Visitors Center would connect SJB to the rest of the county
When driving on Hwy. 156 past San Juan Bautista it is easy to
overlook the many different niches that make San Juan a valuable
and historic part of San Benito County.
Visitors Center would connect SJB to the rest of the county
When driving on Hwy. 156 past San Juan Bautista it is easy to overlook the many different niches that make San Juan a valuable and historic part of San Benito County.
No flashing red lights or catchy slogans entice visitors to stop and learn, or stop and look, for that matter. And if you aren’t already on your way to the Mission, it is pretty easy to drive right past the town and miss out on the many hidden treasures.
Jan McClintock, the city manager of San Juan Bautista, and many other organizations are looking to make sure that San Juan Bautista and the surrounding area get the much-needed attention. Mclintock applied for federal money – $1 million – for a visitors center that would be used by the city in addition to Pinnacles National Monument, the Bureau of Land Management and the State Park System. The other agencies’ staff members provided letters of support for the request. McClintock referred to the request as an earmark for money from the upcoming federal budget.
The request was sent in last spring and McClintock and company now wait to hear for the answer in October, when the federal budget gets approved.
“We are in the waiting position,” McClintock said. “Any support letters for the earmark would be valuable.”
“[Speaker of the house] Nancy Pelosi said she wanted earmarks to have a purpose. This particular opportunity did just that,” McClintock said. “It was fiscally responsible. It gives a place for the three organizations and the joint use visitors center becomes nationally important because it services the national park system.”
The joint-use center project is part of a growing number from San Benito organizations that desire a place to highlight some services while stimulating economic and social growth. It would be a great place for local vendors to be able to showcase their products, McClintock said. Along with offering economic opportunities for local vendors the center would provide a place for interpretation and education about the many historic landmarks in San Benito County.
The money would go to building a visitors center that includes an area for buses and tourists, as well. It would have interpretive presentations for all three groups.
“We think it is a significant project for all of San Benito County,” McClintock said.
San Juan residents have long been searching for ways to increase traffic in the city.
“It will bring in tourism,” McClintock said. “It really could be an asset and a gateway for the entire county. It is just a perfect place to highlight history and tourism.”
If denied this year, McClintock will likely submit another earmark citing the importance the project holds to the organizations involved and to the continued growth of San Benito.
