Riverview Regional Park Development

The San Benito County Resource Management Agency is seeking input on the proposed design process for construction of the Riverview Regional Park from the community and interested public agencies.

PROJECT LOCATION 

The proposed project site is located at the Riverview Regional Park, River Pkwy Hollister, CA 95023. 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

San Benito County has been working to develop the Riverview Regional Park. The Regional Park, which is many years in the making (initial planning was completed 11 years ago), will provide open space and educational, recreational, and health benefits to all citizens of San Benito County. Recently with the passage of Proposition 68, the State of California has released a grant opportunity for up to $3M for the development of Regional Parks. With the completion of Riverview Parkway, San Benito High School has provided the County with a 99-year lease for a total of 46.9 acres of undeveloped land next to the San Benito River.  

Currently we have $2.5M in unencumbered Park Development Funds. This funding will not be enough to construct the envisioned park facility developed through the master plan process that was completed approximately 10 years ago, but the County will begin by providing greater accessibility and recreational opportunities. These funds will be used for the following: to complete the initial surveying, consultations with engineers and biologists, and the development of the facility's initial design. Finally, some of these funds (approximately 40-50%) will be used to construct a temporary parking area and ADA accessible trail head as soon as a design has been completed and the environmental clearance has been granted. This temporary parking facility is being requested by SBHSD and RMA staff to resolve the lack of parking and accessibility issues currently occurring.

RIVERVIEW REGIONAL PARKWAY PROJECT BACKGROUND

The San Benito River is a 109 mile river that runs through the County of San Benito. A Master Plan for a River Parkway has been developed for a 20-mile corridor. Within the plan there are five “reaches” identified for potential multi-use trail and parkway amenities. Most of the land within the River Parkway area is privately owned and will require future cooperation of local landowners to implement expansion phases along the river. The central reach (Reach Three) was identified, in the 2013 River Parkway Focus Area & Regional Park Master Plan report, as a focus area for the first phases of the River Parkway implementation.

One of the factors that contributed to the identification of this location was the ownership and pending lease agreement of three parcels, totaling 47 acres, by the San Benito High School District and County of San Benito as well as the out-right ownership of a 23 acre parcel by the County. The parcels include space for a Regional Park above the River Parkway Focus area. Additional factors included: accessibility (close proximity to City of Hollister and residential neighborhoods), location to San Benito High School (sports opportunities for youth), and limited recreational opportunities in the immediate area.

The planning process for the River Parkway Focus Area began in 2012 when the County organized an advisory committee that included a broad range of stakeholders, including members from the City of Hollister, school districts, and various community, economic, and transportation agencies and organizations. Meetings and community workshops were held to gather suggestions on goals, concepts, and park uses.

The design of the River Parkway Focus Area was to include the following elements:

• Paved Trails for Runners and Walkers
• Equestrian Trails
• Primary and Secondary Staging Areas
• Equestrian Staging Area
• Restrooms
• Picnic Areas Along Trail
• Distance Markers
• Bike Skills Park/Pump Track
• Disc Golf
• Education/Interpretive Signs
• Par Course for Exercise
• Trail Amenities/Site Furnishings

In 2018, through a partnership with the San Benito High School District and City of Hollister an access road was built to provide for future access to the Regional Park and River Parkway that included a two lane road and separate bike/walking path. The access road and bike/walking path was paid for through County collected Park and Recreation Impact fees. This will provide for future access to portions of Section 2 and Section 3 of the River Parkway Focus Area and Regional Park The County has identified that the funding available from the Statewide Park Program (Proposition 68) can be used to help increase accessibility and recreational opportunities available at the current regional park open space area. The project will focus around the following elements that were identified in the 2013 River Parkway Focus Area & Regional Park Master Plan report:

1. Parking Lot
3. Paved Multi-Use Trails
5. Site Furnishings

Riverview Regional Park booklet

 We want your input!

SUBMIT COMMENT

Comments can be submitted to: 

Email: mchambless@cosb.us