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Interim city manager wants to spruce up downtown area
By Leigh Ann Maze
William Norton believes that if you build it, they will come. Saratoga's interim city manager especially thinks so about economic development in the Village. While long-term development is the ultimate goal, Norton shared some ideas at the June 13 Saratoga Business Development Council meeting for short-term projects that might help "spruce up" the downtown area.
On June 12, Norton said he took a walk through the Village with a professional landscape architect, the city's public works director John Cherbone, and the city's community development director James Walgren. The four of them identified work that could be done by the city, such as steam-cleaning and improving the sidewalks, and replacing the glass in some of the old street lights for better lighting.
Norton suggested flowerbeds, such as those at Stanford Shopping Center or hanging baskets of flowers similar to those in Victoria, British Columbia, which would bring charm and color to the downtown area. The landscape architect is expected to present long- and short-term proposals for landscaping the Village to Norton, who will take the proposals to the city council in early July.
Norton will ask council members to approve and fund his "spruce up" ideas for one block in the Village. He said he would then invite the merchants, city officials and citizens to comment on his ideas and if they want to implement them throughout the entire Village.
The ideas might include replacing some trees which many business owners complain are too dirty because they drop seedpods and leaves. Also, the cobblestones around many of the trees are hard to clean and uneven to walk on, Norton said.
"We want to try and come up with some uniformity in the Village," Norton said. "There is a real hodge-podge right now; everyone does their own thing."
At the SBDC meeting, Kristen Davis, owner of the Front Window in the Azule Crossing Shopping Center told Norton his ideas were good, but that maintenance of flowers and landscaping would need to be consistent.
"Maintenance is the key," Norton agreed. "If you don't take care of your investment, you've basically thrown your money away."
If new landscaping is done in the Village, Norton said a company would be hired to maintain it.
Norton has been pro-active in recruiting new businesses into the Village. When he heard that an upscale men's clothing store in Campbell was looking for a new location, he invited them to Saratoga to look at the old Bit O' Country location, which has been vacant for four months. The store is very interested, Norton said, and has written a letter of intent to lease the property, but nothing has been finalized.
Norton said he would like to see three or four destination-oriented stores in the Village to attract shoppers. This would, in turn, benefit other Village merchants.
"Right now you can't buy a pair of men's socks or a tie in this city," Norton said.
Norton started the ball rolling on several projects to help the Village, but said there are not enough hours in a day for a city manager to also be the economic development coordinator. If the council adopts the 2000-2001 and 2001-2002 budget at its June 21 meeting, funding will be available to hire a full-time economic development coordinator on a trial basis, Norton said.
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Saratoga, California Since 1955
