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The San Benito County Planning Commission approved the 2035 General Plan and 2023 Housing Element progress reports during its Feb. 21 meeting.
The General Plan is required by state law and it serves as the county’s blueprint for future growth. The general progress report reflects what was accomplished in 2022 while the housing element progress report covers what was accomplished in 2023. Though the housing element is part of the General Plan, it was discussed separately following the General Plan update.
Associate Planner Stephanie Reck presented the housing element progress report, saying, “The county has already nearly met their goal set by the state for above moderate housing.” She recommended the commissioners approve the report so that it can be presented to the Board of Supervisors.
State goals include providing the availability, development, maintenance, improvement and energy conservation of housing in the county.
In 2023, the median above moderate income in San Benito County was $140,200, according to a report from the state’s Department of Housing and Community Development Division of Housing Policy Development.
In 2023, 200 units in the above moderate category received permits, Reck said. The county’s regional housing needs allocation required the county to plan for 207 units, she said.
The county still needs to meet the very low to moderate and extremely low income housing needs set forth in the Housing Element. The total remaining are:
- 123 extremely low units
- 123 very low units
- 198 low units
- 103 moderate units
- 7 above moderate units
- 123 extremely low units
According to the presentation, in 2023, six pre-approved accessory dwelling units (ADU) plans were completed; the affordable self-help development, Riverview II, was completed (24 units); amendments to the inclusionary housing ordinance were adopted and a $30-per-square-foot in-lieu fee for affordable housing was adopted.
The General Plan annual report was given to the commissioners, as required by state law. The requirement meets California Section 65400 of the California Government Code, which requires all jurisdictions to present an annual report addressing the status of the General Plan and the progress on the county’s regional housing needs allocation .
The annual report must be submitted to the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research and the Housing and Community Development by April 1. The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to consider the report during its March 12 meeting, Director of Planning, Building and Code Enforcement Abraham Prado said.
“It’s very important for the community to be able to know that the General Plan update and the Housing Element update annual progress are being looked at by the Planning Commission and the board before being sent off to the State Office of Planning and Research and the Housing and Community Development,” Prado told the commissioners.
Prado gave an update on the county’s land use element; economic development element; circulation element; public facilities and service element; natural and cultural resources element; health and safety element and administration element
Updates included:
- On June 28, 2022, the Board of Supervisors adopted the comprehensive zoning code update, which met land use policy and code requirements.
- In October 2023, the supervisors adopted the 2023-27 comprehensive economic development strategy, which is used as a guide for economic goals and policies.
- In 2009 a county bikeway and pedestrian master plan was implemented by the Council of San Benito County of Governments, the regional transportation agency. The county continues to use this plan.
- Annual updates to county-maintained roadway mileage are submitted to Caltrans to seek funding. No data was provided in the presentation. BenitoLink contacted the county about this but received no response before publication.
- In May 2021, a capital improvement program was adopted for the fiscal year 2021-26
- A park and recreation master plan is not completed, but the county is requesting funds to complete the plan for 2022-23
- The multi-jurisdictional hazardous mitigation plan was updated in 2023, following the requirement to review the plan bi-annually
- On Jan. 16, supervisors approved an emergency operations plan which fulfills the regional catastrophe preparedness plan
The report stated that for some portions of the elements there was no action in 2023. These include road standards; the county General Plan consistency report; right-to-farm and ranch ordinance and sheriff department standards.
There were no General Plan amendments in 2023.
On Feb. 6, the Board of Supervisors amended the General Plan by removing the new community study areas in a 4-1 vote. Supervisor Bea Gonzales voted “no.”
Before approving the progress reports, Commissioners Robert Gibson, Richard Way, Robert Scagliotti and Vincent Ringheden asked several questions about zoning regulations, code enforcement in residential areas and number of permits issued in 2022 and 2023.
Commissioner Celeste Toledo-Bocanegra was absent.
There were no comments from the commissioners concerning the Housing Element report and no public comments concerning the General Plan or the Housing Element reports.
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