By Sarah Lombardo
The issue of dead-end streets resulted in a deadlock at Saratoga's Aug. 14 Planning Commission meeting.
Some 40 residents of Paramount Avenue argued to keep their street as is and opposed recommendations from city staff members to extend the street. The flap caused planning commissioners to delay deciding the issue until after a study session and more public and staff input.
The issue involves the request by Kathleen Kennedy for approval to subdivide three parcels of land encompassing almost 9-1/2 acres into 11 single-family residential lots. The land is winery acreage surrounding Paramount Avenue, and the developer proposed creating cul-de-sacs on that street. But city planning staff recommended denying the request because the lengths of the cul-de-sacs did not conform with city code.
Instead, staff members that said for the development to occur, the two dead ends of Paramount Avenue should be connected to create one long thoroughfare. The staff contends that Paramount Avenue was always intended to go all the way through from Saratoga-
Sunnyvale Road to Pierce Road.
Paramount Avenue residents said they fear linking the ends of their street would create a safety hazard and increase traffic. Drivers, they said, would use Paramount as a shortcut from Pierce Road to Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road.
"Pierce Road is becoming like Indianapolis and, of course, Saratoga-Sunnyvale is Laguna Seca," resident Roger Higgins said. "Anybody driving down that road quickly who doesn't know it presents an extreme level of danger to the elderly, to the children and to the wildlife, the deer, who surround that area."
Maury Abraham, who represents Kathleen Kennedy, said they are willing to add an emergency access road to their plans in order to meet with city code requirements, since the cul-de-sacs they propose are so long. Residents said they would prefer this option.
"The interesting thing about this case is that there's complete agreement by all the rest of us that Paramount not be connected," said Higgins. "The residents don't want [Paramount] connected. The neighbors on roads like Pierce don't want it connected. And it's become even clear to me that the developer doesn't want it to be connected."
Planning commissioners could not reach a majority decision on approving the proposal as it stood or approving it with an emergency road. Commission chairwoman Marcia Kaplan said she would prefer to weigh the options and gather more information. The commissioners approved delaying action on the request and continuing public hearings until a study session on Thur., Sept. 5, at 7 p.m. in the Senior Day Care Center on Fruitvale Avenue.
This article appeared in the Saratoga News, August 28, 1996.
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