Information provided by the San Benito High School District. Lea este artículo en español aquí.San Benito High School District has received a $200,000 Farm To School Incubator Grant to procure fresh produce and meat that is locally grown and organically …
This community opinion was contributed by Paicines resident Clark Stone. The opinions expressed do not necessarily represent BenitoLink or other affiliated contributors. BenitoLink invites all community members to share their ideas and opinions. By registering as a BenitoLink user in …
Information provided by the San Benito County Office of Education. Lea este articulo en español aquí.As part of its Building Bridges to Literacy Initiative, the San Benito County Office of Education will begin the second cohort of its Early Literacy …
Lea este artículo en español aquí.Following fierce opposition from some members of the surrounding community, the San Benito County Planning Commission on Sept. 18 rejected a proposed commercial project located at the intersection of Highways 101 and 129. The Ag …
Lea este artículo en español aquí.Two years ago, in his first interview with BenitoLink about his El Guapo Kitchen food truck, Chef Alejandro Ceja talked about changing his menu four times, trying to understand the local tastes in food, dropping …
Lea este artículo en español aquí.Three first-half touchdowns led Hollister football over Alisal in a 27-7 win on Sept. 20. It was the second home win in as many games this season.The Balers’ first touchdown was set up with an …
Information provided by savemissionsjb.org. Lea este artículo en español aquí.Kim Novak, the star of “Vertigo,” one of Alfred Hitchcock’s most famous films, made a memorable visit to Mission San Juan Bautista on August 20. As “Vertigo” fans know, the Mission …
Lea este artículo en español aquí.The Sept. 17 Hollister City Council agenda contained business with no apparent controversial items, including approving the city’s strategic goals and analyzing the feasibility of a future motorcycle rally. Nevertheless, the mood of the meeting …
Lea este artículo en español aquí.BenitoLink’s General Election forum is just over a week away and seats are filling up. Remember to RSVP while space is available. Seating is limited! Please RSVP hereThe forum has been set for Saturday, Sept. …
Lea este artículo en español aquí.Zeke Lopez, who has been training young boxers at no cost for the last 33 years at his Bulldog Gym in Hollister, has taken advantage of a vacancy in an adjoining building to launch a …
Lea este artículo en español aquí.Two years after it was conceived, the plan for the 141 single-family unit project known as Lands of Lee, proposed to be built on Fairview Road in Hollister, has yet to be approved. At its …
Lea este articulo en español aquí.It’s been 30 years since 60 ninth-grade students met in temporary buildings at Gavilan College to become the first class in the newly formed Anzar High School. This year, the Aromas-San Juan Unified School District …
Information provided by the VFW Post 9242. Lea este articulo en español aquí.The 21st annual San Benito County Veterans Day Parade promises to be the biggest and best yet! Applications for the parade are now available on line at https://downtownhollister.org …
Lea este articulo en español aquí.Educational Designer David Jakes of David Jakes Designs presented a new conceptual plan for Anzar High School’s library and administration building at the Sept. 11 Aromas-San Juan Unified School District (ASJUSD) Board of Trustees meeting. …
Information provided by Hollister Police Department. Lea este articulo en español aquí.The Hollister Police Department arrested a 15-year-old juvenile for willfully resisting and obstructing a peace officer during a large gathering of juvenile bicycle riders that obstructed part of Airline …
Lea este articulo en español aquí.This report is in partnership with the University of Southern California Annenberg Center for Health Journalism as part of a series for the 2024 California Health Equity Fellowship.In a pocket of the city of Oakland, …
This public letter was contributed by Louk and Sherrie Markham. BenitoLink invites all community members to share their ideas and opinions. The opinions expressed do not necessarily represent BenitoLink or other affiliated contributors. By registering as a BenitoLink user in …
Information provided by Monterey Bay Economic Partnership. Lea este artículo en español aquí.The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) today approved the fifth round of recommended awardees for 10 last-mile broadband projects, awarding a cumulative $91 million worth of grants to …
Lea este artículo en español aquí. A year after the fire that damaged the old county courthouse, the San Benito County Board of Supervisors at its Sept. 10 meeting gave the green light to a project that would put the …
Information provided by CASA of San Benito County. Lea este artículo en español aquí. Jessica Ravetz is from Santa Cruz County, and we are very excited to welcome her to CASA. She officially began her role on Tuesday, September 10th …
