In a unanimous decision, the board of supervisors Tuesday
approved a contract with the Hollister Hills State Vehicular
Recreation that will help funnel $35,000 to the county’s parks and
recreation commission over the next year and a half
– with hopes of enhancing use of the grounds.
In a unanimous decision, the board of supervisors Tuesday approved a contract with the Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation that will help funnel $35,000 to the county’s parks and recreation commission over the next year and a half – with hopes of enhancing use of the grounds.
While the agreement will create a partnership between the county and the park in hopes of creating more awareness for its current recreational activities, Hollister Hills is exploring more opportunities for hiking, biking and horseback riding.
Under the agreement, Hollister Hills will support the San Benito County Parks and Recreation Commission with $11,000 for the rest of fiscal year and an additional $25,000 for the next fiscal year.
The 3,200-acre park in the Gabilan Mountains is a popular destination for campers and off-road vehicle users. Over the past few months, supervisors and other county employees have toured the area looking at other possibilities for the area.
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The agreement comes after the county asked the parks and recreation commission to reduce the frequency of its meetings from monthly to quarterly. During that Oct. 26 board meeting, commissioners asked the board for more time to look for other funding sources.
In response, Hollister Hills’ representatives proposed a plan to fund the parks and recreation commission and in return receive more collaborative planning, according to the staff report.
The funding will help the commission to “continue its efforts to implement the Parks and Recreation Facilities Master Plan, and assists Hollister Hills with planning support services,” according to the report.
“The county works with the community partners to establish recreational opportunities,” public works official Janelle Cox said, “and these new opportunities are going to meet the needs of residents, but they are also going to enhance the economic viability of this community as we strengthen the relationships out there in our community.”
The board praised the partnership between the county and the park.
“I’m excited about this opportunity,” Supervisor Anthony Botelho said. “It’s a really good venue for us to explore all the opportunities. As we expand recreation in San Benito County, it does lead to economic potential, and it does go hand and hand.”
Supervisor Robert Rivas believed it was a good opportunity for the growth of the parks throughout the county.
“I think this is a great partnership,” he said. “I think this is a step in the right direction.”
Supervisor Margie Barrios called the partnership “wonderful”.
“There is a lot of great things that can come from this,” she said. “We have one of the most pristine, most beautiful areas in Hollister Hills.”
Hollister Hills District Superintendent Jeff Gaffney said the park would hold a survey with its 250,000 yearly visitors to determine what they want for the park and future improvements. The Parks and Recreation Commission, to further explore recreational activities, would then use the survey.
It is believed that more than half of the users of the park spend more than $90 per visit in the surrounding area – while the survey and partnership with the county will be aimed for users to spend more time and money within the county and the city of Hollister.
“This is a great opportunity for meeting all the points we need to on our planning efforts,” Gaffney said. “I really look forward to the opportunity to work together.”
Parks and Recreation Chairman Don Kelly expressed gratitude.
“This is a unique opportunity to let us move forward with the aspects of the master plan,” he said.
The parks and recreation commission passed its master plan in July of last year, and commissioners complained that a reduction in the frequency of the commission meetings would hamper the master plan’s development. The agreement with Hollister Hills will avoid any changes to commission’s meeting schedule.
The agreement outlines nine planning efforts for the county and Hollister Hills to work on.
Developing new lands for non-off-road vehicle users and improving communication between the county and the state park highlight the plan.
The agreement also calls for improved involvement from the public and Hollister Hills.
The agreement will run to June 30, 2012.
