This much we know is true: Charles Coachman is a man of his
word. The owner of Coachman Antiques promised that if a medical
clinic on Monterey Street in the heart of downtown Gilroy became a
reality, his store would become a memory.
This much we know is true: Charles Coachman is a man of his word. The owner of Coachman Antiques promised that if a medical clinic on Monterey Street in the heart of downtown Gilroy became a reality, his store would become a memory. Now, whether his business was doing well or not is another story. But he told reporter Eric Leins this in late July when news that Gardner Family Health Network would buy the building formerly occupied by the Garlic Festival Store first surfaced.: “… the downtown, especially the center of downtown, is not the place for (a medical clinic) … I am one of those people that would close their business down immediately should that happen.”
In an example of putting your money where your mouth is, that’s exactly what Coachman is doing. His antique store, located on a key corner of Gilroy’s city center, is about to become another vacant storefront lining Monterey Street.
Meanwhile, Councilman Peter Arellano provides a contrast: a glaring example of talking out of both sides of his mouth. Arellano, who did not support a temporary ban on medical clinics, has rapped Coachman’s decision because the clinic’s “permits haven’t even gone through yet.”
Coachman has placed a sign in his window taking a swipe at Arellano, who is running for re-election this November, and Councilman Charlie Morales. Both men voted against a temporary ban on healthcare clinics downtown.
“Thank you for your ‘vision’ of downtown Gilroy!” the sign sarcastically tells the two council members.
And that’s precisely where the problem lies – there’s still no vision for downtown Gilroy. If that vision had been in place, approved by a downtown task force, blessed by City Council and accepted by the people of Gilroy, we’d all be on the same page on the question of a medical clinic – or any proposed business – downtown.
We’d know what kind of businesses we want lining Monterey Street, downtown’s main drag, and what kind belong on downtown’s side streets.
We’d know what kind of businesses don’t belong downtown at all.
But we don’t have that. Instead, we have Coachman, who, it seems, believes the welcome mat that was in place when he bought the store a few years ago has been whisked away. Instead, we have another key corner with no retail draw for shoppers and diners.
Instead, we’re reminded – yet again – how the lack of a vision for Gilroy’s heart and soul continues to damage downtown.
