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A development called the Fairview Commercial Thoroughfare Center is taking shape at the northeastern corner of Hwy 156 and Fairview Road, at least in concept.
It’s nearly identical to a proposed commercial center called Travelers Station that is making the same bureaucratic journey on the other side of the county at Highways 101 and 129.
However, while Travelers Station will be required to be placed on a future ballot under Measure A, leaving voters to ultimately decide its fate, this newest project will not face a similar challenge, according to county officials.
The developer of the newer project, Fresno-based Bottom Line Group, floated the proposal in December 2025 calling for a truck- and traveler-oriented commercial project on a 9.74-acre property, with just 3.5 acres to be developed.
The original concept called for a convenience store, fuel station, agriculture-support retail and a couple of restaurants—explicitly excluding long-haul trucking services or overnight truck parking.
“The proposed development has been designed to implement the Commercial Thoroughfare vision established by the San Benito County 2035 General Plan while preserving the rural character and scenic quality of the surrounding area through coordinated architecture, quality site design, enhanced landscaping, and efficient internal circulation,” the developer stated in a June 26 letter to the county that included a revision of the original plans.
The project, which has evolved, now includes the following principal components:
• A 4,900-square-foot General Market with a California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control Type 21 Off-Sale General License
• A passenger vehicle Energy Center consisting of a 7,308-square-foot fuel canopy with 12 multi-product dispensers (24 fueling positions)
• A dedicated diesel fueling facility consisting of a 2,148-square-foot fuel canopy with five fueling pumps serving commercial vehicles, recreational vehicles, agricultural equipment, and eight electric vehicle charging stations
• A 2,340-square-foot Quick Service Restaurant building with drive-through
• A 3,695-square-foot Quick Service Restaurant building with drive-through
• A 2,650-square-foot Quick Service Restaurant building with drive-through
• Three 4,900-square-foot retail-flex space multi-tenant commercial buildings
• A 5,760-square-foot commercial truck, recreational vehicle and agricultural equipment service building
• Associated parking, landscaping, utility infrastructure, storm drainage improvements, internal circulation, pedestrian improvements and related site improvements.
County Counsel Gregory Priamos told BenitoLink that Bottom Line Group had not yet paid the invoice for the project, but once the payment is made the project will be under review.
“The property has a General Plan land use designation of Agriculture/Commercial Thoroughfare,” he said. “Based on this designation, the proposed commercial development appears to be consistent with the General Plan. Accordingly, Measure A does not appear to apply to the proposed project.”
There are no agendas as yet for August Planning Commission meetings for but according to a Dec. 27, 2025, BenitoLink article, Senior Planner Michael Kelly confirmed the zoning change would not trigger Measure A because, as Priamos indicated, the site’s designation is already consistent with the county’s General Plan.
Kelly also told BenitoLink last December that the project was still in the early stages of the application process and that county staff were reviewing it. He said then that a meeting with the applicant was likely to be held in mid-January 2026, to outline requirements and key considerations.
That meeting did not happen and the project has not yet moved forward.
Neither of the two off-highway commercial projects have a published revenue estimate yet, but the shape of the proposals points to where the money and the costs would land, according to the county’s Development Impact Fee program.
Potential revenue for the county would include fuel sales, an EV charging hub, a general market and multiple restaurant/retail tenants that would generate transactions subject to the county’s 8.25% combined sales tax rate, revenue the San Benito County Board of Supervisors has been actively seeking.
Taken together with Travelers Station, the still-pending Hollister Research Campus annexation, and the Fairview Center project, along with the proposed 945-acre Allium Solar Battery Energy Storage System project near Hwy 156 and San Felipe Road, the county is hip-deep in simultaneous highway-commercial proposals with the potential for adding tax revenue.
“Pending approval of the Hollister Research Campus, pre-zoning by the city of Hollister and subsequent annexation consideration by LAFCO, the cumulative fiscal impacts of multiple highway commercial projects will continue to be evaluated as individual proposals advance through the public review process, with any applicable tax-sharing agreements governing the allocation of revenues,” Priamos said.
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