There’s a golden opportunity just waiting for the City Council
to give downtown Gilroy a boost. But the Council hasn’t a breath of
collective sense of urgency.
There’s a golden opportunity just waiting for the City Council to give downtown Gilroy a boost. But the Council hasn’t a breath of collective sense of urgency. Apparently it’s content to allow the potential dual injection of low interest rates combined with reduced construction costs to float away on the breeze.
Meanwhile, empty buildings, taggged as uninhabitable, that could be producing tax revenue – not to mention economic synergy for other downtown businesses – are left to become, by definition, eyesores.
The Council has to direct the city staff, in no uncertain terms, to set a standard for the unreinforced masonry buildings downtown that protects the public safety – i.e. bricks falling, walls crumbling – but does not force what amounts to a costly total reconstruction.
The City of Oakland used this common sense approach and has managed to fill up the formerly struggling downtown.
Why can’t Gilroy’s politicians who pay so much lip service to reinvigorating downtown use the power vested in them by the people to accomplish something that is so obviously good for this community. At this point, the decision should not be staff driven. A common sense URM policy should be demanded by the City Council. A deadline should be set – a draft policy in no more than 30 days would be more than reasonable. Discussion should follow and then a new policy should be adopted.
The time for talk, talk and more talk is over. The November election is coming – and, yes, that’s a strong reminder. Gilroy needs a new URM policy that is business friendly. The Council needs to get off its collective duff and bring that to fruition. The Council members who are overly concerned with the dreaded accusation of “micro-managing” the staff should perhaps fill out an application at City Hall and get down from the dais.
There’s such a thing called political will that’s a necessary component of leadership. Political will should be used in situations where it’s needed for new direction. There isn’t a more clear need in Gilroy than the ongoing tragedy of empty buildings downtown.
Who on the Gilroy City Council wants to do something really positive for downtown? Let’s count ’em … seven hands. So, work together, make the objective crystal clear to staff, set a firm deadline and enforce it. Then support the new policy and enjoy a more vibrant downtown.
