Saratoga News

Valet ordinance seems likely

By Sarah Lombardo

Concerns over public notification of neighbors stymied a discussion before the Saratoga City Council April 15 concerning the implementation of a valet parking plan for the Saratoga Village. But the council still voted to begin drafting an ordinance to implement such a plan, and asked city staff to make sure all neighbors are told when the ordinance comes up again for discussion.

The council had planned to discuss the findings of a report on the 120-day trial of a Village valet plan, but Councilmember Stan Bogosian questioned just how many Village neighbors, specifically those living on Oak Street, had been notified such a discussion was planned.

City staffers said two condominium-owners associations in the area had been told about it, and they had spread the word to residents.

Bogosian said he would prefer to make sure Oak Street residents are notified, since the valet parking plan would have the biggest impact on their street. A direct mailing might be used to let neighbors know.

"Better to have covered all the bases than to assume that the parties involved are being informed," Bogosian said.

City Attorney Mike Riback said it will take him about 30 days to draft an ordinance for a Village valet plan. In the meantime, the council voted to continue the valet parking system for the next two months, but without one of the drop-off stations.

Village valet parking was begun late last year on a trial basis. Previously, Village valet plans met with disapproval from Oak Street neighbors, who said they feared valets would use their street for parking and would drive too quickly trying to get back and forth to loading stations.

A report by city administrative analyst Jennie Hwang Loft stated that valet parking in the Village seemed to be successful at two of the drop-off stations but not at the third. According to the report, more than 1,000 cars used the station in front of Viaggio Ristorante, and more than 2,000 used the one in front of The Plumed Horse restaurant over a three-month period beginning Nov. 28 of last year. But only 12 cars used a station in front of the Saratoga Dry Cleaners during that same period.

Loft said neighbors seemed generally pleased with the system, and she stressed that the only on-street parking being done on Oak Street was in the white zone in front of Saratoga Elementary School.

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