The following letter was sent to City of Gilroy officials on March 23, and shared with the Gilroy Dispatch.
Please accept these comments from the Gilroy Historical Society on the Gilroy Civic Center Master Plan and draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR). We have read and studied the Plan and the EIR and find the project goal of maximizing and improving the use of the Civic Center site laudable. However, we would like to make the following observations and recommendations.
The plan proposes the demolition of the iconic Wheeler Auditorium, a building long treasured by the citizens of Gilroy and listed on the city’s list of Historic Resources.
The EIR states that this is a significant and unavoidable impact which the city plans to mitigate by photo-documentation in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). We, the Historical Society, find this unacceptable and would much prefer that the city implement EIR Alternative 2, entitled “Retain Historic Wheeler Auditorium in Place and Redesign the Proposed Project,” which is referred to as the environmentally superior alternative in the EIR and is consistent with the community’s workshop feedback that Wheeler Auditorium be preserved and repurposed.
Our historic resources list shows the architecture style as Moderne (also known as Art Deco) and describes its impact as “monumental.” We believe it is noteworthy and that, while the interior is admittedly in need of renovation, the exterior is definitely worth preserving. It could still continue as a “Community Facility” and recreation center.
Gilroy residents have an emotional connection to and very fond memories of Wheeler Auditorium. It is a place where many community events have been held and numerous social connections made over the past 86 years.
There were plays, dances and concerts, wedding receptions, community fundraisers, youth sports, recreation and art classes, athletic events and performances within those walls. Today pickleball and tai chi classes are held there.
Special events like the annual Christmas bazaar and Kids Discover Arts took place there. Its central location made it accessible to the whole community and still today provides a “Sense of Place.”
We believe this sense of history and community identity is important and that the building can continue to fulfill that purpose when the interior is remodeled to better meet today’s needs. Completely eliminating this beloved building is akin to demolishing a major part of Gilroy’s history, something of intrinsic value that can never be retrieved or replaced.
Although many in Gilroy wish we had an aquatic center similar to Morgan Hill’s, we do not believe that locating it in or next to a new recreation building is the best place for it.
Sixth and Church streets are very busy streets. It would be difficult to accommodate the tremendous increase in traffic that is sure to occur even with the additional parking spaces planned.
To be blunt, people would rather not swim next to two very busy streets. That use is too intensive. The Society’s position on a 42,000 square foot recreation/aqua center facility is the same as last year’s community workshop concern.
The negative impact of noise and traffic on the character and quality of life of the surrounding neighborhood is not worth having a facility of that size at that location. Construction of a swim center at the Gilroy Sports Park or expansion of the current aquatics center at Christopher High School are much more practicable options.
Joanie M. Lewis
President, Gilroy Historical Society
