Gilroy
– The sound of jackhammers and construction cranes are within
earshot of more Gilroyans nowadays, as a half-dozen public projects
kick up dust throughout the city.
Gilroy – The sound of jackhammers and construction cranes are within earshot of more Gilroyans nowadays, as a half-dozen public projects kick up dust throughout the city.
The most visible work involves the widening of Santa Teresa Boulevard, a headache that will one day ease the lives of thousands who commute in and out of northwest Gilroy. Officials expect to complete the project by the end of summer.
Construction crews are also working on three neighborhood parks, a $27-million police station and a much-anticipated sports park off Monterey Road.
Groundbreaking on the sports park took place last month, more than a decade after the idea first came up.
In his opening letter to this year’s Capital Improvement Budget, City Administrator Jay Baksa informed councilmen that “in total, from 2001-2006, more capital dollars will have been spent on public facilities and projects than at any time in the history of Gilroy.”
He placed the total between $60 and $70 million.
Local residents appear to support the city’s list of priorities, especially the need for new fire and police stations.
“It sounds all right to me,” said David Freeman, who will soon move to Gilroy. He stressed the need for a fourth fire station, “because it solves a lot of problems.”
Resident Edward P. Sanchez agreed on the need for public safety.
“I’ve got to sympathize with the police building,” he said. “Before long you’re going to have more people coming in. We’re going to need more police and fire.”
Sanchez also had an innovative suggestion for city officials – “Demolish Old City Hall and use the (land) for a new library.”
In recent years, the city’s former seat of government has seen a number of business ventures fail. The most recent, Old City Hall restaurant, closed after a year and shorted the city thousands of dollars in rent.
“That thing has been nothing but a drain on the city,” Sanchez concluded.
While the city is wrapping up the era of big construction, it still has its sites fixed on a number of crucial public projects. At the top of the list is the city’s proposed arts and culture center, scheduled for construction at Seventh and Monterey streets before the end of the decade. In addition to providing space for local nonprofit arts groups, the center will serve the Gilroy school system and Gavilan College.
“The more for the kids, the better,” said Judy Keyes, whose daughter attended Gilroy schools.
While she approved of the city’s list of spending priorities, she pointed to sidewalk repairs as an area in need of major improvement.
Keyes spread her hands wide apart to demonstrate how high a tree outside her home had uprooted the sidewalk. She said applying for assistance through the city’s 50/50 program, which splits costs for sidewalk repairs with homeowners, did not prove helpful.
“(The city) told me it’s my responsibility,” she said, adding a frustration shared by many residents: “You guys planted the tree there but I’m not allowed to take it out.”
Keyes said she would support a bond measure to finance city-wide sidewalk repairs, but for the moment, officials hope to avoid borrowing money. Instead, they plan to reinstate a $100,000 yearly contribution to the sidewalk-repair fund.
In addition to sidewalks, the city’s list of “unfunded liabilities” include the downtown area, roads, and storm drains. Baksa said the city has fixed the biggest trouble spots, but at least $35-million is needed to repair all the problems.
Councilman Bob Dillon said sidewalks would remain on the mind of councilmen, who plan to discuss all the city’s unfunded liabilities at their June retreat.
“We’re cramped on funds but we’re going to have to come up with some sort of creative solution,” Dillon said. “It’s certainly not going on the back burner. The way it stands now, we’re squeezing the nickel until the buffalo screams.”
Projects under construction
Currently:
• Police station • Sports complex • Santa Teresa Boulevard widening • 3 neighborhood parks
Upcoming:
• Arts and culture center • 3 neighborhood parks • New library • Fourth fire station
