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San Benito County Land Use & Development Articles



Gilroy Dispatch logo LOCAL NEWS
Developer Proposes 104 Homes in North Gilroy

A Morgan Hill-based developer has submitted plans for a 104-unit housing project on an 18.3-acre parcel in unincorporated Gilroy.

Benito Link logo LOCAL NEWS
Measure a Clashes With Federal ‘Opportunity Zones’

Lea este artículo en español aquí.In 2017, President Donald Trump created a program called Opportunity Zones to spur economic growth in low-income communities—two of these are located in San Benito County. Although the program will continue until 2026 and Congress …

Tahoe Daily Tribune logo LOCAL NEWS
‘Governors Are Going to Have to Create a New System’: Leaders in the West Lambast Insurance Industry Over Rising Costs for Homeowners

Smoke and burned trees are pictured near Sylvan Lake State Park during a wildfire that erupted south of Eagle in the White River National Forest on June 20, 2021. With intense wildfires becoming a greater threat in the West, homeowners …

Benito Link logo LOCAL NEWS
Sheriff’s Office Visits Encampments in Riverbed

Lea este artículo en español aquí.Homeless residents have built elaborate living arrangements along the San Benito River, and some of them include underground dwellings and walled communities, according to a recent census conducted by the San Benito County Sheriff’s Office. …

Benito Link logo LOCAL NEWS
San Benito Supervisors Delay Changes to Planning Commission’s Authority

Lea este artículo en español aquí.At its last meeting of the year, the San Benito County Board of Supervisors unanimously agreed to postpone voting on amendments to the rules governing the county Planning Commission. The proposal modifies the commission’s duties …

Benito Link logo LOCAL NEWS
For Now, Measure a Will Not Halt Betabel Project

Lea este artículo en español aquí.According to a San Benito County planner, Measure A will not immediately stall the plan to build a visitor center, gas station, fruit stand and motel at the corner of Hwy 101 and Betabel Road. …

Benito Link logo LOCAL NEWS
San Juan Bautista City Council Sends Growth Measure to Supervisors

Lea este artículo en español aquí.At a Dec. 2 special meeting, the San Juan Bautista City Council voted to approve the final wording of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that will be submitted to the San Benito County Board of …

Benito Link logo LOCAL NEWS
Hollister City Council Adopts 2040 General Plan

Lea este artículo en español aquí.On Dec. 3, the Hollister City Council approved the 2040 general plan update and certified its environmental impact report amid mixed reactions from community members. The council also adopted a climate action plan and an …

Benito Link logo LOCAL NEWS
CalFire to Conduct Prescribed Burns in December

Information provided by CalFire. Lea este artículo en español aquí.Conditions and weather permitting, CAL FIRE plans to conduct multiple broadcast burns through the San Benito-Monterey Unit during December 3, 2024 to December 13,2024.The planned burns will range from 3 acres …

Benito Link logo LOCAL NEWS
Supervisors Delay Changes to the County’s Zoning Code

Lea este artículo en español aquí.In a Nov. 26 meeting, the San Benito County Board of Supervisors tabled a series of amendments to a number of zoning ordinances listed in the County Code. The amendments, which were introduced by county …

SanBenitocom logo LOCAL NEWS
UC Santa Cruz Secures 2,400-Acre Ranch in San Benito County

UC Santa Cruz recently acquired and established the Strathearn Ranch Natural Reserve, a 2,400-acre oak-studded grassland property in San Benito County that will be used for field research and outdoor education for the university’s students, staff and researchers.

Benito Link logo LOCAL NEWS
San Benito County Begins Drafting New Agricultural Policy

Lea este artículo en español aquí.After winning a state grant, San Benito County officials began the process of creating the Agricultural Element to include in the 2035 General Plan—the document that by law guides all county land use decisions. On …

Benito Link logo LOCAL NEWS
Highlights From Monterey Bay Economic Partnership 2024 State of the Region

Information provided by Monterey Bay Economic Partnership. Lea este artículo en español aquí.More than 325 top leaders and decision-makers from diverse sectors convened Friday to explore regional progress at Monterey Bay Economic Partnership’s sold-out State of the Region event. Attendees …

Benito Link logo LOCAL NEWS
Hollister to Lose Expected Revenue Following Amazon’s Change of Plans

Lea este artículo en español aquí.The city of Hollister will lose significant expected sales tax revenue from the nearly complete Amazon project after the company announced on Nov. 12 that it changed how it plans to use the million-square foot …

Benito Link logo LOCAL NEWS
UC Santa Cruz Announces a New 2,400-Acre UC Reserve in San Benito County

Information provided by UC Santa Cruz. Lea este artículo en español aquí.UC Santa Cruz proudly announces the establishment of the Strathearn Ranch Natural Reserve, following approval today by the UC Board of Regents. The reserve, made possible by an anonymous …

Tahoe Daily Tribune logo LOCAL NEWS
Sierra Nevada May Hold Key to Meet California’s Ambitious 30×30 Goal

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – California's 30×30 goal was a topic at the Sierra Nevada Alliance Conservation Conference held at Lake Tahoe Community College, Nov. 7-8. In 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom committed the state to conserving 30% of lands …

Benito Link logo LOCAL NEWS
Voters Make Political Shift on Hollister City Council

Lea este artículo en español aquí. All but one Hollister City Council race is determined, with candidates for District 4 separated by 141 votes. Candidates who campaigned on slowing growth could sweep the election and have ensured a political shift …

Benito Link logo LOCAL NEWS
Initiative Decisions Will Help Shape San Benito County’s Future

Lea este artículo en español aquí.San Benito County voters on Nov. 5 were presented with local measures that could have lasting impacts in the community in land use, education, and healthcare. With some measures still too close to call, the …

SanBenitocom logo LOCAL NEWS
San Benito County Votes: Slow Growth Grand Slam

Measure A, which would put land use designation decisions in the hands of San Benito County voters, is projected to pass with 54.08% of the vote as of Nov. 6. The No on A campaign garnered 45.92% with 40.71% of …

Benito Link logo LOCAL NEWS
San Juan Bautista Growth Committee Passes Final Draft Agreement With County

Lea este artículo en español aquí.Under pressure from City Manager Don Reynolds and the San Juan Bautista City Council to complete its work, the city’s Urban Growth Boundary Committee voted Oct. 28 to submit the finished draft of its final …

Featured

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 is everywhere, but is it a way to regulate development or a tool for social engineering?
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
From its earliest days as a state, California has been trying to turn marshes into productive land.
Since 1972, the California Coastal Commission has ruled over the state’s shoreline.
California Coastal Commission: Where It Comes From, What It Does
How a nuclear plant, a real estate development and an oil spill led to a landmark law.
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
Starting in 1976, the legislature began creating agencies to buy up open land, and keep it open.
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
54-year-old environmental law is often blamed for causing the state’s housing crisis. Is it getting a bad rap?
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
More than half of California farmland is under contracts that prevent its development.