Saratoga News

Hakone Foundation says its numbers are up and on target

Visitors increased

By Sarah Lombardo

With almost a year of independence under their belt, Hakone Foundation board members are reporting that the news is good: Numbers are up and on target.

"Visitors and rentals are both ahead of last year," John Tauchi, Hakone Foundation board co-treasurer, said.

According to Tauchi, the number of visitors has increased about 10 percent in the last year. Which means, Tauchi said, that visitor income to the gardens is in line with budget predictions at this point in the fiscal year.

And rentals are up about 12 percent. "Rental income is just a shade short of budget projections, but we still may come close because there are still three more months in the fiscal year," Tauchi said.

Foundation president Daryl Becker said he was satisfied with the gardens' progress in the park's first year under foundation management.

"I think it's going very well," he said. Becker also pointed out that in addition to weddings, the gardens' new business meeting rental program has been very well-received.

Councilmembers, who were informed of the gardens' status March 24 at a joint meeting with the foundation, said they were pleased with Hakone's success.

"The Hakone Foundation board has excelled in the management of our treasure up there at Hakone Gardens," Mayor Don Wolfe said. "They are a very hard-working board, and I am impressed with their work."

The Hakone Foundation took over management of the gardens last June. Although it had always been a goal of the foundation to someday manage the facility independently of the city, that goal was moved up when the council faced the prospect of making severe budget cuts last year. In its first year, the foundation has had to deal with a series of staffing changes at the city-owned park, in addition to a harsh winter and the removal of a couple of large, dying trees that threatened buildings.

The March 24 meeting brought one more change: Councilmember Stan Bogosian stepped down as the foundation's council representative. Bogosian said he had a standing commitment on Monday night that would conflict with attending board meetings. Councilmember Jim Shaw will take his place.

"I think it's just one of those things that Stan's schedule was such that it made it very hard for him to attend the meetings," Shaw said. "It's no big deal. And I'm interested in Hakone, of course. They certainly have had a challenge in making the gardens a cultural and a business success."

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