Gilroy
– It may be a passing blip on the radar for city officials, but
at least a few residents are concerned as Gilroy’s population
inches toward 50,000.
Gilroy – It may be a passing blip on the radar for city officials, but at least a few residents are concerned as Gilroy’s population inches toward 50,000.
The city, which now has 49,948 residents, is just 52 shy of the milestone population figure, according to the California Department of Finance.
Residents agree the number is important, though not necessarily a sign of good things to come.
“While it’s nice to have all these new homes, you worry about the rustic feel of Gilroy,” said Marlena Djukich, a nine-year resident of Gilroy. “You look around at all these rolling hills and you wonder how much longer you’re going to see them.”
Mark Hansen, a software engineer who moved to Gilroy five years ago, said change is hard to avoid in the face of development pressure. He pointed, for instance, to plans to build a 1.5-million-square foot mega-mall on farmland just east of Gilroy. On the west side of Gilroy, more than 2,000 homes are expected to rise in the next decade.
“I’ve been here five years and I’ve seen it grow and grow,” Hansen said. “The pressure’s on to build, but I’d love to see the city stay small.”
Gilroyans are not the only ones who might take notice of the 50,000 mark. The figure is one of several demographic pointers that businesses rely on when choosing a place to call home.
“What’s the per capita income? What’s the educational attainment? … What’s the distance from similar stores? What’s the distance from distribution points?” said Gilroy Economic Development Director Larry Cope. “You can get on the map with any one of those particular items … Population is one component, but it is a nice component because it’s one of the first ones they look at going in.”
City officials have toyed with the idea of conducting a mid-term census to update other demographic figures such as education levels, ethnicity and income, but so far the idea has not gained traction. Whereas the California Department of Finance population estimates are regarded as more accurate than the federal census – largely due to the agency’s use of driver’s license information – the state agency does not capture the detailed information about socioeconomic backgrounds that are red meat for prospective businesses.
City officials also regard demographic details such as age, education and household size as a more meaningful metric than overall population.
“It provides you with a good baseline of knowing where services are needed,” said Gilroy Community Development Director Wendie Rooney.
Pointing to the accumulation of higher-end homes in west Gilroy during the last decade, Rooney estimated that updated census figures would tell a story of higher average incomes and higher education levels – two key factors in attracting new businesses.
For the moment, the city has no plans to find out the truth of such predictions. Officials know for certain, however, that Gilroy has grown by nearly 9,000 people since the 2000 census, when the population stood at 41,464. That figure is expected to reach about 62,500 by 2020, according to the Gilroy General Plan.
More homes and more people do not mean the inevitable loss of Gilroy’s small-town charm, according to one city leader.
“If you take a look at all these community events, the volunteerism at the Garlic Festival, I think that community spirit is still alive and thriving,” City Councilman Craig Gartman said. “That’s what makes this a small town. We just happen to be a pretty big small town.”
