Rancho del Sol affordable housing project gets go-ahead from
City Council
Gilroy – A major affordable housing project for north Gilroy has finally received permission to move forward, after weeks of delay by councilmen opposed to the project.
On Monday, city council voted 4-2 to change zoning regulations to clear the way for the 260-unit Rancho del Sol project, slated for 36 acres just west of Monterey Road.
The vote came after Dennis Lalor, executive director of nonprofit developer South County Housing, told council members that further delay would jeopardize the project by subjecting it to spiraling material costs and daily charges of $800 for extending a purchase agreement.
Councilman Roland Velasco, who engineered a delay of the project last month to buy time for additional council study of Gilroy’s affordable housing policies, told Lalor he was not trying to be “mean-spirited.”
Velasco and Councilman Craig Gartman have opposed the project as running foul of policies calling for neighborhoods with mixed housing and income levels. They claim that Rancho del Sol will glut the city’s north-central district with low-income housing, and that the project represents a piecemeal approach to the city’s affordable housing shortage. Advocates for the project suggest that position is disingenuous, given that most of the homes would be marketed to families earning $92,000 or more per year.
“If I was trying to be mean-spirited, I would have killed this a couple of weeks ago when I had the votes to kill it,” Velasco told Lalor.
Last month, Councilmen Dion Bracco and Russ Valiquette both refused to go forward with the project due to Gartman and Velasco’s concerns. A tie vote would have resulted if one of them had refused to postpone or vote in favor of the project, effectively killing Rancho del Sol.
Bracco, who favors the project but agreed last meeting to delay, once again had a change of heart on the dais.
“I don’t see what we’re going to accomplish in two hours,” he said, referring to the May affordable housing workshop. “I believe we need to step up and do our part to get this project going. I’m ready to move forward with this tonight.”
Bracco and Valiquette joined Councilmen Peter Arellano and Paul Correa in support of the project. Gartman and Velasco were the dissenters, with Mayor Al Pinheiro recusing himself from the vote because he sells insurance to South County Housing.
The nonprofit developer must return to council in coming months for approval on architectural designs for the project.
“I respect Councilman Velasco a great deal and I’m very appreciative of his comments and I’ll take it as my responsibility to make sure Rancho del Sol addresses council concerns,” Lalor said after the vote. But he added that “delay can kill you. The prices can’t go anywhere but up for cement, steel, interest rates. What’s at risk here is a home ownership opportunity for Gilroy.”
Elsewhere in development
The sampling of projects below are under review by city staff and have not yet been placed on the agenda for planning commissioners or city council. Some projects only require staff approval. To get a full list of projects and to learn which ones will appear before the commission or council, call the Gilroy planning department at 846-0440.
– Pacheco Pass children’s party venue – Chris Evans is seeking a permit to operate a restaurant with “jump houses” on Renz Lane.
– First Street office building – Herb Bowen is seeking approval of architectural designs for a roughly 6,000 square foot office building at 1355 First Street.
– Santa Teresa Gas Station – ConocoPhillips is seeking staff approval of architectural designs for a gas station at the southeast corner of Santa Teresa Boulevard and First Street.
Glen Loma Ranch homes – Developers of the 1,700-unit Glen Loma Ranch project in southwest Gilroy are seeking approval of architectural designs for 52 single family homes in the hayfields east of Santa Teresa Boulevard. The homes are the first to be constructed as part of Glen Loma, the single biggest project in the city’s history.
– Hecker Pass homes – Bob Weiss and De Nova Homes are seeking approval for 165 homes at 2480 and 2485 Hecker Pass Highway. Construction cannot begin until road improvement plans move forward.
– Camino Arroyo development – Kenneth Machado is seeking approval for 16 commercial and industrial lots at the northeast corner of Camino Arroyo and Highway 152.
– Country Estates homes – Gary Reese of Gill Properties is seeking final approval of designs for 95 hillside homes north of Hecker Pass. This is the last phase of the Country Estates project.
Commission Meeting
When: 6pm tonight
Where: City Hall, 7351 Rosanna St.
On the agenda:
– Kern Avenue – Local developer James Suner will seek a zone change and project approval for 12 single family homes at 9025 Kern Ave.
– Permit Competition – Commissioners will vote on a revamped grading system for new housing projects that pass through the Residential Development Ordinance. The revised RDO, as it is commonly known, will grant additional points in its permit competition to homes that are eco-friendly, provide higher design standards, or offer some other desirable elements.
– Capital Projects Budget – Commissioners will vote on the city’s $28.5-million capital improvements budget, which includes $1 million for a new arts center and $250,000 for sidewalk repairs.
– To view the planning Commission agenda, visit www.ci.gilroy.ca.us. Contact Planning Commission Chairman Tim Day at 842-1270 or td**@****ic.com
Editor’s Note: This new Thursday feature spotlights
commercial and residential development in Gilroy, as well as policies affecting growth. E-mail story ideas to ed****@****ic.com.
