Despite impassioned pleas from dozens of residents opposing the project, 320 new homes — including a fraction set aside for senior housing — will be built on the east side of Morgan Hill over the coming years.
Morgan Hill City Council approved the environmental review and rezoning for the new development — a move nearby residents – some who showed up with whiteboards and reports — worry will overburden roads with traffic and threaten their way of life and their safety.
“We chose the city for its open space … Now it feels under siege,” said Matt Igel, who lives near the proposed development, at Wednesday’s City Council meeting.
The proposed development features 320 residential units mostly made up of single-family homes with some senior housing. The project will be built on 69.4 acres of residential land by Hill Road and Barrett Ave by local developer Glenrock Builders.
Late last month, the city council approved an environmental impact report for the project. The report showed that the development would cause unavoidable disruptions to the city’s agricultural land and add significantly to the traffic in the area.
The concerns with traffic both during and after construction led to particular ire and were the subject of dozens of comments at the November meeting. Citizens shared wide-ranging fears of the effects of the traffic and the construction on their daily commutes as well as in the event of an emergency such as a fire evacuation, leading some to suggest adding roads or downsizing the development.
“Traffic is horrific,” said Kathy Becker, at the November meeting, arguing that any road closures that come with construction would be a safety concern. “That’s a death threat to some of us … You can’t close that off.”
Despite the concerns, the council moved to approve the environmental report, with the stipulation that 55 units would be set aside for senior housing as a public benefit and that the developer look into further ways to alleviate traffic, such as bike sharing or bike storage.
The motion passed 4-1, with Councilmember Rene Spring in opposition.
Wednesday, the council discussed adjusting city zoning to allow the project to move forward, and many community members returned to express their continued displeasure.
Resident Liz Panetta Melone brought a white board and marker to illustrate the way that traffic would back up in the case of emergency, and argued that the developer needed to improve and build roads. “We are asking you to please be good stewards.”
Still, the developers pointed out that the new neighborhood would have senior housing as well as four acres of parks and a walking path that connects to a local school. They also promised several efforts to alleviate traffic congestion including a roundabout and the city asked for the developer to help fund public transit options that would decrease the traffic impact in the area.
“We understand their concerns, and we’re trying to address them as best we can,” said Rocke Garcia, head of Glenrock Builders, after the meeting.
While he acknowledged the frustration, Mayor Mark Turner noted that the land was already zoned for housing, and that the developers had gone “above and beyond” to provide a community benefit with the project. “It’s going to be housing one way or the other,” said Turner after the meeting. “This is the best option that we have to choose from.”
However, Spring expressed little confidence that all the promised improvements and collaboration could be guaranteed. “You give away everything hoping for the best and the best never happens. I’ve seen so many times that we never come through on the improvements people ask for,” said Spring, who exhorted the developers to “continue to work with the neighborhood.”
The approval for zoning passed 3-2, with Councilmember Yvonne Martínez Beltrán and Spring in opposition.
