Hollister
– The city Planning Commission voted 3-2 Thursday to recommend
approval of the final environmental impact report for Award Homes’
proposed 677-unit subdivision.
Hollister – The city Planning Commission voted 3-2 Thursday to recommend approval of the final environmental impact report for Award Homes’ proposed 677-unit subdivision.
Chairman Raymond Friend, who voted in favor of the EIR, said it’s time for the project to move forward.
“We’ve talked about it and talked about it,” Friend said. “I think they’ve done an adequate job.”
The report will now to go the City Council for approval, as will an amendment incorporating the Award Homes project into the city’s plan for the West of Fairview area. The Planning Commission voted unanimously to support the West of Fairview plan amendment.
The developer’s plans call for the construction of 517 single-family homes, 100 apartments and 60 “garden homes” – homes built at a higher density than normal single-family houses – on a 126-acre parcel just south of St. Benedict’s Church.
City Planning Manager Mary Paxton said the council will likely vote on the EIR on April 16. If the EIR is approved, there’s still a long road before construction can begin, Paxton said. The city needs to approve the project’s tentative site map, as well as conduct site and architectural reviews of each of the project’s components.
If the approval process goes smoothly, Paxton said construction could begin when the city’s sewer hookup moratorium is lifted at the end of 2008.
According to the EIR, which is an amendment to the West of Fairview Specific Plan EIR developed in 1994, all of the project’s impacts can be mitigated except for traffic.
Planning Commissioner David Huboi, who voted against the EIR, said he didn’t believe the project’s impacts are justified. He argued that the development will be a detriment not just to local roads, but also to schools and to police and fire services.
Rapid development without enough attention to infrastructure led to the city’s sewer moratorium, Huboi said.
“That’s going to happen again if we don’t work on this EIR some more,” he said.
Several locals also spoke out against the project. Jennifer Coile said the EIR did not fully account for the project’s effect on local traffic, and Mary Maio objected to the destruction of wetland and vernal pool habitats.
“I consider this, as a citizen, to be inadequate and incomplete information,” Coile said.
Jim Koenig, director of finance and operations for the San Benito High School District, said he’s also concerned about the impact to local schools. He said the project could add around 150 students to the high school.
The developer has not had any discussions with local educators, according to Award Homes President Steve Schott, but they’re open to building new schools.
“Nobody from the school district ever came to (earlier) meetings,” Schott said. “But that’s fine; they’re here now.”
Anthony Ha covers local government for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or [email protected].
