On Monday, January 20, our San Benito County allies Protect San Benito and Hollister Guardians turned in 3,562 signatures to the City of Hollister in San Benito County.
The signatures were gathered to referend the former pro-growth Hollister City Council’s approval of a General Plan update.
The referendum defends agriculture, open space, and wildlife in San Benito County.
San Benito County farmland. Photo by Cooper Ogden
The previous Hollister City Council’s approval of a General Plan update would increase the city’s sphere of influence (within which development is foreseen) by 3,000 acres, into agricultural land surrounding Hollister.
Some of that land stretches east into the foothills of the Diablo Range, and some stretches south down Highway 25 toward the small rural communities you pass on the way to Pinnacles National Park.
Signatures of 10 percent of the city’s voters (2,281 signatures) are needed to overturn the Hollister City Council’s approval of the General Plan update. City staff will now count and verify the signatures.
Protect San Benito volunteers dropping off 3,562 signatures to Hollister city staff to qualify for the referendum. Photo courtesy of Protect San Benito
If the signature requirements are met, the current Hollister City Council can either
- adopt the referendum, thereby rescinding the approval of the General Plan Update, or
- place it on the ballot for voters to decide (in a special election or the general election of November 2026).
The current Hollister City Council is more aligned with Protect San Benito and Save Mount Diablo’s interest in protecting agriculture and open space.
We are hopeful that the current Hollister City Council will adopt the referendum.
Pinnacles National Park, which is located in San Benito County. Photo by Scott Hein
The General Plan update was an attempt by a lame-duck city council to circumvent the land protections that were won in San Benito County’s Measure A last November.
The previous city council wanted to approve the update before Measure A took effect and new slower growth city council members and members of the San Benito County Board of Supervisors took office.
Protect San Benito immediately pivoted from their November victory on Measure A to this referendum, which they qualified during the holiday season.
We thank them for their passion and the massive amount of work they have put into defending agriculture, open space, and wildlife in San Benito County.
California condor 692 flying above Pinnacles National Park. In recent years, young California condors have made multiple flights from Pinnacles and other areas in San Benito County over the Diablo Range to the Mount Diablo region. Photo by Scott Hein
