Client News
LAFCO approves annexation for Vista Lucia, a 3,500-home development in Gonzales.
Gonzales residents celebrated with clapping, big smiles and hugs on Monday, Sept. 28 after the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) of Monterey County approved the Vista Lucia project 6-0.
"I'm elated," says Gonzales Mayor Jose Rios, noting the unanimous decision. "Can't ask for anything better."
"There's just not enough housing," says Anna Mae Gazo, a long-time Gonzales resident and board member of nonprofit housing developer CHISPA, which is named as the developer of 211 affordable housing units in Vista Lucia's first phase.
Two LAFCO commissioners, Matt Gourley and Chad Lindley, recused themselves from voting on the project, citing potential conflicts of interest. Both live in South County, and the geographical composition of LAFCO has recently come under fire as Gourley seeks reappointment to the public member seat. (Commissioner Kate Daniels, a county supervisor, was absent and South County's Chris Lopez attended as an alternate.)
The Vista Lucia project will add 771 acres to the city and calls for 3,498 homes over a 30-year periods, doubling the number of homes in the city. It also calls for 79 acres of parks and three news schools.
LandWatch Monterey County has opposed various elements of the project, citing the cost of the eventual housing, that an agricultural easement is located nine miles away rather than adjacent to the land and the use of groundwater.
"We definitely need more housing, but we don't need more large single-family homes that cost $700,000 or $800,000," LandWatch Executive Director Michael DeLapa says. "That isn't going to help the people in our community."
Commissioners met behind closed doors earlier in the meeting to discuss a potential lawsuit from LandWatch over the project's water supply. "LAFCO cannot approve the annexation without a legal water supply and must instead deem the annexation application incomplete," attorney Mathew Emrick wrote to LAFCO on Sept. 14 on behalf of LandWatch.
About City of Gonzales
The city of Gonzales, California is located in Monterey County. The quaint and culturally diverse community of approximately 9,000 people is in the heart of the Salinas Valley’s agricultural and wine region. Gonzales is an established regional leader in agricultural-technology and innovation, environmental awareness and sustainable practices. Gonzales is home to companies such as HealthySoil, which manufactures products to improve agricultural crop production; Converted Organics, a natural fertilizer company; Taylor Farms, a fresh vegetable production facility, Mann Packing/Del Monte Fresh, a leading supplier of fresh cut vegetables; Ramsay Highlander, an innovator, designer and manufacturer of technologically-advanced harvesting equipment; Papé Equipment Handling, Braga Fresh, Green Valley Farm Supply, Tessemae’s, American Bioscience, Caraccioli Cellars, and Constellation Brands, an international producer and marketer of beer, wine and spirits.