GILROY
– A portion of the city policy dictating how many homes get
built in Gilroy is ambiguous and unfair, Planning Commission
Chairman Russ Valiquette says.
GILROY – A portion of the city policy dictating how many homes get built in Gilroy is ambiguous and unfair, Planning Commission Chairman Russ Valiquette says.
The Planning Commission is asking City Council to take ambiguity out of the so-called “small project exemption” policy as early as this Monday’s Council meeting, before more 12- to 20-unit housing projects get accepted or denied.
City law currently states that “special circumstances” may be taken into consideration when recommending approval or denial of small residential projects that call for more than 12 units. At its Sept. 4 meeting, the Planning Commission directed city planners to draft a letter to Council asking for specific criteria that can be used when reviewing these projects.
“There’s always going to be things open for interpretation, but we’re asking for six inches of gray area instead of two feet,” Valiquette said.
It is city policy to permit only a certain number of homes to be built over a 10-year period, however exceptions can be made when projects fulfill a particular housing need, such as fixed-income or senior living. Exceptions are also made in the case of “small projects” where 12 units or less are proposed.
Developers may file a “small project” application when their plans call for more than 12 units, but the city cannot permit the project until City Council grants an exemption. The Planning Commission is the Council’s advisory panel on these issues.
Last week, the Planning Commission recommended denial on three of five small housing projects. One project – a 15-lot development on 37 acres at Miller Avenue southwest of Santa Teresa Boulevard proposed by Ernie Filice – stood out for Valiquette.
Valiquette said exemptions are sometimes recommended by the Planning Commission when the projects are built immediately nearby existing developments. These so-called “infill” projects may receive the Planning Commission’s blessing because the infrastructure and services the new residents will need is already in place.
“Ernie’s project makes sense to me, because it’s surrounded by Glen Loma and Shapell (developments), but since those developments aren’t built yet city legal counsel is telling us we shouldn’t consider it as infill,” Valiquette said.
