The City Council Wednesday referred the Urban Limit Line plan
back to city staff to give staff and three councilmen time to get
up to become familiar with the complicated plan. A plan to preserve
a Morgan Hill greenbelt and set a line past which the city cannot
expand will return for discussion in June.
The City Council Wednesday referred the Urban Limit Line plan back to city staff to give staff and three councilmen time to get up to become familiar with the complicated plan. A plan to preserve a Morgan Hill greenbelt and set a line past which the city cannot expand will return for discussion in June.
Staff also will review an alternative plan developed by environmentalists on the ULL committee and a response by property owners to the alternative plan.
During the review, city staff will also pursue an analysis of the remaining available industrial land and study several special requests from property owners about including their land within the urban limits.
“This will keep project moving forward, start the environmental impact proc-ess and give us a chance to look at the alternatives,” said Councilman Greg Sellers. Retired Community Development Director David Bischoff, who is continuing to advise the ULL project, briefly explained the plan to the council for the benefit of Councilmen Larry Carr, Steve Tate and Sellers, who asked for time to become familiar with the proposals. Mayor Dennis Kennedy and Councilman Mark Grzan were on the ULL committee.
Grzan placed council action in perspective.
“What we are doing tonight is a historic undertaking,” Grzan said. “We are preserving open space and setting aside a greenbelt for future residents. Many communities don’t have this opportunity.”
Land inside the ULL would, for 50-60 years, remain subject to city zoning regulations and have the benefit of city services.
Property outside the line will be unincorporated and under the control of Santa Clara County and would not be able to have city services, thus limiting development. The city is considering forming an agreement with the county in which the city would have approval rights over development in the county that is in the city’s “viewshed.”
In other action, the council awarded a contract to built the indoor recreation center next to Community Park to West Coast Contractors of Fairfield. The contract is for $17,225,838 including a 3 percent contingency.
With other costs, the center is expected to cost $27,580,089. It will include a space used by senior citizens during the morning and by the city’s youth in the afternoon.
West Bay Builders of Novato, the previous low bidder, asked to be released from the bid when a review of costs showed the bid to be too low. West Bay offered the city $15,000 for the release, which was accepted.
Project Manager Glenn Ritter said work could begin in mid-May with the groundbreaking planned for May 31 at 5:30pm.
The complete Council agenda is available at the City Clerk’s desk in City Hall and on line. The City Council will convene in a special 7 p.m. meeting Tuesday in the El Toro Room of the community center, 17000 Monterey Road for a workshop on the planning of Coyote Valley. The public is invited to attend. Details: www.morganhill.ca.gov or 779-7271. The regular Wednesday meeting has been canceled.
Carol Holzgrafe covers City Hall for The Times. She can be reached by e-mail at ch********@*************es.com or phoning (408) 779-4106 Ext. 201.
