Good work getting a master plan
– and grant money – together for our community
Wow – a million dollars for trails in Gilroy. Congratulations to everyone involved in making the stunning state grants a reality.
The state’s California River Parkways Program awarded $520,000 to extend the Uvas Creek Levee trail from Santa Teresa Boulevard to the ranch side of Christmas Hill Park.
But it didn’t stop there, awarding another $492,000 to fund creation of a trail linking the Lion’s Creek development and Antonio Del Buono Elementary School. It is the first northern link in the citywide trail system envisioned in the Gilroy Trails Master Plan.
The trails will be 12-foot-wide asphalt paths. Grant money will also be used to restore native plants to the land adjacent to the waterways.
Having that long-range planning document was a key factor in winning the grant, according to Lee Steinmetz, a landscape architect who worked with the city on the master plan and helped in the grant-application process.
“I think it shows how valuable having a master plan is. It really opens up a lot of doors in terms of funding. Just this first grant has more than paid the cost of putting together the trails master plan. That was a really good investment on the city’s part,” he told reporter Serdar Tumgoren.
We wholeheartedly agree. And after the frustration of the city’s failure by a close margin to qualify for a library grant, it’s especially gratifying for the city to leverage $110,000 in matching funds into $1.1 million of state money.
We’re looking forward to the trails, which city officials predict will be complete by next summer, and to more grants from the state program and other programs as a result of a well-thought out parks master plan.
Having a trails system is an important ingredient in continuing Gilroy’s fine tradition of taking advantage of our beautiful location and weather. It’s part of what makes our city a gem.
Good work.
