Saratoga News

Letters

Let's all try being nice to each other

Nearly 50 years ago when we first started to design computers, we had great ideas on how these machines would help mankind. In many ways, they have accomplished more than we ever imagined. Now, an apparent side effect that none of us anticipated has appeared, such as the ease of writing obnoxious "Letters to the Editor."

It may be that someone in Saratoga has an unpublished software program which creates letters without much thought about its effect on the citizenry. Perhaps it works something like this: Press F1 for a list of targets, usually public officials. Press F2 for tone setting. This provides a screen with such terms as abusive, critical, dirty, very dirty, ridicule, nasty. Press F3 for such classifications as one-sided, very one-sided. Press F4 and the program creates a letter on whatever subject desired.

One solution to this problem might be to ban computers completely because some of them have fallen into the wrong hands. But then the response would be "Computers do not kill people, people do." Another solution might be to put an L-chip into each computer. This would only allow love to be expressed unless the computer owner entered a code to prove he/she had his brain engaged, had his facts straight and was unbiased.

So why do we not get reasonable letters to the editor that are informative, complementary, helpful, even-handed and perhaps even tolerant?

What we need is a positive-only "Letters to the Editor" program. Being of the engineering bent and technologically obsolete, I cannot write the software for accomplishing this objective. Possibly some of our good citizens of Saratoga who are programmers could write one. We would distribute such a program free to all the negative thinkers in town.

Such an effort could build a bridge for this village into the next century, perhaps even make the village into a reasonable, decent, tolerable, neighborly and "we're all in this together" type of community. If it takes a village to raise a child, it also takes a village to raise (select one or more) objectivity, harmony, tolerance, peace and good will for your neighbor.

Do we need to wait for such a program? Shall we try being nice to each other in 1997?

W.M. McMillan
Saratoga Vista Avenue

A last ditch effort to save a dead issue

I am the owner of the CoAmerica Building at 14401 Big Basin Way. My property lies directly across the street from the Corinthian Flower Shop at 14416 Big Basin Way and would be directly affected by the intensification of use that Starbucks would generate. However, I am disappointed that our Planning Department tabled further exploration of parking issues to Feb. 13. I believe that this rescheduling to a future date was a last-ditch effort to save a dead issue.

My property is a part of Village Parking District #3 that was adopted by Resolution 2473.15, passed Oct. 5, 1988, establishing transfer and development rights for this district. The parking spots in District #3 are only available to persons owning property within the district and are not available to others outside the district.

The same is true for all the other parking districts. One can only participate or purchase these spaces if they own property within their respective districts. The idea that 16 new spaces could be found to support the applicant is nonsense. How could Starbucks provide 16 off-site parking spaces if they could not even provide eight under an appeal for a variance for on-site parking? Why are my property rights that I have so expensively paid for not even being considered? Did you realize that by considering Parking District #3 for supply of 16 additional spaces, you lower the future value of my property?

My property will be directly affected by allowing Starbucks to enter Saratoga at 14416 Big Basin Way. I have preserved and maintained my building for my tenants' use, which they pay for, including the use of parking spaces for their customers. There will undoubtedly be use of my parking spaces and those of my tenants by customers of Starbucks, which inherently affects my ability as a landowner to control and manage my property in a cost-effective manner. To suggest that Starbucks customers will go to the far corners of the earth to find suitable parking is absolutely ludicrous. The proposed location at 14416 Big Basin Way for a high-intensity use such as Starbucks is not responsible and will create further problems besides those of parking that the area will not be able to handle.

These 16 parking spaces which you are considering for Starbucks' use are basic to the enjoyment of my rights as a property owner, and I will not allow their development to go unchallenged.

A copy of this letter was sent to the Planning Commission

Susan K. Cunningham
Big Basin Way

Turning cartwheels for a big corporation

Why does the city of Saratoga give special treatment to large corporations, treatment that is unavailable to individual residents and small local businesses? Local business owners have been made to strictly conform to parking requirements in the Saratoga Village. Some Village merchants have been forced to pay tens of thousands of dollars to support Village parking districts, and those costs continue. However, when a large national corporation like Starbucks wants to do business in the Village, the same city staff that often makes things very difficult for local businesses quickly recommends that 50 percent of the parking requirement for Starbucks be waived. Also, two weeks before the Planning Commission's public hearing on the Starbucks issue, the staff quietly scheduled an informal meeting between Starbucks representatives and the Planning Commission. There was no publicity about that meeting, and the public was discouraged from attending. When people did attend, they were told that they could not speak.

When the planning staff sent written notices about the Jan. 22 Planning Commission meeting on Starbucks, they sent those notices so late that recipients could no longer send written communication to the Planning Commission in time to have those letters included in agenda packages.

The staff also told the planning commissioners and residents attending the Jan. 22 public hearing that only issues like traffic and parking could be considered in deciding about Starbucks, and that anything having to do with the kind of business that Starbucks operates or the way in which Starbucks may affect the mix of businesses in the Village could not be considered in the decision making. That advice is completely contradictory to the advice that previous planning commissions and city councils have received from staff. Several years ago, a liquor store application for the Village was denied, based in part on the number of other stores selling liquor. Before that, earlier planning commissions and city councils have taken positions with regard to banks and real estate offices based on maintaining a healthy and appropriate mix of businesses in the Village. Why does the city staff turn cartwheels just because they are talking to a large corporation?

Rachel Cart
Esterlee Avenue

Some peaceful moments are right at hand, or foot

Principals! To relieve morning congestion around your schools, inspire your parents to drop off their children three or four blocks away. On their way, the kids will spy people still making breakfast, furtive cats, frosty lawns and mist on the hills. Later, they will notice the return of the birds and the progress of curious plants from bud to flower to leaf. Kites will appear along with surfboards atop cars.

What are we teaching our kids, that life is hustle and hassle and automobile-driven, or that some moments of peace are right at hand, on foot?

Trudy Myrrh Reagan
Lacey Avenue