After 20 years in the making, it will bridge the gap needed to
proliferate the awareness of San Benito County’s rich history
– literally.
After 20 years in the making, it will bridge the gap needed to proliferate the awareness of San Benito County’s rich history – literally.
The construction of a bridge adjoining Highway 25 with the county Historical Society’s Historic Village, directly across from the Bolado Park Golf Course, will finally begin in late May or early June, said Peter Sonne, the society’s president.
It will enable the village, which consists of about six acres on a 33-acre park owned by the county, to remain open for the duration of the year instead of only during the summer months.
Currently, a temporary low-water crossing is put in place by the California Department of Fish and Game from mid-May to the end of October where the 215-foot permanent bridge will reside, Sonne said.
“Part of the problem is that the park is closed during the winter … so, when the public gets acclimated to the place being open it’s about time for the temporary crossing to be pulled out,” Sonne said. “So then it just sits.”
The bridge’s construction has been put off for years because of bureaucratic obstacles and miles of red tape pertaining to permits, funding, etc.
Attempting to involve the necessary agencies such as Caltrans, Fish and Game, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other environmental agencies has been difficult, Sonne said.
“It’s just a deal where they didn’t think it was important enough,” he said. “A lot of the leaders in the community government just thought they had bigger and better things to do.”
Last year, the society finally kicked things into high gear by involving Congressman Sam Farr’s office in its endeavor, which helped in contacting federal agencies and moving the process along more quickly, Sonne said.
With Farr’s help, along with increased support from the county, the approximately $1 million bridge will be financed through Caltrans and the Federal Highways Administration, Sonne said.
Any money the county allocates toward the project will be reimbursed as to not encroach on its tight budget, he said.
Often times, both newcomers and longtime residents of the county don’t realize the village exists, and the society is hoping that keeping it open year round will breed a renewed interest in the county’s past, Sonne said.
“The whole focus is on that bridge,” he said. “It’s like that movie, ‘The Bridge on the River Kwai.’ Without that bridge, we’re kind of dead in the water.”
With the bridge in place, the community will be able to access the village and the outlying park for picnics and recreational use, along with society functions and events.
The Historic Society will also be able to step into the community forefront by hosting interpretive programs for schools, 4-H groups and Girl and Boy Scout Troops.
In the past, school children have had to travel to King City to visit organized collections of local history at the Monterey County Agriculture and Rural Life Museum. The bridge will allow students to see firsthand, in a beautiful and rustic environment, what used to be San Benito County life, Sonne said.
“We’re the keepers of the history of the county,” he said. “Next year and 10 years from now, the history of today will be just as important as the last 100 years have been.”
After the last bit of paper work is completed in the next three to four weeks, construction of the bridge will be put out to bid, with a tentative completion date in either November or December.
In the meantime, the society will be holding several large functions, throughout May and June, at the park to help drum up support – both in the form of membership, volunteers, donations and basic interest.
With the bridge’s completion, it will mean revamping many facets of the society’s structure and many more hours of work to keep the park maintained and running the entire year, Sonne said.
“In a way, it’s a little bit of a scary situation because once that bridge does go up, it’s going to be a whole new way of thinking,” he said. “Luckily, we’ve been planning for it.”
As one of the oldest nonprofit organizations in San Benito County, the society is hoping the crossing will continue to help bridge the gap between new and old, past and present.
And along with it, show the county and the community the society’s reaffirmed dedication to propagating something too important to let disappear – its history.
“This is really a gem that if we have year-round access to we can develop,” Sonne said. “And the community will have something we can be really proud of.”
For more information about the San Benito County Historical Society or its upcoming events, visit www.sbchistoricalsociety.org.
