Minutes 1954/06/28
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Gilroy, California
June 2b,1954
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This special meeting of the Common Council called by the sending of
notices to the Councilmen and the press twenty-four hours in advance
of the meeting is called to order by His Honor Mayor George M.Mason
at 8:10 P.M. in the Council Chambers,City Hall.
Present:Coun2ilmen Carl W.Pate,Charles Gal1o,J.Hughes Kennedy,
Courtland M.Rush,Kenneth L.Petersen,Segundo Sanchez.
The Mayor announces that the purpose of this meeting is to discuss
the improvement of Monterey street.
Mr.Fred Bagshaw representing Mr.Frank B.Durkee,director of Public
Works,State of California, is also present.
The Mayor now calls UpO>ll anyone in the audience for any comment they
care to make either for or against the improvanent of Monterey Street.
Mr. Irvin Hollister now appears before the Council and states that he
is not opposed to the improvement 0 f Monterey Street but is opposed to
to construction of the "center Strip".
Mr.Justin Byers now appears before the Council and states that he is
opposed the construction of the 11 center strip" and cites the number of
driveways on Monterey Street and states further that he does not want
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to fight anybody.
Don Chesbro now appear& before the Council to protest the con-
struction of the "center Striplt end asks why four feet should be
taken from the sidewalks when,in his estimation, two feet would be
sufficient.
Mr.Fred Bagshaw is now called upon by the Mayor stating that in-
formation had come to the office othe Director of Public Works that
there was dissension in Gilroy over the improvement of Monterey
street and assures the Mayor and Council and those assembled that
it is not the po1icy of the Department of Public Works to create
disagreement and further that the interest- of the Director in this
matter is evidenced by the fact that he,1w.Bagshaw,is present.
Councilmen Pate,Rush and Kennedy join in the discussion of the
project.
Councilman P ate asks if anyone present objects to~the proposed
cut-back of the sidewalks. Mr.Hol1ister suggests that further time
be taken to discuss this problem.
Councilman Sanchez suggests that the attitute of the State be
ascertained in respect to the agreement signed by the City and the
State.
The City Attorney,at the request of the Mayor~ now discusses
a possible resolution and he is- instructed by the Mayor to proceed
to draw a resolution.
RESOLUTION NO.327 is presented and read.
1'~otion by Councilman Rush,seconded by Councilman Pate that
RESOLUTION NO.327 be adopted.
RESOLUTION NO.327
WHEREAS, the Department of Public Works,Division of Highways,of
the State of California, has entered into a written agreement with
the City of Gilroy for t he improvement of Monterey Street in the
said City of Gilroy,which street is a part of the State Highway
system,and said agre~ment was entered into after extended negot-
iations between the ~arties thereto and after pUblic meetings were
held in the City of GilrOy to obtain the sentiments of its citizens
relating to the improvement,from which meetings it developed that
there was almost unanimous approval of the project in general but
there was most vigorous opposition on the part of many citizens and
property owners to the.inc1usion in the work of a center or dividing
strip; and
WHEREAS, prior to the execution of the aforesaid agreement,the
Common Council of the City of Gilroy did consider the matter of
the improvement and the ObJections to the center strip,and the
said Common Council was unanimously opposed to the inclusion of
a center strip but, because it had been advised by the Division of
Highways and informed that unless the center strip was included in
the project the entire work would be cancelled and abandoned, ~t
nevertheless entered into the agreement because of the over-all
desirability of obtaining the improvement; and
WHEREAS, the City of Gilroy has agreed to contribute $150,000.00,
a very substantial amount from its own tax money, toward the cost
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of t he improvement, and the op~n~on and desire of its citizens and of
the Common Council of the City of Gilroy relating to the type of im-
provement,e~ecially the center strip, should be given serious con-
sideration by the Department of Public Works;and
WHEREAS, the people of the City of Gilroy are practically unanimous
in favor of improving Monterey Street if the said center strip is elim-
inated but nearly all of the owners of property located along Monterey
Street are very seriously opposed to the inclusion of a center strip
and to the improvement if said center strip is a part of the work,and a
considerable number of the owners of businesses located along Monterey
street will suffer losses lif the center strip is a part of the project;
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?ffiEREAS, the members of the present Common Council of the City of
Gilroy and of the preceding Council which authorized the execution of
the said contract were unanimously opposed to the inclusion of the center
strip but have been led to believe that the said center strip could not
be done away with unless the entire improvement was abandoned;and
WHEREAS, this Common Council of the City of Gilroy believes that the
Department of Public lforks has never understood the extent of the oppos-
ition to the said center strip o~ the strife it has created among the
citizens and property owners of the City and the reasons for the oppos-
ition,and that this serious situation should be called to the attention
of the Department of Public Works and an effort made to secure the e1imina
tion of the center strip from the plans and specifications for said project.
NON, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED:
That this Common Council of the City of Gilroy does oppose the inclusion
of a center strip in the improvement of Monterey Street in the City of
Gilroy and does recommend and request that the ~epartment of Public Works
defer the awarding of any contract covering the improvement until it can
investigate the matter of said center strip and the opposition thereto, and
that upon such investigation it eliminate the center strip and revise its
plans and specifications covering the project accordingly.
BE: IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That a copy of the Resolution duly certified by the City Clerk of the
City of Gilroy be forwarded to Frank B.Durkee,Director of Public Works,
and to George T.McCoy,StateHighway Engineer.
PASSED and ADOPTED this 28th day of June,1954, by the following vote:
AYES: Councilmen Pate,Gal1o,Kennedy,Rush,Petersen,Sanchez
NOES: Councilmen None
ABSENT: Councilmen None
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Att~t:
\5~.~
City Clerk
There being no further business to come before this meeting the Mayor
now declares this meeting adj ourned.
(5 G..~
City Clerk