Students and community members have hiked the pastoral hills behind Gavilan College for more than 25 years – until recently, when private property owners put the kibosh on public trail access, causing quite a stir on campus.
Monday morning, Gavilan College staff received an email from campus security warning them that the trail had been closed to the public, said Jan Bernstein-Chargin, Gavilan’s public information director.
By noon Monday, word had spread around campus about the two-mile trail loop’s demise. A large, shiny sign that read “No Public Access, Private Property” stood near a wire fence just about a quarter of a mile into the yellow wildflower-dotted trail near Gavilan’s gymnasium.
The school and the property’s owners enjoyed a friendly relationship for years that allowed students and the public to walk the trails behind Gavilan, despite the fact the land was privately owned, said Gavilan’s Athletic Director Ron Hannon.
“The property owners are entitled to protect their property, and we’re going to do our very best to respect that and make sure that our students are adhering to the guidelines,” Hannon said.
Longtime Gilroyans Don and Barbara Westbrook – owners of Westbrook Advertising in Gilroy – have owned the acreage for many years, according to Berstein-Chargin. Don died in November at the age of 79 but the property has remained in the family.
Hannon said college administration isn’t sure why the area was closed all of a sudden, but wondered if it stemmed from problems with trail users in the past, or the owner’s attempt to protect themselves from liability in the future.
On Tuesday afternoon, Associated Student Body President Mario Escudero, 36, made the short jaunt to the new trail ending, lamenting the loss of the tranquil trek students used for exercise between classes.
“Man, it’s so nice out here,” Escudero said, pausing to take in the warm March sun near the newly erected private property sign. “This is such a shame, you know? This was something we loved to hike, it is such a healthy activity for students. So much better than sitting around.”
As Escudero lingered by the fence and sign, several other groups of runners and walkers approached, then reluctantly turned around.
“I’m a soccer player, so this trail was perfect for me. I guess I’ll have to find somewhere else to go,” 20-year-old student Martin Martinez said.
Martinez’ friend Jacqueline Rojo, 25, said she’ll miss the scenery and exercise she enjoyed from the woodsy open space but understands why the property owners might want to close it off.
“Maybe they don’t want something bad to happen. If they own it, maybe they don’t want to be a liability,” Rojo said.
Chiming in, Escudero agreed that could be the case.
“Yeah, maybe a cow charged a hiker or something,” he said, adding that the hills are littered with packs of roaming bovines.
“It would be nice to know who owns it so we can maybe come to a solution,” he added. “This is going to be a big deal on campus.”
Calls to the Westbrook’s family advertising business were not returned by deadline.
While the trail begins and ends on Gavilan property, Hannon said that the school plans to respect the family’s private property rights.
Hannon also pointed out that students have plenty of other options for exercise on campus, such as the track and the paths on the school’s grounds. And because the public has many more choices of trails in the greater Gilroy area, the loss of this one at Gavilan won’t be too mourned, he speculates.
But the small sample of walkers who were spotted having to turn around at the trail’s new dead end disagreed.
“The scenery is so nice here,” said Estafania Hernandez, 21, who jogs the trail about three times per week. “We can walk around the track but it’s just not the same. I’ll miss it.”
