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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSaratogan Report Spring 1978s -ORT .t0 THE ~~~ic'a~ and former lacy well be r class final e Library will c ' a first prig Villag The Village Branch anch 1 dream of " o. .the Quito ~ < f work, the reality. ~~ Years ag erate. d both `n' ears o mmunitY' has become a System to op ral redwoo After literally Y h of the County Library continue use of Hato warm character a Co with r for the City to the rustic and ed structure '" libra new Sara oga doors on'FebruarRY~d p~f don a daYo contribute are foal ,.L., sha plumes. The lo~ The nd its ervisor tour ppp squ OQO At the end r officially oPe County SuP inspection roduct of 18. a for over 10d, wing, Cole Bridges. aking ar' is the end P a the h°m adult area with a Robert Beyer m cture Saratog .,L„ houses the readir'g of the'~L Manager l dramatic stru which inv°IvanY commu the and inviting The bottom The striking Y rocess m Spencer a cOZY orchard _,..,orative workshoprPCommisseon nndinPut~ ~..<<or, view of the ~ Now Dedication February Sunday ''~7$ architectural firm.k S 26- head of the led at X4410 Oa ens children's area. Nature and function were primary com- ponents of the new librarys' design and the surrounding four acres of orchard will remain to enhance the total aesthetic quality of the facility. The 5892,000 construction cost was financed by the first bond issue ever to be passed by Saratoga voters in 1975. A similar bond issue failed in 1963. The City of Saratoga owns the new building which will be leased back to the County, with lease payments going toward paying off the bonded indebtedness. During the construction of the library, the City received a grant from the Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) for the installation of a solar energy collection system. Due to the timing of the Grant award, it will be necessary to retrofit the solar collection panels to the library roof. Total cost of the solar demon- stration project will be 5125,000, with ERDA providing 588,000. The Saratoga Library was the only library facility in the county to receive a solar grant. The City wishes to extend thanks to all those who have worked over the years to bring the dream of "a first class library to the Saratoga Community" to reality, and invite everyone to come and enjoy your new library. Saratoga Library Commission - Years of Dedicated Service Pays Off Almost two decades ago in 1961, the Saratoga Library Commission reported to the City Council the need for a new library facility. It was recommended that the new facility be located near the Civic Center, be at least 10,000 square feet and estimated the cost to be in the neighbor- hood of 5150,000 to 3250,000. Today, 17 years later, leaping hurdle after hurdle, the Library Commission and the Saratoga Community finally has its library. Surprisingly enough, located near the Civic Center, however, it is 18,000 square feet, cost 31 million dollars and will be solar powered. Our present Library Commission consists of seven members who are appointed by the City Council. They are: John Campbell, Chairman; Charles Early; Adaleen Falltrick; Ann Miller, Mary Moss; Dorothy Olsen; and newly appointed Greig Rose. Mrs. Olsen, Mrs Falltrick, john Campbell and Charles Early, Past Chairman, sub- mitted the original 1961 report to the City Council. Attention Saratoga Seniors (and soon to be seniors) THE CITY OF SARATOGA IS STUDYING THE NEED, WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, FOR A SENIOR CITIZEN ACTIVITY CENTER AND WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE FOLLOWING: 1. Are you satisfied with existing services and facili- ties serving senior citizens in Saratoga? 2. What senior services are most important to you? 3. Would you utilize an activity center for senior citizens within Saratoga? PLEASE USE THE "RESIDENT RESPONSE CARD" FOUND ON THE LAST PAGE OF THIS REPORT FOR YOUR ANSWERS AND COMMENTS. The Saratoga Library Commission was originally created by the Saratoga City Council in 1959. Its initial mission as expressed by then Mayor, Burton Brazil, was to "Get Saratoga a 1 st Class Library." In pursuit of the Objective, the Commission has, over the years, on its own money and time: • Visited hundreds of libraries all over theUnited States, • Conducted user surveys and participated in public discussions, • Evaluated several potential library sites repeatedly, • Examined various financial proposals including leaseback, • Lost and finally won a bond election, • Worked closely with the architect on the design of the library; and • Provided a "1 st Class Library for the City of Saratoga" What does the future hold for the Saratoga Library Commission? With the library now a fait accompli the role of the Library Commission will require a combination of administrative and creative talent. Priorities for use of the meeting