Destination-oriented shops could be 'seeded' by city
Men's clothing shop could qualify
By Kara Chalmers
Bill Norton, who has been Saratoga's interim city manager for the past five months, has managed to get the revitalization of the city's business areas under way.
A men's clothing store has expressed an interest in the old Bit O' Country property that is for sale. A men's store is something Norton has pushed for since he says that if someone needs to find a tie in town, they would be out of luck.
The lack of a men's clothing store could actually be a problem for any visitors who might want to eat at one of Saratoga's fancy restaurants, but forgot to pack a tie, he said.
The recruitment is an example of Norton's revitalization plan. It entails recruiting "destination-oriented" retail establishments to the Village and the Gateway areas. His concept is for the city to negotiate with property owners, real estate agents and prospective merchants to seed the business districts with four or five such stores.
"In addition, we were looking for someone who does regional advertising who would bring people into the Village who wouldn't normally come here," he said. By regional, he means Bay Area.
He said a destination-oriented store does not mean a chain store.
"If you have the right product, people will travel far enough to get there," he said.
These places would benefit existing businesses by increasing foot traffic in the districts and would also increase sales and business license tax revenue for the city, Norton said.
For example, a store that the city wanted is working on an agreement with a property owner. However, the owner is asking $20,000 more than the store offers. The city could chip in the $20,000 if it felt that the store would more than make up the amount in sales and business license tax revenue, Norton said.
In order to qualify for city assistance, the store would have to advertise on a regional basis, and demonstrate that the investment by the city would be paid off in increased tax revenue within five years or less. City staff would bring proposals to the council on a case by case basis, he said. Agreements involving the city would depend on many things, such as the length of the lease being proposed. The city has to ensure it will get a return on its investment, Norton said.
Norton said he is already looking at another store, but he could not say which type or where it would be located.
The city also will begin cleanups and minor improvements to the Village. The city has hired a landscape architect, Paul Rodriguez, for about $3,300, to create a conceptual design sketch of Big Basin Way for short-term, as well as long-term, improvements. The short-term plan entails picking a block as a demonstration block to show the council, merchants and consumers what it could look like. The city is still choosing the block.
The improvements to the block might include steam cleaning sidewalks and crosswalks, replacing dilapidated street furniture and planters, making planters and benches uniform and keeping them well-maintained, repainting streetlight poles and replacing certain trees.
The total cost for the work of the landscape architect will be funded with the $100,000 allocated for economic development in the 2000-2001 budget. Part of this money would pay for an economic development coordinator, for whom the city is writing a job description.
There is adequate funding in the 2000-2001 budget to do a one-block trial clean- up in the Village and hire the landscape architect.
Over the past few months, the council has directed city staff to find ways that the city could be more proactive in improving the business districts that have been in decline.
Saratoga, California Since 1955
