Gilroy
– City councilmen will hold a second study session Monday night
to finish discussions of the Hecker Pass Specific Plan.
Gilroy – City councilmen will hold a second study session Monday night to finish discussions of the Hecker Pass Specific Plan.
The plan envisions preserving several hundred acres along the scenic highway as farmland and open space, while allowing clustered development in areas set back from the road.
Councilmen have taken pains to stick to that vision, spending three hours at a Nov. 22 study session sifting through the 100-plus page document. So far, they have reduced the number of housing units allowed and eliminated numerous uses they saw as inconsistent with agriculture or the preservation of farmland. The plan includes three farm-related areas: agricultural, agri-commercial, and agri-tourism.
Councilmen applied the strictest land-use standards to agricultural areas, prohibiting bed and breakfasts, Christmas-tree lots, and farmer’s markets for fear that such uses would mean parking lots and small buildings.
They chose to allow developers to “trade” housing types between residential areas, but agreed to add language to the plan that guarantees a diverse mix of housing.
They also scaled back the maximum portion of a lot that a building may cover – from 30 to 25 percent – in the agri-commercial, agri-tourism, and community facilities areas, and agreed that homes, parking lots, and related development must lie at least 115 feet from the centerline of Route 152.
If councilmen resolve their concerns, they could vote on final approval of the plan as early as Dec. 6 – the next scheduled regular meeting.
What:
City Council study session on Hecker Pass Specific Plan
When:
Monday, Nov. 29, 6pm
Where:
Council Chambers at City Hall, 7351 Rosanna St.
Source: City of Gilroy