room must be established as demand will exceed availability. Creative talent is required to assess the interest and value to the community of proposed gifts and exhibits. It can also be useful in finding and per- suading donors to contribute items not justifiable as an absolute necessity in a library. The Library Commission is currently working on establishing opeating guidelines for the future. A hearty well done, Library Commissions, past and especially present. LIBRARY COMMISSION: DOROTHY OLSEN ~HARLIE EARLY ADALEEN FALLTRICK JOHN CAMPBELL, Chairman \NN MII l F R GRF IG ROSE MARY MOSS, The recently completed City parking lot adjacent to the Community Center serves as an excellent example of cooperation between the City, staff and community re- sidents. Funds for construction of the actual parking lot were included in this year's Capital Improvement Program, and development activity was completed by a contracting firm. However, provision of a landscaping design and installation was not included in the contract. The project of developing a landscaping design plan was accepted by City Park Maintenance Man, Mike Jones, as part of a Work Study Program through the Ornamental Horiticul- ture Program at Foothill College. Mr Jones prepared land- scaping plans and designed the irrigation systems for the area. While the plans were still on the drawingboard, Saratoga High School student, Charles Sheppard, approached Parks and Landscape Maintenance Forman, Roy Swanson, re- garding an Eagle Scout project. Charles accepted as his Eagle Scout project, the planting of all landscaping in the area around the new parking lot. The City now has a visually appealing parking facility which provided a City staff member/student with work study and learning experience, and a high school studentl scout with an opportunity to learn and earn a Merit Badge. This spirit of cooperation between the City staff and a re- sident of the community has not only provided Saratoga with an attractive and useful facility, but the volunteer efforts of Mike Jones and Charles Sheppard have saved the City approximately 33,000. IMPROVED INSPECTION SERVICES FOR FUTURE CITY DEVELOPMENT As the City of Saratoga enters its final era of land devel- opment, the citizens, their City Council and Planning Commission have come to feel a great deal of concern relative to how this development is to be carried out. This seems, in part, to be due to the fact that almost any devel- opment in today's situation may directly and significantly affect existing residences. This concern takes a variety of forms, one being an increased level of citizen participa- tion in the City's land development process. The City Council and Planning Commission have re- ponded by increasing their scrutiny of both the general and specific plans for development. In so doing, it became apparent that balancing the interests of City residents in general, with those of neighborhoods while maintaining respect for private property rights is a very difficult task. One of the specific actions being taken to improve the process and quality of development is the City Council's recent consideration of a revised and up-dated Grading Ordinance (see Page 5). In another effort to support resident concern, City Council and Planning Commission policies and the revised Grading Ordinance, expansion and up-grading of the City's Building Department into a broader "Department of In- spection Services" is planned. Specific changes include: 1. Upgrading of one of the existing Building Inspector positions to a "Senior Building Inspector" in order to add expertise in the areas of building, electrical and plumbing code inspection; and 2. Requiring the department head to be a Registered Civil Engineer. This departmental reorganization is timely in that ef- fective March 1st, the City's Building Official, Don Harris, will retire. While these changes will require an increase in the departmental budget, it should be noted that tra- ditionally, the Building Department has paid for itself by fees collected from builders and developers and this tra- dition is expected to continue. We wish to thank Don Harris for his 15 years of dedicat- ed service to the City of Saratoga and especially his recent work in bringing the new library to successful completion. Thanks and good luck, Don. City To Sell ARCO Site At its February 1st meeting, the Saratoga City Council declared its intention to sell the City-owned ARCO Site located in the Village, by adopting Resolution No. 840. The City Council will consider two primary factors in its decision as to whom the property will be sold: (1) the price (minimum acceptable bid, 396,000), and (2) the use to be made of the property. The site, once the proposed location of a transit system bus stop, is considered by many to be an important ele- ment in the future development of the downtown business area. In recognition of