Panelists and readers answered the following this week:
Do you support closing San Benito Street downtown for several days during the holiday shopping season to seal and re-stripe the road into two lanes with turn pockets?
Ruth Erickson: The street could have been striped at a later date, allowing downtown businesses to take full advantage of shoppers at this time of year. As for four lanes to two, I didn’t agree with it when it was first suggested. Gilroy also had a consultant plan their main street years ago. A lot of funds were spent with negative results. It was so inconvenient and unpopular that eventually Monterey Road was redesigned and rebuilt with more funds expended. Just because a consultant makes suggestions doesn’t mean the ideas have to be accepted. Hopefully we won’t have to go through future similar problems as Gilroy had to.
Keith Snow: I feel that they should not close San Benito Street for the holidays. I spoke with professional engineers about this problem, me being a professional engineer, a retired professional engineer, explaining to them how it would be wrong to do a job in the wintertime. These projects need to be done at 80 degrees or more in the summertime. It will be a waste of taxpayers’ money and poor workmanship and a waste of money. Being professionals that they say they are, they should know that the seal will not sit over the asphalt due to cold weather. What were they thinking?
Isabella Zanger: Just do it! Four days are a small price to pay for the ultimate shopping experience, which can still be enjoyed the week before Christmas. Four days of closure makes a huge gift under the tree for downtown merchants. This gift, a downtown shopping mall, gift wrapped in two lanes of slow traffic and bow tied in pocket turns, arrived just in time for Santa to enjoy.
Ann Ross: Yes. Expected weather is the critical factor to avoid impeding progress. The project is ready to go; let’s do it. There simply isn’t an “optimal” time to close our downtown roads. To expedite improving the road quality and logistics of downtown traffic will ultimately impact local businesses positively.
Nants Foley: It seems they could wait until the week after Christmas, but what do I know?
Bill Mifsud: NO. This project should wait. After Jan. 1, they can take all the time they want. We had the farmers market, downtown street festival, lights on parade and now as a downtown business owner they may want to cut into our time. I think the city should be more receptive to what the business owners want and that is start the project 1-1-16.
Kathina Szeto: As proposed, this project will only take a day if they close the full street. It’ll be a couple of days, if they close one side at a time, and then another day to finalize and complete the work. We would love to see children with their grandmas/grandpas, young families with baby strollers walking around downtown Hollister during the holidays, and exploring local shops. Yes, we support a neighborhood feeling, and believe that it should be implemented as soon as possible. We support small businesses in our wonderful and historic little downtown! Thank you for asking.
Christy Howe: Why start using common sense and logic now?
