I have been a longtime Gilroy resident and am a mountain biker.
I ride the Uvas Creek Trail almost three times a week.
“I have been a longtime Gilroy resident and am a mountain biker. I ride the Uvas Creek Trail almost three times a week. What’s happened if you stay to the left of that trail down by the creek is some teenagers have taken shovels and made ramps and pits and dips, and it is very difficult to get through it. You actually have to get off your bike and walk it. It is very annoying. I was wondering if we could get this out there to see if other people are having similar troubles. I was hoping we could put some pressure on the city to get out there and clean up the mess these teenagers have made.”
Red Phone: Dear Trail Rider, Unfortunately there has been some vandalism to the trails in the Uvas Debell Creek Park Preserve – a major portion of which the city leases from the county and maintains in conjunction with other organizations. There are a couple factors that come into play to maintain the trails there, said Parks and Landscape Supervisor Bill Headley.
“We don’t have the resources to go out there and inspect all 127 acres,” Headley said.
But he said he would give the caller a call in the next couple weeks to try to pinpoint an exact location.
“We’ll get a hold of him and see what we can and cannot do,” Headley said. “There are quite a few organizations that regulate what work goes on in a recognized national channel.”
In addition to the issue of time, there is also a problem of finding an agency to work with to fix the trails. Previously, the city worked with the Department of Fish and Game to maintain the creek park preserve channel but currently hasn’t been able to come to a financial agreement with the state over the maintenance permit, Headley said. The city is considering other options such as working with the water district to make the repairs, he added.
In the meantime, Headley recommends anyone who sees someone vandalizing park land should call police at 846-0350.
