Council to discuss rezoning land as ‘high density’

In order to meet certain state requirements of low-income housing, the City Council will discuss at their regular meeting Monday adapting the housing section of the general plan by rezoning 26 acres within the city to “high density residential” raising the minimum unit per acre from 16 to 20 in these areas.
Areas the City is proposing rezoning as high density include empty parcels in on First Street near Santa Teresa Boulevard, a lot on Santa Teresa Boulevard near Third Street, a parcel on Wren Avenue near Welburn Avenue, a lot on Church Street near Welburn Avenue, property in various places on Monterey Street, lots near Chestnut and Tenth Streets and a lot on Thomas Road.
Also on Monday’s agenda, Council will vote to hire five civil engineering companies to give the City Administrator authority to use on an on-call basis when the City’s public works department is tied up with projects. Projects the City may use the on-call companies for include sidewalk repair, park design, trash enclosures, small road projects, assistance with storm water quality management and other miscellaneous projects.
Of the 16 proposals the City received, staff picked five they considered to be “top ranked.” Those five companies are Whitson Engineers of Monterey, HMH Engineering of San Jose, Drake Haglan and Associates of Sacramento, Sandis of the Bay Area, and Rugger-Jensen-Azar of Gilroy.
Also, Council will also vote to approve a $225,810 federal grant for the purchase of seven new cardiac monitors for the Gilroy Fire Department. The City would have to match 10 percent of the grant funds in the amount of $25,090.