The Aug. 20 Gilroy Dispatch article, “Gilroy Council Votes for More Outreach on New Projects,” by Michael Moore, accurately described the City Council’s recent action to strengthen public review of major development projects.
Recent discussion about the Amazon data center made it clear that residents wanted a more visible and accessible public process. We heard that concern, and on Aug. 17 the Council approved substantial changes to how large commercial and industrial projects will be reviewed and approved in the future.
As Moore reported, applicants for new commercial and industrial projects of 15,000 square feet or larger will now be required to hold a community meeting. Residents and property owners within 1,000 feet will receive mailed notice, newspaper notice will be required, and information about qualifying projects will also be shared through the City’s weekly e-newsletter and website.
An additional key policy change we’d like to emphasize is this: Under the new process, any development permit requiring an Environmental Impact Report (which would include a major development with the scale and potential impacts of a data center) must receive Planning Commission review and approval at a publicly noticed hearing.
Planning Commission decisions can be appealed to the City Council, which would trigger a new public hearing before the Council with notifications.
In other words, any project requiring an Environmental Impact Report can no longer receive final approval solely through an administrative process. It would come before the Planning Commission in a public, notified hearing where residents could hear the proposal, review the environmental analysis and provide comments before a decision is made.
The Amazon data center was reviewed and approved under the City’s rules in place at the time. However, community concerns about the process highlighted an opportunity to improve how Gilroy approaches major development proposals going forward.
Public participation works best when residents are informed about consequential projects early in the development process, and have an opportunity to ask questions and make their voices heard. The changes adopted by the Council create a more formal and predictable way for that to happen.
We appreciate the community members who brought these concerns forward. Their input helped focus attention on an area where the City needed to make meaningful improvement and concrete policy changes.
Gilroy will continue to grow and attract private investment. Our responsibility is to make sure that growth is accompanied by a public process that gives the community a meaningful voice. The Council’s action is a significant step toward meeting that responsibility.
Mayor Greg Bozzo
City of Gilroy
