An application for the proposed 6,800-unit development El Rancho San Benito has been filed with the county planning department, project manager Ray Becker announced Thursday.
Becker provided the Free Lance with a 350-page specific plan that he said will be the "primary planning document." It presents an overview of the proposed project, including a land-use plan and design guidelines.
"This is neither the beginning nor the end, but a milestone," Becker said. "It's a big milestone, though, the completion of an awful lot of work."
According to the specific plan, El Rancho San Benito would encompass 5,792 acres in northern San Benito County, including 127 acres for shopping and employers and 3,491 acres set aside as open space.
When complete, Becker estimated the development would have a population of 21,000 - more than half the size of Hollister.
"It's a third small town in San Benito County," he said.
Developer DMB Associates, Inc. has been planning the community since 2004, Becker said, and the company announced its intentions in January 2005.
County Supervisor Pat Loe said she's glad the application has "finally" been filed. This will give the supervisors - and county residents - a chance to scrutinize the project's details, she said.
"What Mr. Becker is asking for, we have to see how it's going to benefit San Benito County," Loe said.
Becker said the specific plan doesn't differ from the project he's been telling people about - it's just more detailed.
More technical information will be presented in other documents that Becker plans to file in early 2008, including an environmental assessment and a traffic impact analysis.
DMB's plans have evolved over time, Becker said, changing largely in response to community input. For example, the plan also includes 1,600 residential units targeted for seniors. That's a response to positive community feedback regarding developer Del Webb's recent proposal to build senior homes outside Hollister, Becker said.
The land-use plan, in particular, was shaped by the locals who showed up to DMB's workshops in the past few years, he said.
Now that the application has been submitted, a lengthy review process begins, Becker said. He declined to offer any firm predictions of how long that process will take, but he added, "I've programmed two years on my own schedule."
Eventually, the board of supervisors would have to approve the project. And if El Rancho meets the board's approval, the plans would also be subject to the vote of San Benito County residents.
Asked how much money DMB spent on the plan, Becker laughed and said: "Oh, I know exactly how much it cost, but I'm not going to talk about that. ... It was very expensive, and I hope the document reflects that."
El Rancho San Benito goals include:
Conserve county's rural character and culture while creating the capacity to address the region's major infrastructure and public service needs
Attract high-quality employers to the county through transportation improvements, housing and a supportive business climate
Provide below-market-rate homes affordable to buyers with a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds
Create a community that is based on sustainability principles
Source: El Rancho San Benito draft specific plan
Anthony Ha Anthony Ha covers local government for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or aha@freelancenews.com.
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