this concern, the City Council will look carefully at the intended use of the property by those submitting bids. Sealed bids for the property will be received at the Of- fice of the City Manager until 2:00 PM on Tuesday, March 14, 1978. A public hearing on the sale of this property will then be held by the City Council at their regular meeting on Wednesday, March 15, 1978. After testimony is heard on this matter, the public hearing will be closed and the Council will then consider those bids received. Bid accep tance by the City Council must take place by March 25, 1978. The City of Saratoga reserves the right to reject any or all sealed bids. ^ ^ V V J ^ 1 ~ V ~ 1 1 \ V v V I ~ ^ 1 ~ a V I ~ ^ ^ ^ v ^~ . ._ ~- v ^ ^ . ^ ~- ~ - P R O J E C T S~~ ~'~ ~' "~L I (~' ~' The City Council has approved a 1978-79 Saratoga to moderate income senior citizens. Additional funds Community Development Plan. This marks the fourth have been allocated to a program contingency account consecutive year the City has been granted funding by and an administration account. the Department of Housing and Urban Development Saratoga Community under the Housing and Community Development Act T of 1974. Center 1 rlpS Fourth year Saratoga Community Development pro- jects include: (1) Continuation and expansion of the Sara- toga Housing Assistance and Rehabilitation Program (SHARP) into the Quito area and the Paul, Springer and Elva Streets area located above the Village, (2) the addi- tion to EI Quito Park of several light standards to provide security lighting during the evening hours, (3) the develop- ment of a comprehensive, City of Saratoga housing stra- tegy, which will provide an action plan to address identi- fied housing deficiencies, (4) the removal of physical mo- bility barriers to the elderly and the handicapped, i.e., curb cuts at appropriate locations throughout the City, (5) assessment of the need for a Saratoga neighborhood senior citizen center (this study will evaluate existing data and poll community senior groups, including churches to determine the need for and potential utilization by these groups, of a neighborhood senior citizen center.), (6) continue funding for senior citizen housing - landbank- ing. Funds in this program can be utilized for site acquisi- tion and preparation for housing predominantly for low SENIOR CITIZEN TRIPS March Tuesday and Wednesday, March 14-15 ......... Reno April Train Trip to Hearst Castle May Tuesday, May 2 ...................... Mystery Trip Monday through Friday, May 22-26 ....... Las Vegas TEEN TRIPS February Monday through Thursday, February 13-17, Mammoth March Friday through Sunday, March 3-5 ..... Squaw Valley Monday through Thursday, March 27-30 ... Bear Valley June Sunday through Sunday, June 19-26 .......... Hawaii Call the Community Center at 867-3438 for specific times, dates and any changes. EI Quito Park Nears Completion. Completion of Phase II development of EI Quito Park is anticipated within the next month, weather permitting. The City had hoped that the park would be complete and its facilities in full use by community residents shortly after the first of this year. However, as you may have no- ticed, we have been experiencing unusual amounts of precipitation of late. To date all grading has been completed and pathways have been laid out. Both the juvenile and pre-teen play areas have been completed, each containing a climbing struture, slide and swings. One of the two adult sitting areas has been completed. Each adult area will contain a game table for checkers or chess, complete with chairs. A water conserving irrigation system has been installed. The "drip emitter system" will have one emitter at each tree, thereby greatly curtailing water waste. Budgeted items yet to be completed are two volleyball courts, one in decomposed granite, the other in turf, and two horseshoe pits. Community organizations, neighbor- hood groups and local merchants have all expressed in- terest in, and support for this project. Still needed to 4 complete the facility are barbeque pits, tables and some landscaping. Resubmittal for Parker Ranch Development: an ap- plication for development of the Parker Ranch pro- perty has been resubmitted by Blackwell Homes. The proposed tentative map for the project shows 101 single-family homes on the 218 acre parcel ad- jacent to Prospect Road near Stelling Road. The project is currently in the Enviromental Impact Review phase and the EIR is not anticipated for several weeks. The Draft EIR, when complete, will be circulated for thirty (30) days prior to any formal action. Consideration by the Planning Commission on this application is tentatively scheduled for late March 1978. Grading Ordinance Revised: a revised Grading Or- dinance has been approved by the Planning Com- mission and will be considered by the City Council at its meeting on March 1st. At that meeting, the