Hollister School District cooperating in development of a site
south of town
For the past six years, the YMCA has been in San Benito County
and during that time the organization has expanded its reach to
include a number of after-school outreach programs, but through it
all the one thing it hasn’t had is a proper home.
Hollister School District cooperating in development of a site south of town
For the past six years, the YMCA has been in San Benito County and during that time the organization has expanded its reach to include a number of after-school outreach programs, but through it all the one thing it hasn’t had is a proper home.
The YMCA has developed after-school sites at Sunnyslope School, Ladd Lane School, Spring Grove School, San Juan Bautista School, and most recently Gabilan Hills School.
Throughout its tenure there has always been talk about building a permanent facility, but the endeavor required finances and a suitable location. YMCA now appears to have cleared one hurdle, with the announcement that the organization is in negotiations for a location.
“I’ve always said you can have a YMCA without the facility, but everyone involved has always felt that a facility in San Benito County was a key element,” said YMCA Executive Director Lou Bettencourt.
Some of the early plans have shown that the new facility could be as big as 85,000 square-feet, but Bettencourt said that this might be an overshot. He said that 35,000-45,000 square-feet is pretty comparable for an average YMCA facility; but San Benito County’s YMCA wants to continue working with the community to allow them to occupy space in the facility as well. So, a more likely estimate for the size of the facility is closer to 60,000 square-feet with possible additions to come later.
The location for the new facility would be adjacent to Ladd Lane School, just off Union Road. Bettencourt a site selection team looked at other sites, but with the visibility and development-friendly topography of the 7.5-acre site, they knew it was right. A center would contain athletic facilities, meeting rooms and office space.
The Hollister School District recently declared the land surplus, and the YMCA anticipates no problem acquiring the site. Things are still in the very early stages of development, but Bettencourt is hopeful that more information will be available soon.
“A new facility will hugely extend our reach into the community to the parts of it we can’t currently reach. Right now, we pay $35 per hour to rent gym space for pick-up basketball games, but if we had our own space it would be much easier,” said Bettencourt. “Likewise we could have additional meeting rooms and space for arts and crafts. We need kids doing something after school, we can’t have them as latch-key kids.”
Early estimates have put the price of the new facility in the range of $12.8 million, but the first steps that need to be completed include securing the land and completing a capital feasibility study.
The San Benito County YMCA recently finished its annual Community Support Campaign, which raised $81,000 for the year; its goal was $75,000. The annual campaign raises funds to provide financial assistance to families and children demonstrating financial need, as well as to subsidize existing programs and services.
The first step toward making the project a reality is securing the $50,000 for the feasibility study and the land acquisition, but Bettencourt is confident they will not have a problem.
He estimated that there are currently 100 kids in the after-school program and that the summer program, which operates out of Sacred Heart School draws more and more kids annually.
“One of the things we’re always trying to do is add more programs to meet all the expanding interests of the kids. This year we’re expanding our programs to include specialty camps.”
The specialty camps focus on particular interests, including cooking, golf, tennis and soccer. There is also a Sierra Excursion Camp geared for older kids, which takes place in the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains, near Mammoth Lakes. The weeklong trip includes camping, swimming, fishing and all the other activities that usually go on at summer camp.
“Just like the after-school programs, we’re trying to meet the growing needs of this community. There are certain YMCA programs that are staples, the after-school program and the summer camp, but then we kind of branched out from there. We offer karate, yoga and even hip-hop dance classes,” said Bettencourt. Last year was the first year that the organization offered youth basketball.
Throughout it all, Bettencourt said that the organization has had tremendous support from the community, the city and school districts.
“Timing and good luck are two of the things that have followed us throughout our progression in San Benito County,” said Bettencourt.
The club’s range has broadened significantly since that first year when they operated out of Park Hill. The city eventually found the Y its current facility located on Fifth Street – in the old city hall building – a few doors down from the current city hall.