![Image for display with article titled Planners Reject Commercial Project on 101 and 129](<figure><img alt="The Ag Center would occupy 21 acres and accommodate a 16,000- square-foot convenience store and food hall, a 12,500-square-foot truck service building and a 13,500 cold storage building." class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" height="458" src="https://i0.wp.com/benitolink.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-23-at-11.52.03 AM.png?fit=1024%2C458&ssl=1" tabindex="0" width="1024" /></figure><p class="has-light-gray-background-color has-background">Lea este artículo en español <a href="https://benitolink.com/es/planners-reject-commercial-project-on-101-and-129/">aquí.</a></p><p><strong>Following fierce opposition</strong> from some members of the surrounding community, the San Benito County Planning Commission on Sept. 18 rejected a proposed commercial project located at the intersection of Highways 101 and 129. </p><p>The Ag Center, as it has been named by the county, was one vote shy of winning a development agreement —a contract between the landowners, the county, and the developer. If the project had been passed by the Planning Commission, it would have been sent to the San Benito County Board of Supervisors for final approval.</p><p>Arielle Goodspeed, the County’s principal planner, said the Ag Center project is a good deal for the people of San Benito County.</p><p>“The public benefit includes a $500,000 deposit to fund county traffic improvements and public safety to use at our discretion,” Goodspeed said, “as well as a 30.4-acre open space wildlife corridor easement, and an architectural theme review of any future development.”</p><p>During the public comment period, Donna Bosworth spoke against the project. “These areas that we’d had for like decades and decades and decades, and that people specifically look for when they are driving on 101, are just going to be developed,” Bosworth said. “Why are we paving paradise to put in parking lots?”</p><p>Only one person at the meeting spoke in favor of the project. Valerie Egland, president of the board of the nonprofit REACH San Benito Parks Foundation, said the wildlife corridor included in the proposal is sufficient.</p><p>“My family and I have lived all of our lives here, so we understand quite well how wildlife moves through,” England said. “They have a huge area and that specific spot is quite like a funnel. I was happy to see that it would be a wildlife corridor.”</p><p>The Ag Center is proposed for two parcels totaling 21 acres to accommodate a 16,000- square-foot convenience store and food hall, a 12,500-square-foot truck service building and a 13,500 cold storage building. The project is intended to provide more services to trucks on the county’s busiest thoroughfares and help boost the county’s economy. </p><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img alt="The Ag Center's development agreement didn't get enough votes to be discussed by the Board of Supervisors." class="wp-image-109707" height="430" src="https://i0.wp.com/benitolink.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-23-at-11.58.42 AM.png?resize=780%2C430&ssl=1" tabindex="0" width="780" /></figure><p>The $500,000 contribution to fund traffic improvements and public safety, which was scheduled to be dispersed in five payments ($100,000 upon the execution of the agreement and $100,000 annually for four years), was not enough to convince Commissioner Richard Way of District 2, where the project would be located.</p><p>“There’s a $400,000 incentive to approve the conditional use permit,” Way said. “I don’t think that’s right. How much money is enough to compensate for subverting the will of the people?”</p><p>The concerns expressed by opponents of the project swirled around its impact on wildlife and the landscape, the lack of an environmental impact report, and its impact on traffic.</p><p>Some opponents expressed concerns about approving a project that affects rural areas just a month before voters will be asked to decide on Measure A, which would remove the parcel’s commercial designation. That measure would also remove commercial designation from three other highly trafficked “nodes,” and require that all commercial projects be put before a popular vote. </p><p>“The timing is premature,” said San Bautista City Councilmember Jackie Morris-Lopez. “We have a measure on the ballot that would answer the question of whether this approval is worthy or not.”</p><p>The County can still appeal the planning commission’s decision or resubmit an adjusted project for discussion.</p><p class="has-light-gray-background-color has-background"><strong><a href="https://benitolink.com/donate/">We need your help. Support local, nonprofit news!</a> </strong>BenitoLink is a nonprofit news website that reports on San Benito County. Our team is committed to this community and providing essential, accurate information to our fellow residents. It is expensive to produce local news and community support is what keeps the news flowing. Please consider <a href="https://benitolink.com/donate/"><strong>supporting BenitoLink,</strong></a> San Benito County’s public service, nonprofit news.</p><p>The post <a href="https://benitolink.com/planners-reject-commercial-project-on-101-and-129/">Planners reject commercial project on 101 and 129</a> appeared first on <a href="https://benitolink.com">BenitoLink</a>.</p> "Image for display with article titled Planners Reject Commercial Project on 101 and 129")
