City Council votes 3-1 to support opposition of Pulte Homes
general plan resolution
By Anthony Ha Staff Writer
Hollister – Measure S, the general plan amendment sponsored by developer Pulte Homes, divided Hollister’s City Council and the audience at Monday night’s Council meeting.
The City Council voted 3-1, with one abstention, to support a resolution drafted by Councilman Doug Emerson in opposition to the measure. Before the vote, a steady stream of speakers argued – often heatedly – both for and against the resolution.
Measure S, if passed, will amend the city’s general plan to redesignate 1,300 acres of agricultural land as a “mixed-use residential community.” Once the city’s moratorium on development is lifted, this land would be exempt from the 244-unit annual limit on residential allocations imposed by Measure U; instead, Pulte subsidiary Del Webb could be issued up to 650 building permits a year as part of their plan to build a 4,400-home retirement community near the city’s municipal airport.
Emerson’s resolution lists 16 points about the measure – most of them negative – including its proximity to the municipal airport, the fact that the city will be required to issue building permits for 650 homes a year, the absence of water and wastewater treatment facilities and the perceived risk that if Pulte Homes decides not to build the project, future developers would only be obligated to include 35 senior units in their projects. The resolution concludes by urging Hollister residents to vote no on Measure S.
Marty Richman, a frequent guest columnist in the Free Lance, was the first audience member to comment.
“I’m not going to go through all my objections (to Measure S),” he said. “I can’t do it in two minutes; I can’t do it in two hours.”
Richman outlined three primary reasons for his opposition: the project’s size, its location and the measure’s revision of the general plan.
Annette Giacomazzi, a local resident hired by Pulte to lead the Yes on Measure S campaign, called Emerson’s resolution “a sham” and defended the proposed development.
“Why are you so afraid?” she asked the councilmembers. “Are you afraid of improving our roads? Are you afraid of the steady stream of revenue to improve our downtown?”
Giacomazzi also criticized those who object to Measure S on the basis that it’s an inappropriate way to change the general plan. She said the state constitution protects the right of citizens to put measures on the ballot.
Ralph Beaudoin approached the resolution from a personal perspective, noting that he and his wife – both in their 70s – live in a two-story home, and although they are currently healthy, “one day those stairs are going to get too steep.”
Tom Cosgrove, a former Lincoln City councilman currently employed by Pulte, said a similar Del Webb retirement community dramatically improved the quality of life in Lincoln City.
“The residents of Hollister are counting on you to do better than your predecessors,” he said. “This is the only ray of hope on the horizon for people who voted for you.”
When it came to a vote, Councilmembers Emerson, Pauline Valdivia and Mayor Robert Scattini supported Emerson’s resolution. Councilwoman Monica Johnson abstained from the vote.
“The city’s greatest need is for young, working-class families,” Emerson said. “Not one of these homes is going to a young, working-class family.”
Emerson also noted that the projected $15 million in funds that the Del Webb project could raise for schools might not be that useful. Schools can only use developers’ fees to construct new buildings, but Emerson said most schools have bigger problems with their operating budgets.
Scattini said he agreed with many of Emerson’s concerns, but added that not enough attention had been paid to the development’s location, which Scattini argued was dangerously close to the airport.
Councilman Brad Pike voted against the resolution. He argued that a report highly critical of the Del Webb project was “very flawed.” The report was commissioned by the City Council and composed by three independent firms.
“All (the measure) does is change the color of the map,” Pike said. “Once adopted, the general plan does not remain a static document.”
