Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in San Benito County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
4 issues in zoning with high priority
Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) ordinance
The county is writing new zoning rules for large-scale battery storage facilities — the kind involved in the January 2025 Moss Landing fire. The draft sets standards on water supply for firefighting, setbacks, fencing, battery chemistry, and permits, but the Commission wants it toughened before recommending it to the Supervisors.
Wireless telecommunications code standards
The commission's January denial of a 100-foot cell tower near downtown Hollister is being reexamined because the new county counsel doubts the legal findings will survive an appeal — and the applicant has already appealed. A fresh vote is set for March 18.
Title 25 zoning code overhaul
The county's big Title 25 rewrite moves forward to the Board, but the kennel rules were pulled after local kennel operators said they were far too strict. Off-site wine tasting rooms got easier, and the two-year reapply-after-denial rule was narrowed to housing.
Tres Pinos garage appeal and fire sprinkler standoff
A 2,400-square-foot metal building went up in Tres Pinos' residential zone before anyone realized it needed a use permit. The bigger fight: its sprinklers can't connect because the Tres Pinos Water District won't allow a new connection under its moratorium. The county says the Water District owns the liability; the appellant says the whole thing is a safety hazard being papered over.