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The Planning Commission sent a development agreement regarding the Ag Center project, proposed for the intersection of Highways 101 and 129, to the Board of Supervisors for discussion.
On Sept. 18, the county planners were deadlocked in a two-two tie and did not make a recommendation to the board. In a special meeting held on Oct. 16, the commissioners opted to write all of their findings—including those in favor and those against the agreement—in their recommendations.
“The problem is that we’re putting the development agreement before we even really have a lot of information about the project,” said commission chair Robert Gibson. “So it’s a little unusual in that respect We should just come up with findings both ways and send them to the board because they’re the ones that make decisions.”
The Ag Center is proposed for two parcels, totaling 21 acres, accommodating a 16,000-square-foot convenience store and food hall, a 12,500-square-foot truck service building, and a 13,500 cold storage building. The project is intended to provide more services to trucks on the county’s highest trafficked thoroughfares, and thus boost the county’s economy.
In the proposal the planning commission just sent to supervisors, the project’s developers offered to dedicate a permanent easement for open space and a wildlife corridor, and to give the county $500,000 for roads and public safety. In return, they asked for a “vested right” to develop surrounding properties with “CEQA compliance required under the General Plan and Zoning designations.”
Commissioners Vincent Ringheden from District 1 and Richard Way from District 2 maintained their opposition to the development agreement and the project in general, and voted against sending the findings to the board.
“I think some of the concerns I have is the fact there’s no EIR, there’s no police department that can quickly get to that location and can quickly react, the noise levels, the water runoff, the traffic,” said Ringheden.
Commissioner Robert Scagliotti and Robert Gibson supported passing the ball to the supervisors.
“I think the benefits outweigh the negative in the sense that this community is in dire need of money,” said Scagliotti. “We have to start somewhere trying to make some money. I understand you don’t want it in your backyard. But this community needs to start making money, or you’re gonna have no community.” During last month’s meeting, Scagliotti proposed that the $500,000 be paid upon the approval of the agreement and not in four years, as the developers suggested.
The tie-breaking vote was commissioner Celeste Toledo-Bocanegra, who was absent from the Sept. 18 meeting, and was in favor of sending both the concerns and the arguments in favor to the board of supervisors.
“This is not the last bite of the apple,” said commissioner Gibson. “This isn’t the project. This is just the development agreement granted. This is not the last say that the county would have for the development.”
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