GILROY
– After over 20 years of plans, studies, dueling recommendations
and debate, county supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to abandon
an equestrian trailhead facility proposed for winding Redwood
Retreat Road.
GILROY – After over 20 years of plans, studies, dueling recommendations and debate, county supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to abandon an equestrian trailhead facility proposed for winding Redwood Retreat Road.
In what county officials called a no-win situation, supervisors backed District 1 County Supervisor Don Gage, who announced last month that he would not support the project at Little Arthur Creek because of concerns about its cost-effectiveness.
Gage said Tuesday he was concerned the facility is too fraught with potential environmental issues, too remote from other park facilities to manage effectively and ultimately too expensive for the estimated 19 users a day it would serve.
He noted the county plans to accommodate equestrians with revamped access to Mt. Madonna County Park from Sprig Lake, and will also have an arena and other facilities in its new parkland at Bear Ranch near Coyote Lake County Park.
“Looking at the cost, the amount of people who would be served by it and what we can do at other facilities with those dollars, I can’t support doing anything at that site,” Gage said of the Little Arthur project.
Supervisor Jim Beall was the only other board member to explain his rationale. Beall said the estimated $700,000 price tag for the project seemed expensive, and noted the county has opportunities to plan other equestrian facilities that will be cheaper.
“It’s a common-sense approach to me,” he said. “We can find other locations.”
Relieved residents who have opposed the project said it’s hard to believe the affair is finally over.
“It’s been almost 25 years this thing has been going on,” said Frank Pattie, president of the Redwood Retreat Homeowners’ Association. “I’m greatly relieved. It’s almost like, ‘What do I do next?’ ”
Equestrians who worked to support the project were angry. Joan Throgmorton thrust her county parks volunteers’ uniform and a commendation she received for her volunteer work at a reporter in disgust, saying she didn’t need them anymore.
“They have just lost some real strong, long-time supporters of parks,” Throgmorton said. “They’re cutting their nose off despite their face.”
Redwood Retreat residents said they aren’t opposed to equestrians, but were concerned about increased exposure to fire danger, trespassing and litter, liability and traffic impacts from the project and the trailers it would draw to the windy rural road.
They contended the county did not have the money to maintain it or staff the park properly, and also argued – with legal action – that the project would threaten steelhead trout in the creek.
But equestrians said the Little Arthur project is important because it provides safer, wider access to Mt. Madonna than is available at the main entrance or Sprig Lake, where they say equestrian access is dangerous because of highway traffic. Mt. Madonna offers cooler summer weather than other nearby parks, where heat can limit horse activity.
Some argued that residents weren’t genuine in their environmental concerns, but were using the issue as a tool to scuttle the project.
Project supporters were also angry about how Tuesday’s hearing was managed. The agenda item began after 2 p.m. With a large number of speakers lined up on the issue and supervisors due to clear the chambers by 3:15 p.m. for a ceremony, speakers were given one minute to make their comments.
“To give us one minute after all this time, it’s not fair,” Throgmorton said.
