Rescinding of growth cap allows county to develop
Just as it makes no sense to create laws that serve no purpose,
it is equally irrational to sustain those that are no longer
necessary.
There is absolutely no need for a growth management ordinance in
snail-pace San Benito County, and the board made the right and
obvious decision to kill a law that was outdated from its
outset.
Rescinding of growth cap allows county to develop
Just as it makes no sense to create laws that serve no purpose, it is equally irrational to sustain those that are no longer necessary.
There is absolutely no need for a growth management ordinance in snail-pace San Benito County, and the board made the right and obvious decision to kill a law that was outdated from its outset.
In 2000, a different board of supervisors at a much different time approved the growth management ordinance and its set of rules, which has included the now-infamous 1 percent cap on annual development. That prior board’s decision was reflective of a sharp divide in the community about the rapid growth experienced at the time, particularly in Hollister, which has its own growth management guidelines. San Benito, after all, had been the fastest-growing county in California during the late 1990s, so it certainly wasn’t off base to have concerns about the prospects for out-of-control sprawl.
But any sort of debate about rapid growth has vanished. A storm of economic factors reversed the trend in San Benito County, and the housing bubble – which pushed flocks of Silicon Valley commuters to buy more reasonably priced homes in Hollister – burst and revealed that an abundance of the demand had been artificial. Since the onset of the city’s building moratorium starting in 2002, the county as a whole has faced the very opposite challenge: It hasn’t grown fast enough, local contractors have to leave town for work, and San Benito has a lingering anti-growth reputation that is less than inviting to large developers.
The 2010 U.S. Census numbers underscored the nature of San Benito County’s setbacks. From 2000 to 2010, the county grew at a paltry rate of about 0.35 percent annually. That trend cannot continue and would result in the further degradation of a struggling economy. It would send Hollister and San Benito County into a virtual, economic black hole. You could kiss any hopes goodbye for Lowe’s or other large chain stores.
Make no mistake about it: In the short term, San Benito County needs growth and should do everything in its power to promote development in a reasonable manner that allows for local governments to keep pace with additional infrastructure needs.
The key word is reasonable, and that is why we elect leaders to ensure projects are in line with all the rules and expectations of the city or county. That is why we create general plans and establish appropriate zoning.
