gmhTODAY 26 gmhTODAY June July 2019 | Page 10

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 10 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