This article was written by BenitoLink intern Vivian Guadalupe Sierra
Recreation, tourism and arts advocates say more focus and resources are needed for parks in the community. In general, the 14 people attending BenitoLink’s community vision session said more recreational activities would improve quality of life in the county and help residents feel more connected.
“The statistics prove that parks can physically raise the levels of education and connectivity and reduce the rise of crime,” said Valerie Egland, R.E.A.C.H. San Benito Parks Foundation Executive Director. “It is a positive across the board.”
REACH was created following the 2011-12 Community Foundation for San Benito County Listening Sessions to increase and improve walking and recreational options throughout the county. REACH has published several brochures with maps and suggestions for outdoor activities. BenitoLink, which started publishing in 2012 as a result of the previous Listening Sessions, hosts the Walking San Benito Series, highlighting 23 places to walk or hike in the county.
At BenitoLink’s recreation listening session on Aug. 1. Egland, a resident of San Juan Bautista, and county resident Charlie Parker said the county should have a Parks and Recreation Department in order to achieve connectivity throughout the county, not just within cities.
San Benito Agricultural Land Trust Executive Director Lynn Overtree, along with several other attendees, said that San Benito County falls short of the national standard of having a park within a 10-minute walk for all residents.
Attendees also said that the absence of effective marketing and promotion of recreational services is contributing to a lack of awareness among residents about recreational opportunities currently available to them.
Anne Hall, representing San Benito Stage Company, emphasized the untapped potential.
“I think we have a lot to offer, like Hollister Hills and the ability to get out there on motorized bikes, but there doesn’t seem to be any entity that’s really organized in promoting it,” she said. “There’s a lack of hotels and places to stay in case people want to come and do things. We’re not prepared to support that.”
Other issues attendees discussed were the need for more volunteers in recreation activities and organizations, as well as safety in parks and the impact of homeless residents on recreational spaces, primarily at the Regional Riverview Park, which currently offers walking trails but is planned to include multi-sport fields and other amenities.
Participant Deleta Jones said, “I have the R.E.A.C.H. River Park right up against my property. I used to spend a lot of time down in the river riding my horses. Now there’s a big homeless population down there. At three o-clock in the morning I hear gunshots.”
Considering the worst possible outcomes if these issues persist, Anita Kane, R.E.A.C.H. Board Member and Parker said that San Benito County would continue as a bedroom community, further magnifying disconnection particularly when it comes to the commuter population.
“The population will continue to grow without services, without entertainment and without proper transportation systems creating a feeling of being trapped in SBC,” Kane said. “This will breed growing safety concerns. We’ll see ‘my community is not taking care of me. Why should I take care of it?’ attitudes, increasing a lack of respect within the community.”
Jones said the best possible outcome would be having a more involved and engaged community either physically or virtually.
Participants also discussed economic development. Dana Parker said a performing arts studio in the county would bring revenue if it were capable of hosting major performances.
Hall and Kane said people working where they live and being close to their families will help San Benito County economically because they will have more time to give back to their community.
Attendees also shared actionable solutions the community can take to achieve the desired outcomes.
R.E.A.C.H. Board Member Robin Pollard suggested deploying a large group to press elected officials to prioritize recreational measures.
“When people show up in numbers, they listen because that’s the people putting them in that office,” she said. “When people show up one or two at a time, they just put you off and do what they’re going to do.”
Pollard and Jones also suggested implementing event billboards at the city’s exits as a way to promote local activities to residents and encourage tourism in San Benito County.
Egland and Dana recommended that our county officials explore funding options like the Recreational, Arts, Museums, and Parks (RAMP) Grant in Utah. They said that this could help contribute to the expansion of such services.
As the meeting closed, session leader Corinne Kappeler encouraged attendees to come up with advice for decision-makers. Attendees also touted transparency, noting what they felt has been a disconnect between office-holders and community members.
Pollard asked, “Tourism has been funded by both the county and the city. But I’m wondering where that money has gone. How was it used?”
Many attendees also stressed the need to take the younger people into account when making decisions. This discussion sparked the oft-mentioned dream of making creative use of the Kmart building. A couple guests asked why a landowner can just leave such a potentially useful and needed structure empty.
The Recreation Listening Session is the third in a series of over 20 Community Vision San Benito County meetings planned by BenitoLink for the next few months. Sponsored by the Community Foundation for San Benito County and the Calhoun/Christiano Family Fund, the project hears from a wide variety of community members about the challenges and aspirations they have for the future of the county. Similar sessions were held by the Community Foundation in 2011 and 2012.
An additional listening session specifically on the arts is planned for this Sept. 12 at 5 p.m.
The BenitoLink Internship Program is a paid, skill-building program that prepares local youth for a professional career. This program is supported by Monterey Peninsula Foundation AT&T Golf Tour, United Way, Taylor Farms and the Emma Bowen Foundation.
