Local politicians didn’t get invites to talk about a mini-city
planned for just south of the Santa Clara County line near Gilroy,
but they say the snub doesn’t bother them nearly as much as the
project itself.
Gilroy – Local politicians didn’t get invites to talk about a mini-city planned for just south of the Santa Clara County line near Gilroy, but they say the snub doesn’t bother them nearly as much as the project itself.
DMB Realty, an Arizona development company known for building little cities complete with schools, shopping districts, libraries and downtowns, wants to fill El Rancho San Benito with as many as 10,000 new homes bordered by Union Pacific tracks, Higway 25 and the Pajaro River.
That’s not much farther than five miles from Gilroy, but because it’s in San Benito County, local politicians don’t have direct control over the proposal’s future. A community forum scheduled Saturday in Hollister doesn’t include anyone from north of the county border.
Santa Clara County Supervisor Don Gage said he’s not piqued at being left off the guest list, but he’s very much opposed to the leapfrog development that could put a major strain on local traffic, sewage and water services.
“They’re doing the right thing. They have to convince people over there before they come and worry about me,” Gage said. “I will strongly oppose it because it will have a strong impact on traffic and services. If they want to widen Highway 25 to four lanes, then great, we can talk about it.”
And Gilroy Mayor Al Pinheiro, who previously expressed strong reservations about having a new neighbor, said he’s willing to wait to have another opportunity to relay his concerns to DMB.
“We need to discuss this because of the great impact it will have on our community,” he said. “We’ll have our time to let our thoughts be known.”
DMB spokesman Ray Becker said Thursday that he expects to meet with officials in this county in the coming months and hopes to know by early next year how warmly the project will be received in both counties. At the moment, there are no plans for a forum in this county.
“At this point we’re very much interested in listening, establishing major concerns and finding out what people’s thoughts and desires are,” Becker said. “Any input that folks in Santa Clara County have, we’d be delighted to have.”
Becker said he’s been busy in recent months reaching out to all interested parties. Earlier in the summer he met with the Pajaro Watershed Council and he will come back to Santa Clara County for a second round of conversations with local representatives. Becker has met with Gage and Pinheiro separately, though a meeting with a joint planning commission planned for June never happened.
“We do expect to get back with the folks in Gilroy and give them an update,” he said. “Right now, we’re still assembling our thoughts.”
Rancho San Benito has a history of unsuccessful development efforts. Plans for a mini town with its own sewer system, police, schools, roads, golf courses and trains were proposed in 1988 and again in 1990. Each time, plans were stymied by environmental concerns. In 1990 the area flooded during the approval process. About 1,000 of the 4,500 acres owned by DMB are in the flood plain.
The meeting scheduled for 2 to 4pm, Saturday, Aug. 20, is open to the public. It will be held at the Veterans Memorial Building, 649 San Benito St., Hollister.