![Image for display with article titled Hollister Council Member Challenges Colleague’s Eligibility to Hold Office](<figure><img alt="" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" height="575" src="https://i0.wp.com/benitolink.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-20-at-2.14.55 PM.png?fit=1024%2C575&ssl=1" tabindex="0" width="1024" /></figure><p class="has-light-gray-background-color has-background">Lea este artículo en español <a href="http://benitolink.com/es/hollister-council-member-challenges-colleagues-eligibility-to-hold-office">aquí</a>.</p><p><strong>The Sept. 17 Hollister City Council agenda</strong> contained business with no apparent controversial items, including approving the city’s <a href="https://benitolink.com/hollister-council-sets-yearly-goals/">strategic goals</a> and analyzing the feasibility of a future <a href="https://benitolink.com/no-hollister-biker-rally-in-2025/">motorcycle rally</a>. Nevertheless, the mood of the meeting quickly shifted as one council member launched heated accusations against another. </p><p>Councilmember Rolan Resendiz defiantly questioned the eligibility of Concilmember Rick Perez to hold an elected office based on Perez’s criminal history and asked that the item be put on a future agenda. During the exchange, Resendiz did not adhere to multiple calls for order by Mayor Mia Casey. Later, Councilmember Tim Burns requested an investigation into whether Resendiz’s conduct once again violated the City Council’s <a href="https://library.municode.com/ca/hollister/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT2ADPE_CH2.04CICO_2.04.015.3COME">code of conduct</a>. </p><p>Resendiz has a history of disorderly conduct in public meetings, which was referenced by the 2023-24 San Benito County Civil Grand Jury <a href="https://benitolink.com/civil-jury-finds-dysfunction-in-local-government/">report</a>. While the report did not name him, Resendiz has been censured, a form of reprimand by the council, for his conduct on three occasions.</p><p>Resendiz has brought up Perez’s arrests and convictions multiple times. His request to put the item on a future agenda did not receive support from the other council members. </p><p>Resendiz referenced an April 2023 KSBW <a href="https://www.ksbw.com/article/hollister-councilman-accused-of-misconduct-faces-disciplinary-action-by-colleagues/43606511">article</a> regarding a previous exchange he had with Perez on this topic, during which, Rezendiz said, Perez admitted that he’d been convicted of a crime 79 times. In that article, Perez is asked if he had been convicted 80 times, to which he replied that it was 79 times, including parking tickets. The article also reports that Perez said he had served time in prison for possession of stolen guns. </p><p>“This council has not looked into his criminal record,” Resendiz said at the Sept. 17 meeting. “There are state laws that preclude you from even sitting up here as a council member.”</p><p>Mayor Mia Casey, Burns and councilmember Dolores Morales said the governing board had already looked into the issue. They asked city attorney Mary Lerner to confirm. </p><p>“I thought I had a recollection of that, but I need to check and let everyone know,” Lerner said. </p><p>Perez did not respond to the accusations and declined to speak to BenitoLink after the meeting. He did not respond to multiple requests for comment. </p><p>According to San Benito County Superior Court documents, Perez pleaded guilty to a felony in 2012 for corporal injury to a child for an incident that occurred in 2011. He was sentenced to 180 days in county jail and three years of probation. </p><p>His conviction was set aside in 2017. According to <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=PEN&division=&title=8.&part=2.&chapter=1.&article=">Penal Code 1203.4</a>, which is referenced in the court document, this means the court withdrew his guilty plea after Perez completed his sentence.</p><p>The law also states that the order to set the conviction aside “does not relieve [Perez] of the obligation to disclose the conviction in response to any direct question contained in any questionnaire or application for public office.”</p><p>The city of Hollister’s application form does not include a section where a candidate is asked if they are a convicted felon.</p><p>Court documents also show that Perez was convicted of two misdemeanor charges of assault and battery in 2012. One was for threatening an “officer and employee of a public and private educational institution,” and the other was for being under the influence of a controlled substance.</p><p>There are also 14 criminal citations of a person named Rick Orlando Perez in Santa Clara County records between 1988 and 2009, but no additional information is available online. A Superior Court clerk told BenitoLink two of the cases were related to driving with a suspended license, a misdemeanor. There were other cases from the 90s that did not have available documents, according to the clerk.