The developers of the San Juan Vista Estates project were again
sent back to the county planning department to work out the revised
conditions to divide a 195-acre lot at Searle Road and Highway
129.
The developers of the San Juan Vista Estates project were again sent back to the county planning department to work out the revised conditions to divide a 195-acre lot at Searle Road and Highway 129.
After a brief public hearing, the San Benito County Planning Commission voted Wednesday to continue the hearing until March 19.
Bradly Torgan, an attorney representing developer Greg Weiler, hoped that by that meeting that planning staff can come back with a resolution to finalize the final map of the project.
“Let’s really come back with, I would hope, something final – a packet, a resolution,” he said.
Planning Commision Vice Chair Murrill Conley didn’t care much for the project when it was first presented, calling it “an ambitious project” with lots of homes, hotels and restaurants.
“It was overkill,” Conley said. “I didn’t care for that.”
Conley said he did care, though, about a smaller amount of houses with small commercial development in that location.
“I feel that the commercial would be a benefit to San Benito County as far as generating much-needed tax dollars,” he said.
But since the project was not in his backyard, he would have to go along with no commercial at all, he said.
“The neighbors didn’t seem to care for that idea,” Conley said.
Listing more than a dozen conditions that he has concerns with, Conley directed staff to work among the conditions – no “granny units” and limits on the square footage of the homes, and directed staff to incorporate a revised plan of conditions.
Commissioner Gordon Machado felt the commission needed to discuss the conditions because he was concerned there might be some redundancy in the direction given to staff.
Machado pointed out the same issues in the minutes of the last planning commission meeting.
“I already spoke on the housing limitation, which I don’t think is necessary,” he said.
Machado also was not sure if there should be restrictions on senior second units. Chairman Joe Tonascia said he too was still “up in the air” about not allowing the so-called “granny units. “But I’m leaning towards no senior units,” he said.
Conley revisited traffic issues and directed staff to add a condition that the developer pay a fee for a stop light or flashing red signals at Highway 129 and Searle Road to replace the stop signs.
“I didn’t know there was a stop sign there and went right through it,” he said. “I think a lot of people are not used to that stop sign.”
Tonascia moved to continue the application until March 19, directing staff to incorporate their ideas and concerns for a consideration of approval. With Conley’s second, the motion carried 4-0.
Commissioner Anthony Freitas, representing District Two where the project is located, was absent. Conley said that with an application such as the San Juan Vista Estates, the commission normally does not take action unless it has a full commission.
