The Shovel Ready Exemption category served a much needed segment
in Gilroy’s development community, the smaller, ready to-build-now
developer.
Dear Editor,
The Shovel Ready Exemption category served a much needed segment in Gilroy’s development community, the smaller, ready to-build-now developer. It was designed, albeit sans teeth, to allow parcels meeting the city’s definition of in-fill to be developed outside the Residential Development Ordinance competition. Detractors claim Shovel Ready circumvents the RDO process. They are exactly right. That is why exemptions exist.
The City of Gilroy has all kinds of circumventions: senior exemptions, small project exemptions, Gilroy Unified School District exemptions and then some.
The calls for a stake in the heart of Shovel Ready can be attributed to a single project, Wildflower, in southwest Gilroy. The developer of this project, with 12 RDO’s in hand, attempted to triple its original size, enraging long-time residents of Mesa Drive.
Although the proposed Wildflower project was within the density limits set by the city, it was arguably not compatible with the neighboring development. Make no mistake – development with the density of Mesa Road cannot be built in today’s economy. It is ludicrous for anyone to think such spacious development can even come close to penciling out in the economy we face today and possibly will for a decade to come. That is Shovel Ready’s one flaw – no teeth to require compatibility. Not teeth to insure equal density, but teeth to enable city staff, the commission and Council to obtain compatible density and character for the protection of Gilroy while realizing the economic benefits which residential development bestows.
With proper teeth, Shovel Ready is a winner for Gilroy. Addressing the circumvention of our RDO one last time; How many of the large RDO-laden projects can you say will be complete in 36 months? Not a single one.
Shovel Ready is what Gilroy needs now, however with some dental work to insure compatibility.
Ben Anderson, former planning commission chair,
Fort Worth, TX
