Claravale deserves continued support
Residents of Monte Sereno still aren't sure how committed they are to historic preservation. The recent election of two candidates who propose letting owners of old homes decide whether they want them on the city's historic preservation list suggests considerable ambivalence about the subject.
The volunteers who came together last year to save Monte Sereno's old-fashioned dairy, however, were anything but ambivalent about their commitment to save the Claravale Dairy Farm.
To be sure, there were detractors. Some believed that the city was planning to get into the dairy business when it entered into an option agreement to cover the cost of operating the dairy for 90 days.
In fact, the city was doing just what it said it was doing--buying time for the just-formed Claravale Dairy Preservation Committee to raise the funds necessary to purchase the dairy.
Now the committee has announced it will exercise its option. That's good news.
Kenneth Peake has owned and operated the farm at 18170 Bicknell Road since 1931.
The dairy, now being run by Ron Garthwaite, still operates with equipment that dates back to the 1930s. Claravale is the state's last small dairy farm producing nonpasteurized milk, as well as a frequent destination for schoolchildren who come to see a bit of living history.
The dairy is a treasure, and the volunteers who have put so much effort into saving it are to be congratulated.
Although the committee has raised $207,000 and $193,000 more in pledges, there is more to be done. The committee must still come up with some $1.8 million. That's a big challenge.
Still, success builds on success. The Claravale Preservation Committee has built a solid reputation and shown that it's serious about meeting its goals. Its continued efforts to preserve the dairy deserve support.
Hybrid restaurants
Lately, it seems the new restaurants in town--not to mention the would-be restaurants--aren't exactly restaurants. They're more like food boutiques that suddenly acquire a couple of tables and chairs where customers can sample the wares.
A Matter of Taste used to be a catering company that expanded into something of a boutique and now has tables and chairs where food can be enjoyed.
Recently, the Town Council upheld the Planning Commission's decision not to allow a "food emporium" in a former retail space at 22 S. Santa Cruz Ave. Councilmembers feared success would lead to a few tables scattered about for the enjoyment of the emporium's wares. Then before you know it, downtown would have another restaurant.
That's sort of what happened at the Los Gatos Coffee Roasting Co., where the Los Gatos Crêperie has been serving up crêpes in retail space.
The rule in Los Gatos is that if it used to be retail, it's going to stay retail. The concern is a legitimate one. If the proportion of restaurants to retail gets lopsided, the town will serve the needs of its residents less well.
Still, it seems some consideration ought to be made for these hybrid restaurants. They don't really replace retail; rather, they represent the owner's response to customer demand.
This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, January 22, 1997.
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