In a town hungry for dining options, Hollister resident Jim
DeLaPena’s proposal to develop a restaurant row which could include
the likes of Chili’s, Mimi’s, the Olive Garden and In N’ Out is
sure to whet some appetites.
In a town hungry for dining options, Hollister resident Jim DeLaPena’s proposal to develop a restaurant row which could include the likes of Chili’s, Mimi’s, the Olive Garden and In N’ Out is sure to whet some appetites.
DeLaPena says those restaurants have shown interest in locating on his property on the south side of Chappell Road east of San Felipe Road. The land currently has homes on it, but DeLaPena wants to demolish them so he can build his restaurant row along the long-awaited Highway 25 Bypass, which eventually will create a road circumventing Hollister’s downtown and connecting with Airline Highway near Safeway.
It’s a good plan that we endorse because it will add jobs, tax revenue and dining choices to Hollister’s menu. And, it will keep people looking for a culinary change of pace from going to nearby cities like Gilroy.
There are obstacles to the project, however, and we would like to see our local leaders help DeLaPena overcome them to make it a reality. Caltrans’ plans for the bypass include the construction of a sound wall in front of the land and they do not include an entrance from the road to his property. Both problems are enough to kill the project, DeLaPena said.
The City Council and our Assemblyman Simon Salinas and state Sen. Jeff Denham need to bring their clout to bear and ask Caltrans to make the changes needed to ensure the restaurant row becomes a reality. And, they need to do it quickly because construction on the bypass is expected to begin this summer.
“If the sound wall goes up and stays up, none of the businesses I’ve talked to will want to build there,” DeLaPena told the City Council recently. “Without accessibility we won’t have revenue, we won’t have jobs or shops.”
But, making this project a reality will require some effort from DeLaPena. He needs to show the city a concrete plan with some commitment to the project from tenants so the council can judge their level of interest. Once that’s done, the city should ensure the development review process is completed smoothly and he has the permits in hand when Hollister’s building moratorium is lifted.
As the results of last week’s Free Lance Web poll show, Hollister residents are famished for dinning options. Of the 248 people who voted on whether creating a restaurant row is a good idea, an overwhelming 76 percent said yes.
Clearly, Hollister wants more on its plate.
