Carnegie and Hollister SVRAs; your input requested

[Butch]

Our pals at CORVA have a meeting on Wednesday with the new State Parks Director, specifically regarding these two riding areas that many of us frequent.

If you have any comments or concerns I can forward them to be discussed. If you post here I will share with the CORVA folks.

 

[Frame Maker]

Hey Butch, First off, thanks for stepping up to listen and relay our concerns. That is much appreciated.:thumbup

Personally I am a regular rider at Carnegie. My concern is with overcrowding (especially on weekends during winter months). I see the text alerts almost every Saturday and Sunday that the park is closed due to capacity limits.

So with that in mind, the obvious question is to the status of the Tesla expansion project? I know that this has been an on going legal battle. I'd like to know if there is any hope of the expansion ever going through or it it has been permanently killed? If the expansion does not happen, how does the state plan to manage overcrowding in the future?

Thanks.

 

[Butch]

The new Director is key for the expansion process tp continue. Or community needs more trails, as a safety issue among other things.
And no, the expansion is not dead. Just that Garamendi keeps throwing shit in our spokes.

That would be a good comment...

Dude, why haven’t we ridden together yet?

 

[Frame Maker]

The new Director is key for the expansion process tp continue. Or community needs more trails, as a safety issue among other things.
And no, the expansion is not dead. Just that Garamendi keeps throwing shit in our spokes.

That would be a good comment...

Thanks for the update.:thumbup

Dude, why haven’t we ridden together yet?

Ya, I know. Let make it happen. My schedule is super flexible these days. How's your week looking?

 

[gixxerjeff]

Butch, Julian posted my sentiments and concerns nearly word for word.
1) My words can not adequately convey my gratitude to you for your continued work and involvement on our behalf.
2) I too watch my phone vibrate off the table earlier and earlier each winter weekend morning with text alerts that essentially say "Carnegie is sold out, stay away". Yes, it would be nice to have access to "all of our property" someday but I'm not holding my breath.
Fortunately work has me swamped lately. Those texts help remove my feelings of guilt and regret for not being able to make it out there as often as I'd like. :laughing

 

[cheez]

+1 on the "Carnegie SVRA needs the Tesla expansion area completed!"

 

[m0t0_ryder]

Thanks Butch.
And CORVA!

I know you said Carnegie and Hollister.
Since overcrowding has been mentioned I'd also like to request an update on Clear Creek.
Best way to "un-crowd" these two parks is to re-open the largest park we had.
Can't see how it would hurt to bring this up.

Carnegie expansion is another key topic.

 

[elemetal]

One main issue to bring up would be how the expansion will be staged. What I've seen with other park expansions (non motorized) is they open the new area (according to the new rules) then close the old area and "re-hab" it to match the new rules. This means that overall use is still stuck in a limited space for long time after new area access is achieved.
It would be great if we could push them to open the new and leave the old in place for 5 years before starting to "re-hab" the old.

 

[banshee01]

Thanks Butch.
And CORVA!

I know you said Carnegie and Hollister.
Since overcrowding has been mentioned I'd also like to request an update on Clear Creek.
Best way to "un-crowd" these two parks is to re-open the largest park we had.
Can't see how it would hurt to bring this up.

Carnegie expansion is another key topic.

Clear creek reopening would be sweel but the bill from 2019 jimmy panetta introduced just sits

Thanks Butch!

 

[Butch]

Good stuff guys. Keep it coming.
Armando Quintero is the new Director. i hear he is a decent, and smart, guy... https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=27972

 

[NorCalBusa]

Besides the county having its own obligation to residents to maintain the road, HH/State Parks pays a boatload of money to San Benito County to maintain Cienega Rd.

San Benito notoriously doesn't do shit in that regard until someone raises hell and the silly drive by slinging asphalt and tar while praying it sticks doesn't turn the crank. The gravel/rock quarey farther up Cienega doesn't help- the road needs proper work, its that simple.

Suggest the state hold the county to their agreement- they are sure paying for the work in any regard.

 

[banshee01]

Besides the county having its own obligation to residents to maintain the road, HH/State Parks pays a boatload of money to San Benito County to maintain Cienega Rd.

San Benito notoriously doesn't do shit in that regard until someone raises hell and the silly drive by slinging asphalt and tar while praying it sticks doesn't turn the crank. The gravel/rock quarey farther up Cienega doesn't help- the road needs proper work, its that simple.

Suggest the state hold the county to their agreement- they are sure paying for the work in any regard.

Great suggestion

 

[budman]

Thanks Butch.
And CORVA!

I know you said Carnegie and Hollister.
Since overcrowding has been mentioned I'd also like to request an update on Clear Creek.
Best way to "un-crowd" these two parks is to re-open the largest park we had.
Can't see how it would hurt to bring this up.

Carnegie expansion is another key topic.

Agree with the above and as always Butch. YOU ROCK! :thumbup

 

[NorCal Factory]

As HH gets overused the trails need more maintenance - some whooped out areas are just a pain - we don’t want it smooth just the worst 10%

And the Cieniga road is a disgrace for how much tourism it supports.

HH needs a reservation system and higher occupancy levels during COVID. Metcalf uses one.

The knee jerk arbitrary low levels of HH don’t make sense. Limit non-family group sizes but everyone is dispersed in the pits and on the trails. It should be at 75-100% normal. Has anyone got any data that has proven there is an issue? Anyone who has been there can actually see how the people are dispersed by design anyway.
Encourage keeping different households in different vehicles to/from HH by increasing car count limits.
Set realistic max group sizes of 6-8 per table or parking spot.

Vs limiting car counts which drives more mixed families per vehicle while driving to HH and further increases risk by closing access thereby having them spend another hour together with the same air in the car.

 

[Clem Kevin]

Besides the county having its own obligation to residents to maintain the road, HH/State Parks pays a boatload of money to San Benito County to maintain Cienega Rd.

San Benito notoriously doesn't do shit in that regard until someone raises hell and the silly drive by slinging asphalt and tar while praying it sticks doesn't turn the crank. The gravel/rock quarey farther up Cienega doesn't help- the road needs proper work, its that simple.

Suggest the state hold the county to their agreement- they are sure paying for the work in any regard.

You need to come and live here in Petrolia. Our entire area is as bad as that road is. It's fuggin hilarious.

To contribute: I would totally bring my bike down to the bay if Carnegie was expanded. And yes, the road to Hollister Hills is criminally bad.

 

[onto1wheel]

This might be too late for today, and sorry I didn't have time to think of good solutions, but:
The problem is loading up, driving to HHills, and then getting sent home because full!
A reservation system?
A call-back or txt when I can get in?
I don't know the answer.

thanks

 

[NorCalBusa]

You need to come and live here in Petrolia. Our entire area is as bad as that road is. It's fuggin hilarious.

Can't count the number of times I've ridden Lost Coast and all around there (intentionally and otherwise). Nothing like dirt trails, hill climbs and crossing fields on a Hayabusa... :afm199

 

[KooLaid]

I would REALLY like a larger (longer/more open) MX track.

Carnegie needs wifi for the kiddo's distance learning and dirt bike breaks lol.