Summary
Cortez posted a visual timeline of state deadlines for the general plan and housing element — zero legal wiggle room. It goes to the planning commission March 26 and is now posted in the lobby and outside City Hall.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 6
- Last 30 days
- 0
Last discussed Jun 25, 2026.
Impact analysis
Reduced open-space and lot-size requirements lower development costs for multifamily and small-lot housing projects.
Residents tracking housing planning and councilmembers who need to stay on the legally required schedule.
Skeptics including developers and property owners argue the density requirements make projects financially infeasible, potentially delaying actual housing production.
Mentions & discussions (6)
Planning Commission Meeting
The state has certified Hollister's Housing Element, meaning the city's housing plan meets state law — good news for the city's standing on future housing and grants.
Planning Commission Meeting
To meet state certification requirements, the code must allow supportive and transitional housing by right, drop minimum lot sizes, cut open-space requirements (500 sq ft per unit down to 64 sq ft for larger projects), and remove subjective design review for housing.
City Council Meeting
Housing reports showed 166 permits issued last year, almost all market-rate, with only 337 units counted toward the 4,163-unit regional need. Council members pressed staff on the 15% inclusionary requirement — lowered from 20% by a prior council — and whether "affordable" (80-120% of median, now about $150,000) means anything to seniors and young families.
City Council Meeting
Cortez posted a visual timeline of state deadlines for the general plan and housing element — zero legal wiggle room. It goes to the planning commission March 26 and is now posted in the lobby and outside City Hall.
City Council Meeting
The state approved Hollister's housing element on February 13 — a big milestone. Next up: completing the rezones identified in the plan.
City Council Meeting
Hollister has been out of housing element compliance since January 2024, exposing it to builder's remedy projects and new state fines. Adoption is targeted for April 2026; residents urged faster action while a commercial developer said five years of delays may kill his project.
Related development
6th Cycle Housing Element zoning amendments (ZOA 2026-1)
Aligns zoning with required housing densities and speeds up compliant housing projects.
Zoning Map replacement (ZOA 2026-2)
Property owners can now look up zoning and general plan info per parcel through new GIS layers; some previously industrial or housing-designated parcels changed.
6th Cycle Housing Element Update
Plan capacity for nearly triple the previous cycle's housing allocation; certification keeps state funding and local control intact.
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