</p><p>In addition, there are three criminal citations connected with Rick Perez in the same time span.</p><p>BenitoLink called multiple political law firms but was unable to speak with a lawyer.</p><p>State law <a href="http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/11-12/bill/asm/ab_2401-2450/ab_2410_bill_20120723_chaptered.pdf">AB 2410</a>, prohibits people convicted of a felony involving bribes, embezzlement, extortion or theft of public money to run for elected office. Asked if there are any additional laws that prohibit people from running for office, Chief Deputy Clerk-Recorder Ana Castro De Maquiz told BenitoLink the eligibility is mostly aligned with eligibility to register as a voter. </p><p>According to the California Secretary of State <a href="https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/voting-california/who-can-vote-california/voting-rights-californians">website</a>, being convicted of a crime may not affect a person’s eligibility to vote. </p><p>San Benito County Clerk-Recorder/Registrar of Voters Francisco Diaz said his office receives lists of recently convicted felons in the county throughout the year. Those names are then removed from the registered voters list. He said when someone files for candidacy, the system automatically runs the name through the registered voters list to confirm the person’s eligibility to run for office. </p><p class="has-light-gray-background-color has-background"><strong><a href="https://benitolink.com/donate/">We need your help. Support local, nonprofit news!</a> </strong>BenitoLink is a nonprofit news website that reports on San Benito County. Our team is committed to this community and providing essential, accurate information to our fellow residents. It is expensive to produce local news and community support is what keeps the news flowing. Please consider <a href="https://benitolink.com/donate/"><strong>supporting BenitoLink,</strong></a> San Benito County’s public service, nonprofit news.</p><p>The post <a href="https://benitolink.com/hollister-council-member-challenges-colleagues-eligibility-to-hold-office/">Hollister council member challenges colleague’s eligibility to hold office</a> appeared first on <a href="https://benitolink.com">BenitoLink</a>.</p> "Image for display with article titled Hollister Council Member Challenges Colleague’s Eligibility to Hold Office")
![Image for display with article titled Concerned About Traffic, San Benito Planners Withhold Housing Project OK](<figure><img alt="" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" height="527" src="https://i0.wp.com/benitolink.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-16-at-2.06.14 PM-1.png?fit=1024%2C527&ssl=1" tabindex="0" width="1024" /></figure><p class="has-light-gray-background-color has-background">Lea este artículo en español <a href="https://benitolink.com/es/concerned-about-traffic-san-benito-planners-withhold-housing-project-ok">aquí</a>.</p><p><strong>Two years after it was conceived</strong>, the plan for the 141 single-family unit project known as Lands of Lee, proposed to be built on Fairview Road in Hollister, has yet to be approved. At its Sept. 11 meeting, the San Benito County Planning Commission expressed concerns about the project’s impact on the city’s complex traffic problems.</p><p>“Our commuters are struggling going to work and coming home,” said Commissioner Celeste Toledo-Bocanegra. “I believe it’s a hazard. It’s nothing against the project; it’s the timing.”</p><p>The commissioners, except Toledo-Bocanegra, voted to give the developer, Bill Lee more time to address traffic concerns and other issues. The commission will revisit the proposed development at a special meeting on Oct. 23.</p><p>The decision came after Lee and Arielle Goodspeed, the county’s principal planner, presented the revised project, addressing some of the main issues the San Benito County Board of Supervisors raised when it rejected the project In November 2022. At that time the supervisors said the developer didn’t provide a thorough study of its impact on the area’s traffic. Lee made an appeal, which the board denied in a meeting in February 2023.</p><p>“I’m extremely favorable of projects like this, but I think we need the infrastructure in place prior to approval,” said Supervisor Angela Curro at that meeting.</p><p>The revised project, first released for public comment in May, has taken on some significant changes. </p><p>First, it will be larger. According to the new environmental impact report, which documents and discloses the project’s possible effects on the community, the development will occupy a bit more than 33 acres, instead of 27, following the county’s direction to include more space for slope and drainage easement.</p><p>It would also have more affordable units. Lee decided to increase the number of affordable housing units from 21 to 30, and add five more accessory dwelling units (ADU), which are houses on the same lot as a single-family unit.