After more than two years of work, efforts to create a
Transferable Development Credit program for San Benito County,
which would ultimately preserve open space in the county, are
moving into the public input phase.
Hollister – After more than two years of work, efforts to create a Transferable Development Credit program for San Benito County, which would ultimately preserve open space in the county, are moving into the public input phase.
A TDC program would allow farmers and ranchers to sell their rights to build residential units on their property to another party in the form of credits. That party could then use those credits to build homes in other areas.
“It’s a great manner of preservation of our biggest asset – prime ag land,” said county Planning Commissioner Gordon Machado.
On Wednesday, the planning commission received an overview of the program that a committee of a dozen county residents has been working on for more than two years.
Initially, the program had been part of the growth control initiative Measure G. But when that initiative was handily defeated by voters last year, a previous Board of Supervisors organized a committee to make TDC a stand-alone program.
Now that the planning commission has had a chance to see the committee’s progress, it’s time to get public input, according to committee member Ray Pierce. No public workshops have yet been scheduled.
“We’ve started it. Now what we really need to do is open it up to general workshopping including the community,” he said. “You can come up with the best program in the world, but if you don’t get buy-in it will just sit on the shelf and never get implemented.”
Joe Tonascia, owner of Tonascia Farms in Hollister and a former county planning commissioner, said he thinks a well-designed TDC program would benefit both the farmer and the county.
“It gives the farmer an opportunity if he wants to stay in ag, but economics might push him in another way. Most farmers don’t want to sell or develop their ground,” he said, adding that a TDC program will also preserve open space in the county.
County supervisors generally support the program, but some on the board have concerns about when and if it can be implemented.
Supervisor Jaime De La Cruz said he wouldn’t support a TDC program unless it was part of a overall general plan revision.
“I just feel that right now, the first thing we need to do is a complete overhaul of the general plan,” he said, adding that dealing with the TDC program alone would be a waste of time.
Supervisors have said that they want to look into and revise the county’s general plan, which guides long-term growth and development, but they are waiting for the county planning department to be fully staffed and have a full-time director. Currently, the department is overseen by a part-time interim director.
Pierce said that he also thought that the TDC program should be completed in concert with a general plan revision.
“It’s just a small section of the general plan, part of the process,” he said. “The best thing I can think is that it run along with a general plan update.”
Both Supervisors Don Marcus and Pat Loe say that they think a TDC program would be a good thing for the county because it would preserve open space and encourage clustering of residential development.
“The idea is to create density where density is more likely to occur,” Marcus said.
Supervisor Reb Monaco said that he has long supported the concept of a TDC program, but has concerns about whether it could be implemented successfully because of mistrust and suspicion that might still linger after the Measure G fight, which split the county along the lines of pro-growth and no-growth.
“I think it is one tool in a fairly large toolbox that can be used in protecting ag and ag land,” he said.
Luke Roney covers local government and the environment for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 335 or at [email protected]
