Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Photograph by George Sakkestad

Scott Herbertson of Golden Gate Valet awaits customers in front of the Los Gatos Brewing Co.

Downtown parking squeeze gets temporary valet service

Many say town still needs a long-term fix

By Jeff Kearns

Valet parking downtown should help ease the parking crunch this holiday season, thanks to an experimental program set up by the town that may lead to permanent service.

Signs at both ends of N. Santa Cruz Avenue will direct drivers to valet parking drop zones on Grays Lane in front of the Los Gatos Brewing Company and on W. Main Street in front of Valeriano's restaurant, where valets will be stationed from 5 p.m. to midnight on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights through Jan. 15. Parking costs $4.

Mike Holmstrom of Golden Gate Valet, which was selected by the town to provide the service, says cars will be parked in a portion of the bottom floor of Lot 4, between Grays Lane and Elm Street.

Valet parking, which is also being offered on Big Basin Way in the Saratoga Village, is an effort to help ease the congestion downtown, which is expected to be much tighter, thanks to the temporary loss of Old Town's 105-space parking lot during construction.

Because valet-parked cars are parked more densely, town officials say downtown businesses will benefit regardless of whether their customers use valet parking, because densely parked cars will free up other spaces around town. The arrangement was approved by the Town Council Nov. 17.

At the meeting, some business owners who praised valet parking called the decision long overdue, but said that it would provide only a small amount of temporary relief. Many pointed out the need for the town to find a permanent solution instead of a quick fix.

Councilmember Joanne Benjamin, who abstained on the vote, also said she wanted to see a long-term fix for the community as a whole. "Right now, we're only going to help a small segment of the town."

The council at that time heard many downtown business owners upset about clogged streets and overflowing lots; many of them emphasized that valet service was only a small step toward a solution.

Ginger Rowe of Time Out clothing told the Weekly-Times she would like to see the town pursue some more creative solutions. "If the town is going to encourage growth, and they can't stop it, they have to be more proactive on parking. They should consider paid parking if that's our only alternative."

Rowe and others said that parking near the town service center on Miles Avenue was not a viable option for employees. "Our employees get off at night, and it's a long walk down to Miles Avenue. If they had a shuttle for employees like they do at Valley Fair, my employees would be willing to park anywhere." Rowe also raised the possibility of asking nearby churches to offer their parking lots for valet parking at night, so that Lot 4 would be available for customers and employees.

Other business owners said they thought the time had come for the city to charge for parking or float a bond to raise money for a new parking structure.

Elizabeth Zanardi, owner of Elisabetta, says her customers often complain to her about the parking crunch. "Either they say they had to drive around and around and around, or they're all antsy because they're parked in a 25-minute space," she said.

But she's grateful for the valet service: "I probably would use it myself. It's annoying when you're trying to conduct business to say, 'Excuse me, I have to go move my car.' " Zanardi, however, sees the situation as more of an nuisance than a threat to her store's bottom line.

Golden Gate, which provides a similar public valet parking in Walnut Creek, will also be experimenting with additional hours on Saturday afternoons for a $2 flat rate as demand increases, Holmstrom said.

Golden Gate's office can be reached at 364-0240 with any questions--or to return keys to customers who come back for their cars after valet service has ended for the night.

[ Back to Contents Page | Los Gatos Weekly-Times Home Page | Archives ]