Roadway change opens up opportunities along main drag
There is a growing sense of excitement over what could happen
with San Benito Street once the Highway 25 bypass is built. Now
developers are saying construction could begin by February.
Roadway change opens up opportunities along main drag
There is a growing sense of excitement over what could happen with San Benito Street once the Highway 25 bypass is built. Now developers are saying construction could begin by February.
The project has been in the works for more than a decade, but County Planner Mary Dinkuhn indicated the Council of San Benito County Governments had been advertising for bids during the month of December and will award a bid some time in January so that the project can get started by February.
Though the Highway 25 bypass has been discussed for nearly 30 years, the actual plans began to materialize back in 1989 with the passage of Measure A.
The estimated to cost of the project is $43 million. It will create a path of Highway 25 that bypasses downtown Hollister. The bypass will be a new road near McCray Street; previously construction has been estimated at two years.
One byproduct of the new bypass will be a new commercial district. The San Benito County Planning department is working on rezoning some areas along Hillcrest, which will be home to a new home improvement and garden center box store as well as other stores.
Despite the new commercial district, some downtown business owners believe the bypass project will breathe new life into San Benito Street.
“We need a clear main street for the shoppers,” said downtown merchant Rick Maddux, who owns Maddux Jewelers. “We have older shoppers who won’t stop here unless there is a spot directly in front of the store because they’re afraid of crossing the street. There are no crosswalks at the corners of Sixth and Seventh Streets.”
As part of a state highway, San Benito Street currently falls within the jurisdiction of the California Department of Transportation. Once the bypass is built, it will be under the city’s control, allowing the city discretion over the installation of traffic lights, stop signs and crosswalks where it likes.
There will also be fewer formalities involved when the city wants to host a parade or organize a downtown event because they will not have to seek clearance from the state.
“Until we have San Benito Street back, we can’t do a number of events so we’re anxiously anticipating the bypass,” said Downtown Business Association Executive Director Brenda Weatherly. “There are a number of events we’d like to look at putting on downtown, but until we have San Benito Street back we can’t do them.”
Gordon Machado, a local business owner and member of the Hollister planning commission explained that the bypass is way overdue, but better late than never.
“The process has been a little slower than I’d like to see it, but it will make the downtown more pedestrian friendly,” Machado said. “We also need to keep pushing for clarity of what will be done with Main Street.”
Machado also sits on the New Urban Committee and he said the group has several interesting ideas of how the downtown could re-define itself the group has culminated from other nearby cities.
Patrick O’Donnell can be reached at [email protected].
