GILROY
– In hopes of dissolving confusion surrounding downtown property
regulations, Gilroy Mayor Al Pinheiro will host two informational
meetings open to all downtown landowners and merchants.
Not all downtown merchants, however, are convinced knowledge
breeds positive change.
GILROY – In hopes of dissolving confusion surrounding downtown property regulations, Gilroy Mayor Al Pinheiro will host two informational meetings open to all downtown landowners and merchants.
Not all downtown merchants, however, are convinced knowledge breeds positive change.
Pinheiro is strongly encouraging stakeholders to attend one or both of the July 15 meetings.
Dubbed the Mayor’s Downtown Information Forum, the meeting is intended to inform property owners and merchants of changes on the horizon that might affect downtown property regulations, Pinheiro said.
Community Development Director Wendie Rooney will speak on a wide range of issues such as building permit fee waivers, parking requirements, slurry sealing and striping on Monterey Street, and signage stipulations including A-boards, window signs, banners and balloons.
Although the formal presentation will be valuable to forum attendees, the meat of the meetings will be question-and-answer sessions, in which more specific questions will be granted detailed answers on an one-on-one basis, Pinheiro said.
“Hopefully giving business and landowners this kind of information will generate questions and give them an idea of what the city wants to do in downtown, what we’re already doing and what we plan to do in the future,” Pinheiro said. “We’re not just there to tell. We’re there to listen.”
However, Joyce Duarte, owner of Monterey Street Antiques at 7507 Monterey St., said she’s planning to attend the forum but is skeptical that better understanding of the regulations will foster change in the recent commercial atmosphere downtown.
Duarte loosely attributed the steady decline of customers since 9/11 to the wobbly economy and increased patronage at the Gilroy Premium Outlets, and she said the city’s insistence on cumbersome regulations doesn’t help.
“If things don’t pick up, I won’t be here, anyway,” she said. “If the landlord doesn’t want to lower rent, as business owners, we have to do what we can. If there are too many enforcements, we’re going to have to close our doors. That’s just the way it is.”
City Planning Division Manager Bill Faus said commercial landlords and tenants in Gilroy outside downtown also are “absolutely encouraged” to attend the forum, as several agenda issues will cover concerns pertinent to all properties.
Another chief objective of the forum, Pinheiro said, is to cultivate a partnership between the city and landowners and tenants. He said that like any relationship, finding ways to work together requires two-way communication and understanding.
“We don’t have the funds to revitalize our downtown like other cities do, so we have to find our own ways of doing it,” he said. “I can’t stress enough the importance of this meeting. I’m trying to reach out to the people of downtown. There’s no way the city can do this on our own, and in the end, we’ll all benefit – the city, land and business owners and tenants. And of course, the citizens of Gilroy will have a much better downtown to visit and enjoy.”
Problematic experiences in the past involving uninformed landowners is partly what inspired Pinheiro to hold the forum. If landowners and tenants are tuned in to what’s happening, he said, they are less likely to be scratching their heads when influential changes take place.
“It’s not too much to ask to donate an hour or two of your time if it means you’ll be informed,” Pinheiro said.
The mayor also is eager to help property and business owners decipher land-use application language that initially may seem burdensome and lengthy. He anticipates business owners will feel more confident and comfortable after some light has been shed.
Another item that will be discussed is the reinstatement of a downtown Business Improvement District, in which business owners would pool resources for a collective downtown revitalization fund. The city flirted with such an initiative about a decade ago, but voting members thwarted plans in the early 1990s.
Faus said the ambition to develop a BID could instill a much-needed new energy in downtown. Another plausible plan up for discussion is a sidewalk 50/50 program, in which the city would reimburse business owners up to 50 percent of physical improvements made to their businesses.
An initial but less publicized informative meeting regarding regulations took place late last year, Faus said, and the city hopes to organize similar events in the future should next week’s forum net a healthy response.
“There are so many various things involved here, but the core issue is the development of a specific plan,” Faus said. ”We don’t want to face a situation years from now with someone asking, ‘Why was I not informed?’ ”
City Councilman Paul Correa said that like Pinheiro, city staff and other councilmembers, he hopes the forum attracts a large number of property owners and tenants. Organizing such an event is an innovative initiative on the part of the mayor, Correa said.
“I would hope we have a decent representation of those who may be impacted,” Correa said. “It’s always good to reach out to the property owners or tenants to inform them of possible changes. Hopefully that will lead to building lines of communication.”
The forums are scheduled for 7:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. at the former Gilroy Family Resource Center, 7560 Monterey Road. The morning meeting will run until 9 a.m. and the evening session until 9 p.m.
