Ben Lomond Village Alliance

By Julie Horner

Santa Cruz County Parks Department Superintendent Jesse Williams and Recreation Supervisor Sarah Shea met with the newly formed Ben Lomond Village Alliance recently to begin laying the groundwork to revitalize Ben Lomond’s historic Mill Street and surrounding areas. The goal is to partner with county representatives, local businesses, and concerned individuals from the San Lorenzo Valley to reclaim the central district from neglect and restore it as a vibrant community hub.

Mill Street is home to historic Park Hall, which is operated as a performance theater and maintained by the citizens of Ben Lomond. Across the street are Wilder Hall, Ben Lomond Library, and Ben Lomond County Park, all three of which fall under Santa Cruz County Parks jurisdiction. Wilder Hall is where County Parks runs their Kreative Kids program. Ben Lomond Library has struggled to be relevant, only recently adding wifi connectivity, but with no computers in-house. And Ben Lomond Park is an underutilized riverfront public space featuring picnic tables, a basketball court, playground equipment, and public restrooms.

Imagine strolling Mill Street and enjoying art and wine popups, music in the park, dances, and other community gatherings. These are just a few of the ideas that BLVA is hoping to bring to fruition.

One hurdle, though, is the lack of routine maintenance for the buildings and the park. Because County Parks is underfunded, the only way to get projects on the roster for financial support from the County is to prove that the community is interested in seeing improvements carried out. If the community isn’t using the resources, the County back-burners the projects in favor of facilities elsewhere that are highly utilized.

Ben Lomond Steeped in History

Ben Lomond is a unique place with a long and varied history dating back to the 1800s. San Lorenzo Valley history expert Ronnie Trubek said that in 1851 Scottish settler John Burns named the dominant mountain in the coastal Santa Cruz Mountain range “Ben Lomond Mountain” after his ancestral home. Burns was one of the first vintners in the Santa Cruz Mountains and is also noted for naming the nearby town of Bonny Doon. In 1877, the settlement we know now as Ben Lomond was called Pacific Mills, named by James P. Pierce, owner of the local sawmill of the same name. In 1887 the town applied for a United States Post Office and the name was changed to Ben Lomond, honoring the nearby mountain.  

Ben Lomond has 28 historic buildings registered with the county including Park Hall, Ben Lomond Library, and Hessey House, also known as the Fredda C. Carr building and currently occupied by Sew Rose. All are registered historical buildings located on the downtown block of Mill Street. Wee Kirk Church and Saint Andrews Church are also part of the historic building legacy, as is the Quail Hollow Ranch building up on the ridge. 

In the 1920s, Ben Lomond decided as a community to create public river access for all. Property owners along the river donated their land to the county in order to build a local park. The buildings on that location were moved collectively to a new location in order for the part to exist. Read more about that part of the history: slvpost.com/community-driven-revitalization-breathing-new-life-into-ben-lomond-library

First Annual Cleanup Day

The community came together this March, 2024 for a volunteer weekend cleanup activity at Ben Lomond County Park to pull weeds, trim overgrowth, distribute mulch, and give a little TLC to this riverfront treasure.

Margaret Ingraham, Santa Cruz County Parks Volunteer Coordinator said, “I’ve facilitated many park clean-ups, and this is one of the best organized and attended that I’ve seen.” More than 40 San Lorenzo Valley residents turned up at the event, including members of E. Clampus Vitus.

How to Get Involved

To move the alliance forward, everyone is invited to an informational meeting on Saturday, April 20, from 10:30 am to noon at Park Hall, 9400 Mill Street, Ben Lomond. Steering committee member Ronnie Trubek said, “We’re excited to engage the community and businesses in planning future events and revitalizing our historic village.”

Meet community members and business leaders. Learn about possible goals for the community; share your thoughts, ideas, and ways that you might help bring impactful projects to life for Ben Lomond. To stay up to date, follow the Facebook page @benlomondvillagealliance.

Featured photo at top, left to right: Jesse Williams, Ronnie Tubek, and Steven Leib, Vivian Leib, and Sarah Shea | Photo by Julie Horner

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