Agenda: LAFCO takes up plans for 90 homes at Ridgemark

The Local Agency Formation Commission will again consider the proposal for 90 single-family homes at Ridgemark on Thursday.
The LAFCO meeting is set for 3 p.m. at the San Benito County Administration Building, 481 Fourth St. LAFCO is the agency made up of elected officials from area government entities that makes key decisions on development.
Under consideration today, after it has come before the LAFCO panel in previous meetings, is the Promontory at Ridgemark annexation to the Sunnyslope County Water District and the annexation of 49.23 acres to the district located south of Ridgemark Drive and Marks Drive on the northeast side of Southside Road.
Minutes from the August LAFCO meeting on the matter note how Sunnyslope Water District General Manage Don Ridenhour told board members about concerns regarding the landslide issues on Southside Road that occurred starting in May, but that there had been no confirmation the district’s percolation ponds on the other side of the hill there had been the problem. Ridenhour, meanwhile, insists there is plenty of wastewater capacity for the new development.
The commission ended up continuing the meeting from October to November in order to examine results from geological boring tests in the landslide area of Southside Road. Those results, however, will not be available yet for today’s meeting.
LAFCO board members will still consider making a determination on the county’s environmental impact report, an amendment to the sphere of influence and an annexation.
The proposed annexation is for 90 single-family detached lots with access to Ridgemark Drive and Southside Road along with associated parks and open space. The applicant is Scott Stringer of Bates-Stringer Ventures.
Impact fees come to about $31,000 per unit, or a total of $2.7 million, according to LAFCO minutes. At the previous discussion on the matter in October, County Supervisor Jaime De La Cruz expressed frustration that such county developments consistently fail to address affordable housing.