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Photograph by George Sakkestad
On his last official day on the job, Planning Director Lee Bowman (left), talks with Bud Lortz, assistant planning director, about the new signs planned for downtown.
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Downtown's latest streetscape addition is a sign of the times
The 'look' designed to give historic feel
By Amy Golod
The town isn't planning to bring horses and carriages back to the downtown area, but efforts are under way to contribute to the old-fashioned charm of the area with a program of sign replacement as part of the downtown streetscape plan adopted in 1996.
The new street-name signs, designed by well known graphic artists Rick Tharpe and Patrick Keller, feature white lettering over a brown background. Signs for major streets--Santa Cruz Avenue and Main Street--will incorporate the familiar image of the cupola from the La Cañada Building at the corner of Santa Cruz and Main.
In addition to this makeover, traffic and regulator signs will be reorganized for easier reading. The Planning Department is working with the Los Gatos-Saratoga Police Department and the Parking Commission to reduce the number of traffic signs without losing their effectiveness.
For instance, according to senior engineering technician Trish Duarte, signs forbidding U-turns don't seem to be very effective. She cited Bachman Avenue as one location where U-turns are made in spite of signs forbidding them. The department instead will discourage U-turns by building a concrete barrier, known as a choker, at that particular location.
As part of the overall beautification effort, the town is hoping to eliminate clutter by reducing the number of parking time-limit signs. The signs will be re-installed, however, if the reduction increases the incidence of traffic violations. Also planned are locator maps which the town hopes will encourage visitors to park their cars rather than driving around trying to find specific locations.
The price tag on the street signs is approximately $15,800, including signs, poles and ornamental bases. The new street signs will be installed by the Parks and Public Works Department maintenance staff in about three months. The traffic signs are to be replaced in about six months.
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