Council held a public hearing prior to taking final action on the revised ordinance which up-dates the previously existing Crading Ordinance. The ma- jority of the new Grading Ordinance is taken from Chapter 70 of the 1976 Uniform Building Code, ex- cept where modifications are recommended to bet- ter meet the unique needs of Saratoga. The new or- dinance attempts to regulate indiscriminate grading of the hillsides which affects the aesthetic and en- vironmental concerns of Saratoga. • Proposed Development: two new development pro- posals have been submitted to the City Planning Department: (1) Saratoga Foothills Development Cooperation has been granted a use permit to allow the construction of 62 single-story rental units for senior citizens on a 4.22 acre site on Saratoga Ave- nue near Buchnall Road (the former site of the Campbell Cage Company). Both the 1974 Saratoga General Plan and the Saratoga Senior Citizen Hous- ing Task Force recommend this particular site for senior citizen housing. The site is considered excel- lent for this type of use due to its proximity to facilities and transportation. The proposed 62 units are to be single-story (17Y: feet to the top of the roof) with wood siding in front. Recrea- tional facilities will include a recreation room (550+ sq. ft.), an outdoor shuffleboard deck and a swimming pool. The units, 516 to 1002 sq. ft., are expected to rent from 5275 to 5395 per month. Financing of the project will be through conventional means. The development, as con- ditioned, would provide a much needed housing alterna- tive to senior citizens. (2) The Kelly-Gordon Company has been issued a use permit for 53 townhouses and 20,000 sq. ft. of single-story commercial shops. The gently sloping 9.4 acre site bound- ed by Calabazas Creek, Blue Hills Shopping Center, a lumber yard and Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road is presently zoned C-V, Commercial Visitor. Structures existing on the sites, an auto repair shop and fruit stand, are proposed for removal. The two single-story commercial structures proposed for the site of 4,000 sq. ft. and 16,000 sq. ft. will be com- patible with other, currently existing and adjacent frontage commercial uses. The 53 two-story townhouses will be a minimum of 40 feet behind the two commercial structures. The units will range in size from 1,575 to 2,378 sq. ft. Both of the above proposed developments were granted use permits by the Saratoga Planning Commission at their February 8th, regular meeting. The next step in the develop- ment process for both projects will be the filing of an ap- plication for tentative map approval to be followed by design review. It is anticipated that the Planning Commi- ssion will begin public meetings on these items within 6 to 8 weeks. For further information or specific review dates concerning the above or any other development proposals please call the City of Saratoga Planning De- partment at 867-3438. Village Parking District If2 Completed: construction of a much needed public parking facility on the east side of Big Basin Way between 4th and 5th Streets was completed in time for use during the Christmas shopping season. The new parking facility is the re- sult of joint efforts between the property owners on Big Basin Way and the City of Saratoga. The costs for construction of the facility were borne by the property owners with the City providing assistance in the inspection of the construction and the admin- instration of the assessment district proceedings. Completion of the new facility provides an additional 56 spaces to the parking stock within the Village. The City wishes to extend thanks to those merchants involved for their efforts in providing this needed facility. • Replacement of the Quito RoadlWildcat Creek Bridge: construction of a replacement structure for the aging bridge on Quito Road over Wildcat Creek is currently scheduled to begin during the summer. The project is a cooperative one between the City of Saratoga and the Santa Clara Valley Water District, with the City administering the project. The firm of Ruth, Going and Curtis, Inc., has been retained to per- form the necessary design work. It is expected that construction will begin in July. • Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road Underground Conversion Project: the Saratoga City Council, on February 15th 1978, was asked to set for public hearing on March 15th, 1978, the matter of the consideration of the formation of an assessment district for the purpose of undergrounding existing electrical utilities on Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road between Big Basin Way and Reid Lane. The Pacific Gas and Electric Company has a policy whereby funds are set aside each year for the conversion of existing overhead electric facilities to underground systems. P.G. & E. will allocate and accumulate funds for (Continued on Oaye w I