Tourists stop to shop, the town is loaded with garlic and
residents rarely visit downtown. The results of the Discover Gilroy
online survey weren’t exactly groundbreaking, several officials
agreed. What is up for debate, however, is what the city should do
with them.
Tourists stop to shop, the town is loaded with garlic and residents rarely visit downtown.
The results of the Discover Gilroy online survey weren’t exactly groundbreaking, several officials agreed. What is up for debate, however, is what the city should do with them.
While 41 percent of visitors coming to Gilroy just for shopping and a belief that downtown is unsafe and unclean aren’t revelations, a committee now will hash out ways to use the survey to focus on Gilroy’s future.
A steering committee comprised of Jane Howard, Gilroy Visitors Bureau executive director; Susan Valenta, Gilroy Chamber of Commerce president; and Gilroy City Council members Cat Tucker, Councilman Bob Dillon and Mayor Al Pinheiro will work with Articulate Solutions – a communications company assisting the city’s marketing efforts for the survey – to develop ways to attract people and businesses to the city.
Committee members have pored over the results – from 979 fully or partially completed surveys – since they were released Feb. 15. City Administrator Tom Haglund said the survey’s results would be discussed at either the March 7 or March 28 Council meetings.
Whether the survey was an effective tool could depend on who is asked.
Councilman Perry Woodward said the survey’s usefulness was “fairly limited,” while Howard called the results “very exciting.”
“I really didn’t see anything surprising,” Woodward said. “I’m not sure it really sheds much light on the issues.”
Woodward said the results didn’t represent a cross section of Gilroy. A lack of newer and younger residents did not allow for a complete picture, he said.
Of the 582 residents who gave their age in the survey, 85 percent were at least 35 years old. Four people younger than the age of 18 along with 19 people between the ages of 18 and 24 took the survey. People who have lived in Gilroy more than 20 years made up the highest percentage of survey takers, at 36 percent.
“I guess I don’t put a lot of stock in that poll,” Woodward said. “You have to take the results with a grain of salt.”
Howard, however, said the visitors bureau would quickly make use of the survey, especially results showing infrequent outdoor recreation and comments suggesting the area’s wineries were Gilroy’s “best-kept secrets.”
“I thought that was nice,” Howard said about the wineries, “but we don’t want them to be secrets so much anymore.”
According to the survey, Gilroyans said they rarely visited local parks and recreation areas. Eighty-four percent stated they rarely visit a golf course and 86 percent stated they rarely visit the city’s dog park. Seventy-eight percent said they rarely visit Gilroy Gardens, while 89 percent said they visit the city’s movie theater monthly or rarely.
Those figures won’t go unnoticed, Howard said.
She added the bureau’s board of directors would look into further promoting the wineries and Gilroy’s recreation opportunities to visitors.
“I’m real excited to take these things to the board,” she said. “It’s very exciting, and the timing is excellent.”
One thing that all the officials did agree on is the perception of downtown needs some help.
Of the 679 people who identified themselves as residents, 37 percent said they rarely visit downtown. Twelve percent said they visit downtown every day.
“Parking is horrible,” one person wrote. “I avoid downtown as much as possible.”
Other comments were directed at downtown safety.
“The downtown element,” one person wrote, “especially on weekends, is not something I will expose my wife or daughter to.”
Tucker said the city would have to work to change people’s minds about downtown.
“If it were a business I’d say we need a marketing campaign to show people its safe to go downtown,” she said.
Dillon said downtown was “the biggest problem on our plate.”
“That’s the one that concerns me the most,” he said.
While residents wanting more restaurants downtown was surprising to Dillon, the negative comments were not.
“No, not really. I hear it all the time at the grocery store,” he said.
When it came to first impressions, 84 percent of tourists found the outlet store area east of downtown either appealing and clean while 55 percent said the same about downtown. Thirty percent said Downtown Gilroy “Needs Improvement.” Overall, 70 percent of tourists thought the city was appealing or clean.
Forty-seven percent said dining was their main reason for visiting downtown, while 8 percent said they visited downtown for entertainment. When asked what would cause them to visit downtown regularly, the most prevalent responses were more events, dining options and shopping alternatives.
Valenta said it was good to know candid thoughts from residents and businesses, and the city would use the survey results to prepare for a better economic future.
“Overall, what the survey will do is help position Gilroy as the economy rebounds.” she said. “We know what the residents and visitors are saying. That gives us a chance to assess the products and services.”
Valenta said the city should “find out what (residents) have enjoyed and build on that.”
“There’s still work that needs to be done,” Valenta said.
