Details: www.mountmadonnaschool.org/gov06.

Reimbursement OK'd for development
San Benito County supervisors this week approved a reimbursement agreement with developers on a proposed 1,092-unit affordable housing development east of Fairview Road, a project most recently called the Santana Ranch Development that first arose in the 1980s and returned to the board in 2006.

The board of supervisors accepted the reimbursement agreement at Tuesday's meeting, which was the next step for the project. The agreement states that the applicant will reimburse the county for all consultant, planning professionals and general staff costs and expenses incurred by the county to complete the project review process. County officials did not have an estimate for those costs.

The proposal on 292 acres near Hillcrest and Sunnyslope roads calls for 1,092 affordable housing, commercial space, a park and an 8-acre elementary school.

Developers backed out for the first time in the 1990s when the economy slowed and then again in 2003, after it had cropped up again three years earlier, due to water supply issues, said county Planning Director Art Henriques.

This time around, developers are using the environmental impact report that was certified in 2000 and another supplemental EIR, he said. A description for the development is under works, Henriques said.

Kunz said she thinks a development such as Santana Ranch is a good idea and would create jobs. She also noted how there are phases that the developers would have to go through, so not all 1,092 homes will be build at once.