Tally begins to determine if vote will be required for annexation
County wants to rid itself of islands within the town
Vote appears to be likely
By Nathan R. Huff
Town Council chambers were bursting at the seams Oct. 4 as annexation protesters formally lodged their opposition with the town. The annexation protest filing deadline is now passed, and the town clerk is counting and verifying the submitted protests.
The county is trying to rid itself of the costly responsibilities of serving urban pockets throughout the county. Other than San Jose, Los Gatos has more unincorporated parcels within the urban service area than any other Santa Clara County city.
The results will be announced on Nov. 1, though former planning director Lee Bowman told the council and audience that at first look it appears residents of the county pockets known as Blossom Hill Manor No. 7, Blossom Hill Manor No. 8 and Cam-ino Del Cerro No. 10 will have the opportunity to vote on annexation in March.
The council heard public testimony from a number of Blossom Manor residents, many of whom came to formally file their annexation protests, and others who had questions they wanted the town to address.
In the end, testimony did not run as long and was not as emotional as many at the meeting expected, most likely because town residents were told early on that the council could not take any action based on
residents' testimony. Mayor Jan Hutchins explained that the town actually had very little to say about annexation, since it's actually Santa Clara County that has been pushing for the town to annex the unincorporated islands.
All that is required to force a vote on annexation is the valid protests of 25 percent of each pocket's residents. If more than 50 percent protest, the annexation push by the county will be dropped, for now. If less than 25 percent of a pocket is opposed, the area will be annexed without a vote.
Most residents at the meeting said they prefer to live in the county because of its more relaxed building regulations, a factor some said contributed to their decision to buy property and homes in the county in the first place. A number of individuals cited the hour-long discussion at the beginning of the council meeting over the third revision of a proposed home as evidence of their claim.
Not all residents came out against annexation, however. Rhodie Firth, a 35-year resident of Blossom Manor, said she would like to vote, check library books out free of charge, and, contrary to the attitudes of many other county residents, have some input on her neighbors' home designs. "There are some pretty weird houses in Blossom Manor that have just sprung up," said Firth, an Orange Blossom Lane resident.
Bowman, who is staffing the annexation process under a contract with the town, answered residents' questions, which ran the gamut from fears of increased business-license fees to what the impact would be on school district boundaries. The town, he said, would not require streetlights or sidewalks; in fact, these improvements would come about only if neighbors wanted them and were willing to assess themselves. An increase in business taxes would require a vote, he said, and school district boundaries would not be affected by annexation, as district boundaries are not within the town's jurisdiction.
Still, some residents simply remain unconvinced. Blossom Manor resident Blossom Puckett has seen annexation attempted five times in her 37 years in the neighborhood. "I'm just not interested," she told council members.
Los Gatos, California Since 1881
