Around Town … with Robert Airoldi: Two firms submit plans to develop tourism-based park on the Hecker Pass

Gilroy Adventure Park’s proposal includes a multi-line zipline course that will run from the top station, passing over the valley below giving it great visibility

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By Robert Airoldi

The city of Gilroy has received two development proposals to create a recreational tourism-based project at a 536-acre site located at the edge of Gilroy on Hecker Pass Highway.

The objective is to create a major new tourism and recreation attraction second to none in the region. It would be aimed at delivering a new entertainment precinct and compelling recreational playground for the southern Bay Area.

The two proposals are the Gilroy Adventure Park, which could include a multi-line zipline course that will run from the top station, passing over the valley below giving it great visibility; a low ropes course for ages ranging from young children to adults; hiking and sightseeing trails the whole family can enjoy; and a mountain-top cafe and restaurant nestled in the lush park setting with panoramic views, that will be accessible enough to be a local hangout. At the base of the development will be a surf pool for all levels from first timers to experienced pros; a wake pool allowing riders to be involved in this exciting sport without the need for a cost-prohibitive boat; cabin accommodations will ensure guests from out of town can make the most of their stay in Gilroy; and events and guest services.

A second proposal from Imagine That would work with the city to create a complete reinvention of the site so that the city’s ambitions will be realized.

The 536-acre project site is located at the western edge of Gilroy along Hecker Pass Highway, a gateway for tourists to Highway 1 and the Monterey Bay region. Currently, Gilroy Gardens, operated and managed by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, runs a family-oriented theme park on approximately 50 acres of the project site. There is an additional approximately 100 acres of unused or underutilized space at the base of sizable hillside property.

If you have young kids, here’s some fun entertainment for them. The Gavilan College Children’s Theater invites families to view the fall production for free online.

As a result of the pandemic, the Children’s Theater was unable to allow audiences to view performances in public. Instead they are bringing their plays to the safety and comfort of your homes.

Enjoy classic fable stories including The Tortoise and the Hare, The Oak & the Reeds, Hunter Maiden, and Coyote, while singing and dancing along to songs “High Hopes,” and “La Pulga de San José.” A how-to video will be included, so children and parents can learn to sing and dance along with the performers.

The list of free videos can be viewed at www.youtube.com/user/gavtv/videos.

Sharing the love has a literal meaning for Rotary members as they collect grocery gift cards to share with Gilroy’s struggling friends and neighbors.

According to recent national surveys four of 10 Americans are experiencing food insecurity for the first time. These community members are not sure where their next meal will come from. The plight of hungry children and families is not new, but the pandemic has highlighted the extreme need surrounding us.

To show their love for our neighbors, the Gilroy Rotary Club is collecting and donating gift cards to St. Joseph’s Family Center and the Salvation Army. These gift cards will be distributed directly to the families these organizations serve.

For those interested in donating, gift cards can be purchased in denominations up to $50 from local places of business which sell groceries. The gift cards are being collected at the locations below during the times shared:

Alpine Landscapes, 8595 Murray Ave., Gilroy, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., M-F; the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce, 7471 Monterey St., Gilroy, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., M-F; and Fortino Winery, 4525 Hecker Pass Highway, Gilroy, from noon to 4 p.m, Tuesday through Saturday.

For more information, contact Whitney Pintello at [email protected]

Do you hear the complaints about the garbage? Ever ride your bike around the local reservoirs? Want to do something about the garbage while riding? This Earth Day, April 23-24, there will be clean-ups at Chesbro, Uvas and Calero reservoirs.

It’s fairly simple. Pick up supplies and ride out to an area. Pick up garbage and seal it in a bag and others will pick up the trash bags later.

Contact Leslie Gunterson at [email protected] for more information and to participate.

In the face of COVID-19, city leaders know many local small businesses are struggling. A strong business community fosters strong employees and strong communities. In an effort to help support local small businesses and the community, the city of Gilroy has established a grant program to support small businesses in these trying times, in coordination with the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce. Businesses operating within the city limits may qualify for a one-time business relief grant using federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act funding. Grants are based on the number of full-time equivalent employees as of March 17, 2020 (when the Santa Clara County Health Officer issued the Shelter-In-Place order).

Maximum Grant Award: $5,000 for businesses with 2 to 10 employees and $10,000 for businesses with 11 to 25 employees. The funds can be used for working capital (rent, payroll, utilities, inventory, etc.)

The application period ends at 5 p.m., Friday, March 12, and are available at www.cityofgilroy.org. Completed applications will be accepted via email or mail and will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. Grant applications can be e-mailed directly to [email protected] or mail to Gilroy Chamber of Commerce, Small Business Grant Application, 7471 Monterey St., Gilroy, CA 95020

Officials with Henry W. Coe State Park have uncovered an object previously hidden in heavy chamise near the Hoover Landing after last year’s SCU Complex Fire. Teddy Goodrich, a Pine Ridge Association historian asked his son, who told him it is a “rip pow” or “ripper.”

To confirm his “guess” Goodrich asked someone who knows all there is to know about building roads who confirmed it is a “ripper,” and gave her an old photograph to show one in use.

The ripper was used not only for building roads but for building landing strips as well in the 1960s.