Historical Resource Inventory
HRI Survey Areas Designated In Dark Green
Written By Larry J. Mickartz
M
ost people know that Gilroy has an exceptional
history. From its earliest days with the Amah
Mutsun Native People, the Gilroy area has been
a crossroads town. The tradition continued
with the Spanish and the Mexican occupants clear up to the
incorporation of the town in 1868.
A big part of our history is knowing what we have. Back
in 1985-86 the City of Gilroy conducted an inventory of
historical sites. Over 300 structures were surveyed. Six sites
eventually ended up on the National Register of Historic
Places; sixteen on the Santa Clara County Heritage Resource
Inventory and fifty-one were designated as Gilroy Historic
Sites. Getting registered on the National, California, Santa
Clara County or Gilroy list of historical resources is a
separate process not covered by this inventory. Although the
inventory is one of the foundations for an application to one
of these lists.
Push forward some thirty years and the City of Gilroy has
contracted for an updated Historic Resource Inventory. The
City signed a contract with Dudek to do a Historic Resource
Inventory. The Dudek website describes its services: “We
are environmental planners, scientists and engineers who
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GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
help clients plan, design and build projects that improve
communities’ built and natural infrastructure.” The City of
Gilroy lead on the project is Pamela Wu, Senior Planner.
The Historic Resource Inventory put together by Dudek
began in July 2018 and wrapped up in October of 2019.
Dudek staff are completing the survey portion of the
project. Some 3,426 sites have been surveyed and photo-
graphed. The preliminary criteria for a review are that the
site must be at least 45 years old and within the city limits.
The Dudek project administrator, Samantha Murray, was
questioned on why 45 years. She explained that typically
it takes five years from the start to get final review and
approval from the City. At that point the project is then a
snapshot of the city’s historic sites that are 50 years old!
You might have noticed Dudek employees wandering
around gathering information and taking photos of sites
with their iPads. All photos were taken from the public right
of way. The next step in the process is to compile all this
information, validate it and produce a final inventory. There
is a significant amount of additional research and follow up
before the project is complete and submitted to the City.
june/july 2019
gmhtoday.com