Agenda Item # 14.1 - Carl Hekkert | Received 01/22/2024CAUTION: This email originated from an External Source. Please use proper judgment and caution when opening
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From:Carl Hekkert
To:Public Comments
Subject:EXTERNAL - Public Comment Item #14.1 Property: City-Owned 536 Acres at Hecker Pass (Including Gilroy
Gardens Theme Park)
Date:Monday, January 22, 2024 2:57:08 PM
Gilroy City Council
My name is Carl Hekkert. I'm a lifelong Sunnyvale/SF bay area resident. I'm currently a coach
for Rock Lobster Junior Cycling Team (cyclocross) and Black Mountain
Composite/Development Mountain Bike team (middle school mountain bike team). I'm
also actively involved in the San Jose Bicycle Racing team. Black Mountain Development is
one of the largest middle school and high school mountain bike racing teams in Northern
California. The team is part of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) which
is a national organization developing mountain bike racing and access.
Cyclocross is a cycling event that occurs in all conditions. It is a combination of road and
offroad riding, obstacles (short barricades and steps) as well as undulating terrain. Cyclocross
used to have a broad following in the SF bay area with great locations centered around the Bay
Area Superprestige Series (Golden Gate Park, Coyote Point, Candlestick Park). However, the
lack of locations and permits for these events has severely reduced the cyclocross
calendar in Northern California. The popularity of cyclocross has expanded throughout the
USA but declined in Northern California because of the lack of suitable venues. The primary
inhibitor to putting on competitive events is lack of sufficient parking.
I would like to advocate for a cyclocross and mountain bike park at the Gilroy Gardens
location. My family and I love Gilroy Gardens but my kids have outgrown the rides and
attractions. The location is a perfect opportunity to build a mountain bike park and low key
mountain bike race facility for kids and adults. There is sufficient space to build a cross
country and cyclocross track. Additionally the location provides an opportunity to use
abundant parking to access the facility.
My son is 'huge' into mountain biking. He watches youtube shows on mountain bike parks
around the country. He wants to put on a bike race himself. The problem is there are no
suitable locations. There used to be races at Grant Ranch, Cunningham Park and even Gold
Gate Park. These locations are mostly closed or have restrictions against events. The closest
facility for a mountain bike event in the SF Bay area is now Fort Ord in Monterey to the
South and Stafford Lake area (north of Marin) to the North. THERE ARE NO BAY
AREA CYCLOCROSS OR NICA YOUTH CYCLING EVENTS IN THE BAY
ARE DUE LACK OF SUITABLE FACILITIES.
We would like to help build a mountain bike track for endurance events as well as downhill
events. Gilroy could capitalize on the first facility benefits as well as provide a facility for
national events, including cross country mountain biking and cyclocross. These facilities exist
in Boulder, Co and Fayetteville, AK but are limited in other locations.
I've also supported Santa Cruz Mountain Trail Stewardship and Tahoe Area Mountain Bike
Association. These organizations are ready and able to build world class mountain bike trails.
They have completed trail builds.
Please consider approving the use of the site for building access to a bike park that would
dry athletes from across the bay area as well as provide a venue for regional and national
events.
Thank you
Carl Hekkert
RockLobster Juniors
Black Mountain Composite
San Jose Bicycle Club