San Benito County Local News: Land Use & Development


All Local Land Use & Development News articles contributed by our local media allies and other local newsrooms.

Image caption: The 1965 law known as the Williamson Act has been responsible for keeping about half of California's farmland out of the hands of developers.
The Williamson Act: How the Law That Protects California’s Farmland Works

The Williamson Act, passed in 1965, now keeps more than 16 million acres of farmland out of the hands of developers. Here's how the law puts the brakes on the development of California agricultural properties.

Image caption: Does California’s signature environmental law protect the state’s scenic beauty, or cause more problems than it solves?
CEQA: The Surprising Story of CA’s Key Environmental Law

The California Environmental Quality Act, CEQA, is both the state’s signature environmental legislation, and is also often named as the villain in the state’s housing shortage. But the story may not be that simple.

Image caption: The Baldwin Hills area in South Los Angeles is one region where a state conservancy would keep open land accessible to the public.
California’s 10 State Conservancies: How They Protect Parks and Open Land

How California’s 10 state conservancies buy up open land and shield it from developers to preserve the natural environment for public use.

Image caption: Since 1972, the California Coastal Commission has ruled over the state’s shoreline.
California Coastal Commission: Where It Comes From, What It Does

What is the California Coastal Commission? How one of the state’s most powerful agency protects public access to the state’s scenic coast from Mexico to Oregon.

Image caption: How California reclamation districts turned millions of acres of wetlands into fertile agricultural land, starting in the earliest days of the Gold Rush.
Reclamation Districts: Turning ‘Swamps’ Into Farmland

California has used reclamation districts to turn millions of acres of unusable swamps into fertile agricultural land, starting in the earliest days of the Gold Rush. Here’s how it happened.

Image caption: Zoning laws tell you what you can and can't build on the property you own. How does government get away with that?
How Zoning Laws Shape California and Society

Zoning laws determine what can be built and where. These laws have shaped California, but are they really just tools for social engineering? The history of zoning is closely tied to racial segregation, as well as the state's shortage of …

Gilroy Dispatch logo From Gilroy Dispatch...

04/24/2024
Image for display with article titled More Than 10K Comment on Sargent Ranch Quarry Study

Final counts reveal that more than 10,000 letters were submitted to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors during the public comment period for the Sargent Ranch Quarry Draft Environmental Impact Report.

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04/24/2024
The City of Hollister Planning Commission considered a new Starbucks at Fourth Street and Westside Boulevard in its April 25 meeting.

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04/20/2024
An apartment complex of several buildings with a total 132 units is being proposed for a 3.8-acre site at Fourth Street and Graf Road in Hollister.

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04/18/2024
In its April 9 meeting, the San Benito High School District approved a financier and is moving forward to purchase land on Wright Road in Hollister as the site of a second high school.

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04/16/2024
Image for display with article titled Nonprofits Collaborate on Transitional Housing Project

A new project in Hollister will provide transitional homes for residents and families who are struggling with homelessness or other housing insecurity, according to the project developer.

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04/11/2024
Image for display with article titled Abandoned Appeal Ends Landfill Expansion Push

After months of intense community debate over a proposed expansion of the John Smith Road Landfill, the saga has ended with the landfill operator withdrawing from the approval process.

Gilroy Dispatch logo From Gilroy Dispatch...

04/11/2024
Image for display with article titled Gourmet Alley Work Begins

Construction began this week on the City of Gilroy’s grant-funded makeover of Gourmet Alley in the downtown, and some business and property owners are concerned about the possible impact the work will have on their operations.

SanBenitocom logo From SanBenitocom...

04/06/2024
Image for display with article titled New Slow Growth Initiative Gathers Signatures

A new initiative to put land use decisions in the hands of San Benito County residents is currently circulating, the latest political effort by slow-growth advocates in the area.

Gilroy Dispatch logo From Gilroy Dispatch...

04/04/2024
Image for display with article titled Construction Set to Begin on Downtown Gourmet Alley Upgrades

The City of Gilroy is set to begin construction to transform the downtown Gourmet Alley into a modern, spacious, pedestrian-friendly corridor.

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04/03/2024
The Hollister Planning Commission approved a one year permit extension for a 100-unit residential project on Buena Vista Road during its March 28 meeting.

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04/02/2024
Image for display with article titled California’s Most Controversial Housing Law Could Get a Makeover

Some of California’s top lawmakers want to clear up, but also rein in, the “builder’s remedy.”

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03/29/2024
Local activist Andy Hsia-Coron announced he is preparing to start the signature gathering phase for a new slow-growth initiative titled "Empower Voters to Make Land Use Decisions Initiative."

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03/24/2024
Rumors are flying that California Forever is using dodgy tactics to gather signatures.

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03/23/2024
The developer of the Lands of Lee project to develop housing on Fairview Road has sued San Benito County for denial a permit to proceed, citing process violations of various laws.

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03/22/2024
Citing no reason, local landfill operator Waste Solutions withdrew its appeal of the San Benito County Planning Commission’s denial of certification of the Environmental Impact Report for a project to expand the landfill.

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03/12/2024
The operator of the John Smith Road Landfill appealed the San Benito County Planning Commission’s decision against certifying the environmental impact report required for expansion of the facility.

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03/06/2024
Image for display with article titled Slow Growth Candidates Win in San Benito County

San Benito County District 5 Supervisor Bea Gonzales has fallen to Ignacio Velasquez as of Wednesday morning’s ballot count in the March 5 primary election.

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03/02/2024
3 residents attended in person, and several more online, as Kimley-Horn, an engineering firm contracted by the city, led the workshop gathering local input on state-mandated housing goals to add over 4,000 units of new housing over the next 8 years.

California Local Pin Marker From Los Angeles Times...

02/23/2024
The Wildlife Conservation Board voted to award $10.3 million to the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County to preserve the 27,000-acre Camatta Ranch in Santa Margarita.
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