The Hollister City Council convened on December 3, 2024, to discuss significant updates regarding the city's general plan and environmental impact report (EIR). The meeting began with a review of community engagement efforts, highlighting ten workshops and various online activities aimed at gathering public input. The General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) and the Planning Commission have met multiple times to refine the draft plan, which has also been reviewed by the City Council in previous sessions.

During the meeting, city staff presented comments received from the community, including requests for changes to land use designations and concerns about the implications of specific plan designations on development timelines and costs. Notably, a request to change the designation at the northwest corner of Hillcrest and Fairview Roads from commercial to mixed-use was discussed. However, both the City Council and Planning Commission previously decided against this change to maintain commercial services in the growing eastern part of the city.

Further comments addressed the agricultural land preservation target area, with a suggestion to expand it to include all of San Benito County. The Council reaffirmed its decision to limit this area to Hollister's planning zone to ensure effective agricultural preservation close to the city.

The discussion also included concerns about specific policies within the general plan, particularly regarding their compliance with state law. Staff proposed a revision to policy LU 1.5 to clarify that while applications for projects in unannexed areas can be accepted, they would not be approved. Other policies were deemed compliant with state law, and no changes were recommended.

The EIR was a focal point of the meeting, with staff emphasizing its role as a disclosure document under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The EIR outlines potential environmental impacts and mitigation measures but does not dictate specific actions. The Council must certify the EIR before proceeding with any decisions on the general plan.

The EIR identified several significant and unavoidable impacts, particularly concerning agricultural resources due to land conversion. Despite the implementation of an agricultural lands preservation program, the Council acknowledged that this does not fully mitigate the loss of agricultural land.

In conclusion, the meeting underscored the ongoing efforts to refine Hollister's general plan while balancing community input, legal compliance, and environmental considerations. The Council is expected to continue its deliberations on these critical issues in future meetings.