The Santa Clara Board of Supervisors voted to support the
Habitat Conservation Plan. The next day, the city of Morgan Hill
followed suit.
The Santa Clara Board of Supervisors voted to support the Habitat Conservation Plan. The next day, the city of Morgan Hill followed suit.
Supervisor Mike Wasserman, who represents Gilroy, San Martin, Morgan Hill, Los Gatos and parts of San Jose, was one of those that voted Tuesday to continue support for the HCP.
The plan would identify land occupied by endangered or threatened species and streamline the process to obtain permits to build on that land. The 50-year, 2,300-page plan involves 49,453 acres in Santa Clara County land that includes 19 plant and animal species, nine of which are endangered.
“The HCP has received support from many land owners who want to develop their property because the HCP is expected to greatly shorten the current permitting process, in some instances by several years. Time is money for them,” said Wasserman.
At Wednesday night’s Morgan Hill city council meeting, the vote was unanimous for the continued support of HCP. After discussion, the council voted to pay an extra $49,000 to help complete the project.
Local partners involved with the HCP along with Santa Clara County and city of Morgan Hill are the cities of Gilroy and San Jose, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority and the Santa Clara Valley Water District.
In September, a revised version of the HCP was presented following hundreds of public comments that reduced the project cost from $941 million to $660 million in the 50-year term. It is primarily funded by development fees ranging from $16,660 an acre for ranchlands, $11,610 an acre for farmland and $4,140 an acre for developed areas, according to program manager for the HCP, Ken Schreiber.
A final plan will be prepared by staff of the Santa Clara County in mid-2012. Continuation of the plan and its completion depends on the votes of the cities of Gilroy, San Jose and the Valley Transportation Authority.
Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted 3 to 2 with supervisors Ken Yeager and Liz Kniss joining Wasserman in voting for the continuation of the plan. Supervisors Dave Cortese and George Shirakawa voted against the plan.
