Planned commercial developments would dramatically alter the
historic downtown
To hear it told by local residents, Tres Pinos could be making
some big additions that could benefit all of San Benito County.
Local rancher John Eade has proposed a boutique hotel in Tres
Pinos, which has stirred controversy and divided many in the small
town south of Hollister. But the one thing that all agree on: The
hotel would dramatically change the landscape of Tres Pinos.
Planned commercial developments would dramatically alter the historic downtown
To hear it told by local residents, Tres Pinos could be making some big additions that could benefit all of San Benito County.
Local rancher John Eade has proposed a boutique hotel in Tres Pinos, which has stirred controversy and divided many in the small town south of Hollister. But the one thing that all agree on: The hotel would dramatically change the landscape of Tres Pinos.
“As I see it, the No. 1 benefit of a project like this is that instead of just blowing through town, people could stay here and spend money and enjoy themselves,” Eade said. “Research has shown that more than $2 million could be generated from tourism spending annually. That money helps Hollister and San Benito County too, not just Tres Pinos.”
Mitch Bakich, the manager of the Tres Pinos Inn told The Pinnacle in an interview earlier this year that there is customer demand for a hotel.
“[Customers] always ask us if we have rooms because of the name,” Bakich said. “Right now the nicest place to stay is the Ridgemark Cottages. It’s the closest place.”
Bakich encounters people who are popping through the region on their way to play a round of golf or to visit wineries such as Leal Vineyards or DeRose Vineyards. While many of the visitors are local to San Benito, more are coming from outside the region from as far away as San Francisco.
While others see the potential, they are more reserved in benefits the project may reap.
It would happen, but whether it would happen at the level they would want it, I can’t say,” said Al Martinez, the head of the Economic Development Corp. of San Benito County, in an earlier interview with The Pinnacle.
For the last several years Martinez has been tracking tourism and the wine industry for a federal report on local economic development. Tourism numbers have been going up slowly, Martinez said in the same earlier interview, citing San Juan Bautista’s success.
San Juan Bautista, with the Mission and boutique shops, has been planning weekend events, such as the recent craft fair, to bring in tourists. At least one of two hotels in San Juan, La Posada Inn, is doing well, according to Martinez.
“It’s right smack in the middle of the city,” Martinez said. “It has beautiful rooms. It has a sauna bath within walking distance of every restaurant and the place is usually full. It’s doing very well.”
Roughly 50 area residents turned out for a forum last week on proposed commercial development in the historic cattle town.
Gerald Posey, another developer in Tres Pinos, has a plan for a parcel in downtown Tres Pinos that would add several new businesses to the area. He said that he loves the community and wanted to clean up the area when he saw that some of it was becoming run down.
Posey wants to create a walkable square with retail – specifically, three stores, a restaurant and a deck where people could relax and socialize with their neighbors.
“I’d like to build something that the people of Tres Pinos can be proud of,” Posey said.
A third businessman looking to set roots in Tres Pinos is Gary Cornick. He has a small retail wine business and is attempting to open a tasting room. His business has been around for two years, and most of its revenue is generated through mail orders, but Cornick sees potential to add to the growing “wine trail” – a tourism effort that directs visitors to local wineries.
“I think there is great potential to improve what is already there,” Cornick said. “There are several nice restaurants, the Inn [at Tres Pinos] and the Cantina. People already come downtown, so there is a nice start. With a hotel, they’d just have a place to stay. I formerly had a company in Hollister and people would travel here to meet with me for business and they were always struggling to find rooms available.”
Eade’s research shows that the proposed boutique hotel would create 13 management jobs and indirectly create six part-time and two full-time wage jobs. Additionally it would increase tourism spending by $38,800 per week and employee spending by $945 per week.
The San Benito County Chamber of Commerce did not return calls requesting an interview by press time.
But common sense says that if tourists travel from San Francisco, Monterey or San Jose, they might not want to try and take in all the wineries in one day.
“People might stay longer and enjoy themselves a little more knowing they don’t have to drive home,” Bakich said.
Pinnacle reporter Patrick O’Donnell can be reached at [email protected].
Pinnacle reporter Melissa Flores contributed to this report.
