long range forecast: it’s nothing but growth (in the region). It’s a very attractive area, and people want to live here,” Martinez said. “But they have to be able to afford it, and there has to be something to buy.”
In contrast to Hollister’s growth in 2005, the City of Greenfield in Monterey County grew by 15.5 percent last year, adding nearly 2,100 residents. Merced County’s City of Los Banos gained more than 1,600 new residents – a 5.1 percent increase.
While the low growth rate for 2005 may be welcomed by some who fear the county’s open space and agricultural lands will be paved over to provide homes for Silicon Valley commuters, Martinez said that slow population growth can stunt economic development.
“A slow rate of growth impacts the total economy,” he said. “It’s tough to attract new commercial businesses.”
Once Hollister’s moratorium is lifted, the city’s growth ordinance notwithstanding, new commercial businesses will likely come to Hollister, Martinez said.
“There’s a pent up demand for retail,’ he said. “There’s people who are ready and willing to build a shopping center.”
Luke Roney covers local government and the environment for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 335 or at lr****@fr***********.com
