Hollister
– San Benito County supervisors Tuesday dedicated about $6.5
million in current and future traffic impact fees to the
long-awaited Highway 25 bypass – a move that cuts the project’s
budget shortfall by almost half.
Hollister – San Benito County supervisors Tuesday dedicated about $6.5 million in current and future traffic impact fees to the long-awaited Highway 25 bypass – a move that cuts the project’s budget shortfall by almost half.
The board voted to transfer $5.2 in county traffic impact fees to the bypass and to dedicate $1.3 million in future impact fees to the project. San Benito collects about $1.1 million in traffic impact fees each year, according to estimates from county staff.
“I just hope that’s all we need,” Supervisor Anthony Botelho said after the meeting.
It was discovered earlier this year that the budget for the bypass project – which will create a new leg of Highway 25 circumventing downtown – was short $15.5 million. Along with the additional $6.5 million from the county, the remaining shortfall is expected to be made up with more than $4 million in impact fees allocated by the City of Hollister. The remainder needed might be diverted from the city’s North Street extension project, which has a $5 million budget.
Though some on the Hollister City Council have said they don’t like the idea of delaying the North Street project, Hollister City manager Clint Quilter told supervisors that he would recommend on Monday that the council divert the needed impact fees and money from the North Street project to the bypass.
Though dedicating future impact fees from San Benito gave the county’s project for improvements to John Smith Road – which faced delay so its $1.8 million budget could be used for the bypass – a reprieve, supervisors were uncomfortable pledging revenue that the county has not yet received.
“We’re basically gambling on future funds coming in,” Supervisor Reb Monaco said after the meeting. “That’s risky.”
Even with the future impact fees, the John Smith Road project isn’t safe. After the bypass goes to bid this summer, the cost of the project may prove to be even higher than currently projected, according to Tom Quigley, executive director of the San Benito County Council of Governments.
“I’m not 100 percent sure this thing is done,” Botelho said. “This whole thing looks bad sometimes.”
As discussion of funding the bypass project came to a close Tuesday, County Administrative Officer Susan Thompson left board members with an ominous message.
“Just so everybody knows,” she said, “This probably isn’t the end of this.”
Despite the difficulties, construction on the bypass is slated to begin in August, according to COG.
Luke Roney covers local government and the environment for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 335 or at [email protected]