</p><p>It would also be located further from Leal Vineyards. Among the main critiques of the last environmental report was that the units were too close to the vineyards, which increased residents’ chances of having contact with pesticides and other chemicals. The planning team decided to lengthen one of the project’s streets to create a bigger buffer zone.</p><p>The revised Lands of Lee plan also comes following an agreement between the Sunnyslope County Water District and the city of Hollister, approved in October 2023, to treat the project’s wastewater.</p><p>Lee, who’s also the director of Martha’s Kitchen, a nonprofit that provides food to those in need, also agreed to pay a voluntary fee—“nearly double the required fee,” he said—to San Benito High School. </p><p>“The reality is this community needs a new high school and the reason I offer to pay more is that it sets a precedent where the school will be able to ask other developers, whether it’s city or county, to also pay additional fees.”</p><figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex"><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img alt="The Planning Commission met on Sept. 11 to discussed the revised EIR of the 141-unit housing project known as Lands of Lee." class="wp-image-109484" height="430" src="https://i0.wp.com/benitolink.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-18-at-5.22.42 PM.png?resize=780%2C430&ssl=1" tabindex="0" width="780" /></figure></figure><p>Lee and Goodspeed argued that the revised project contained elements that lowered the impact that 141 new homes might otherwise add to area traffic. While the previous proposal was more than 8% over the county’s “vehicle miles traveled” threshold, a measure which predicts the total travels a new development would add, the revised project is estimated to be 9.6% below the threshold.</p><p>“We actually hired the county’s traffic consultant, Kimley Horn, and they found a creative way to solve the traffic impact, which was creating these low-restricted low-income ADUs,” said Lee.</p><p>ADUs are believed to reduce traffic because, according to the <a href="https://www.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/policy-and-research/ADUHandbookUpdate.pdf">California Department of Housing and Community Development</a>, car ownership rates in ADUs are lower than in single-family homes. This means that, by adding more ADUs, the developers were able to reduce the impact of traffic. </p><p>“We got rid of the significant traffic impact,” Lee said.</p><p>Some members of the community defended the revised proposal.</p><p>“This proposal is a tremendous idea,” said Manuel Bueno, a college student. “It brings a lot of hope to those pursuing an education like myself and looking to buy a house sooner than later.”</p><p>Others were skeptical of the lower traffic impact. “Every unit is going to increase traffic,” said Barry Katz. “What will the traffic be in 13 years before Highway 25 is widened? How many more units will be approved for housing without the necessary infrastructure?”</p><p>The commissioners echoed these traffic concerns and raised others. Commissioner Vincent Ringheden questioned the cost of each unit which, according to Lee’s estimates, would be around $500,000. “I don’t know how to get past the fact that most of these homes are quite expensive,” he said. “If you have to buy a house for this cost, you have to have a bigger income. Most of those high-income jobs are in Silicon Valley.” </p><p>Commissioner Robert Scagliotti also suggested what he called a “drop tax,” which would require that lumber, as well as every screw and plumbing fixture that the developer needs, be bought in the county; and if the item is not available, the developer would pay the county the sales tax it missed out on for items purchased elsewhere. </p><p>Lee agreed to this tax and said he would include it, among others, in next month’s revised presentation.</p><p>“I’m hoping that we can continue working on these items going forward. We need some agreements. We cannot simply approve the project without conversations and agreements,” said Commissioner Robert Gibson. “In order for us to make the best project, we need to work together.”</p><p class="has-light-gray-background-color has-background"><a href="https://benitolink.com/donate-2/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"><strong>We need your help. Support local, nonprofit news! </strong></a>BenitoLink is a nonprofit news website that reports on San Benito County. Our team is committed to this community and providing essential, accurate information to our fellow residents. It is expensive to produce local news and community support is what keeps the news flowing. Please consider <a href="https://benitolink.com/donate-2/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"><strong>supporting BenitoLink,</strong></a> San Benito County’s public service, nonprofit news.</p><p>The post <a href="https://benitolink.com/concerned-about-traffic-san-benito-planners-withhold-housing-project-ok/">Concerned about traffic, San Benito planners withhold housing project OK</a> appeared first on <a href="https://benitolink.com">BenitoLink</a>.</p> "Image for display with article titled Concerned About Traffic, San Benito Planners Withhold Housing Project OK")
