GILROY
– A 104-unit senior housing and apartment complex planned for
First Street received mixed reviews from its future neighbors late
last week, because they say it will put too many cars on their
nearby roads.
GILROY – A 104-unit senior housing and apartment complex planned for First Street received mixed reviews from its future neighbors late last week, because they say it will put too many cars on their nearby roads.
Benassi Oaks development received a partial thumbs-up Thursday from the Gilroy Planning Commission. Neighbors and commissioners both complimented the project for its architecture and design, but concerns over the one-way-in, one-way-out access will delay the project.
Commissioners unanimously approved minor zoning changes for the project, but directed the developer to meet with neighbors and city staff to explore how to put a second access road in the design.
Under the current design, the only access is a driveway off Cypress Court a small residential road on the project’s south side.
“I’m very concerned if traffic is forced to flow onto Cypress and we have to sell our homes, they’ll sell at less than market value,” resident Steven Sanchez said.
Residents wanted access to also come from First Street on the north side of the project, but a roughly 8-acre, vacant commercial lot owned by the Benassi family lies between First Street and the residential parcel.
Project designer John Kent, of Pacific Oak Properties, said there would be security issues if a commercial center had direct access into the residential project.
Planning Commission chairman Thomas Boe said the developer should look to the east side of the property for another solution. And Planning Commission member Cat Tucker said the project was given housing permits a few years ago because it proposed two access roads at the time.
“We developed this within the guidelines given by the city in the General Plan,” Kent told the commission.
Kent doesn’t see much hope in finding another access point on the west side, because it would also hinder future commercial development.
“It’s our strong desire to see the property on the corner of First Street and Santa Teresa Boulevard be developed commercially when the commercial parcel facing First Street is developed,” Kent said.
Union 76 owns the parcel on the corner, the Benassis own the commercial lot facing First Street.
At this juncture, the commercial properties are at least a couple years away from being developed.
Kent has said that a supermarket would likely anchor a strip mall on the Benassi lot.
Bill Lindsteadt, Gilroy’s economic development director, said roughly two years ago Union 76 wanted to put a gas station on the corner with a few small retail spaces adjoined to the station. That plan is now on hold, Lindsteadt said.
