Los Gatos Weekly-Times Hutchins' State of the Town talk focuses on the positive The Town Chamber boasts 250 members By Dale Bryant Los Gatos may have its problems. But, according to Mayor Jan Hutchins, "It's still the gem of the foothills." It was the kind of message that would appeal to a room full of Chamber of Commerce members. And, in fact, that's exactly who was in the audience at the Toll House Hotel on the morning of Jan. 26 when the mayor gave his State of the Town speech. Acknowledging that success can bring its own set of problems leading to communal distrust, Hutchins, nevertheless, pointed to a long list of accomplishments that he said would improve the community. Among the successes, he pointed to some 88 acres of open space and the funds to maintain it that came through negotiations with SummerHill on the developer's Blossom Hill Road project, and the Los Gatos Hotel--in the works for some nine years--that Hutchins said would be a "high quality anchor for E. Main Street, providing pedestrian customers for new businesses in that direction." He also listed Old Town's restoration and expansion, which he said "will revitalize what had become a deteriorated collection of buildings in our central district," the streetscape plan and its expansion on S. Santa Cruz Avenue that will come with the Toll House Hotel's expansion and renovation, and adoption of the Los Gatos Boulevard Plan. The mayor also pointed to efforts to improve communications, including the creation of the General Plan Task Force as part of the general plan revision, the creation of public study sessions as part of the planning process, and the use of story poles to indicate what proposed projects might look like in terms of mass and height. And on a favorite topic of the Town Chamber of Commerce, Hutchins said, "Since I've become mayor, the council has, so far, been willing to act to ease the downtown's frustration about parking," adding that the council is "moving aggressively forward with the new parking facilities." He told chamber members, perhaps with a touch of wishful thinking, "It thus seems unlikely this council will show up at its first meeting in November and face merchants asking what we're going to do to deal with the holiday crunch." Hutchins also swore in new board members and officers of the chamber, which announced that it now boasts some 250 members. Installed as the new chairman was Joshua Miller, American Express Financial Advisors. Diane McNutt, McNutt and Company Inc., became chair-elect, while Keith Plottel, Keith Plottel, CPA Inc., kept his job as secretary-treasurer; Kent Cooper, Cooper and Company Inc., is immediate past chairman. Board members for 1999, in addition to the officers, are Tom Rapheld, Bank of America; Bill Seligmann, Dempster-Seligmann-Raineri; Rosemary Edwards, Cafe Trio; Dan Doore, Community Hospital of Los Gatos; Margaret Smith, Domus. Don Callahan, Ervie Smith, Ervie L. Smith and Associates; Dennis Varni, Green Valley Disposal; Randall Bertao, Los Gatos Brewing Co.; Ron Nelson, Los Gatos Lodge; Harlan McHugh, McHugh Lincoln Mercury; Pamela Snowden-Abella, Saratoga National Bank; Marie Tallman, Toll House Hotel; Ginger Rowe, Time Out Clothing; and Kurt Lemons, Upstream Flyfishing. [ Back to Contents Page | Los Gatos Weekly-Times Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, February 3, 1999. ©1999 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.