Council also agrees to revamp grading system at heart of city’s
growth control measure
Gilroy – City leaders have delayed major policy revisions that would force developers to pay for parks, pools and other “community benefits” in exchange for permission to build in Gilroy.
On Monday, city council voted to delay approval of the proposed Planned Unit Development Amenity policy and punted on a major overhaul of the grading system used to allot thousands of home-construction permits.
The PUD policy involves a tiered system for extracting “benefits” from developers who seek to stray from local zoning standards. Council members agreed with planning commissioners that the current draft of the proposal demands far more from developers than it offers in return.
Council agreed to form a work group of city staff and representatives from the development community to craft a more equitable system. The group, expected to be appointed in July, will report back to council by November.
Council also agreed this week to postpone efforts to revamp the 200-point grading system at the heart of the Residential Development Ordinance, the city’s growth control measure. City leaders plan to resume discussions in July on plans to weight the system in favor of projects that provide affordable or eco-friendly housing, as well as those that offer “community benefits” similar to those envisioned by the PUD policy.
Officials decided against using the revised RDO point scale this summer in a limited competition for 191 housing allotments. They agreed instead to rely on the traditional RDO point system and, working within it, to give preference to certain types of projects such as “in-fill.” The category refers to housing projects that lie immediately adjacent to city roads, sewers and other public infrastructure.
The wider overhaul of the RDO system will take place by 2013, when the city holds a major competition for thousands of housing allotments.
Item
The Housing Advisory Committee will review options for lengthening resale restriction agreements, which govern how much time must pass before homeowners can sell an affordable unit at market rates.
Mini-Policy Summit: City Council will meet informally to discuss a range of policy issues, many of them related to development and growth.
Sprinkler Ordinance: City Council will hold a public study session to discuss a proposed ordinance that would mandate installation of sprinkler systems in all new homes.
meeting
July 11, 6pm at the Senior Center,
7371 Hanna St.
July 14, 8am at the Corporation Yard Meeting Room, 613 Old Gilroy St.
July 17, 6:30pm at City Hall, 7351 Rosanna St.
