Photograph by Mark Kocina

Carl Orr, owner of Colour Shoppe Draperies & Interiors, belongs to the Gateway Task force, which wants to improve the safety and look of the Gateway Business District.




Money allows Saratoga to consider business district improvements

By Rebecca Ray

Carl Orr has heard people talk about improving the Gateway Business District since he opened Colour Shoppe Draperies and Interiors there 25 years ago. Finally, at a recent meeting, the Saratoga City Council gave a consultant the go-ahead to prepare design guidelines for the district.

The district includes the part of Saratoga Sunnyvale Road that extends from Prospect Road to the railroad tracks about a quarter mile to the south of Prospect.

Orr belongs to the Gateway Task Force, a group of district business owners and residents who have tried to convince the city to improve the look and safety of the corridor since 1996. Although the task force submitted suggestions to the council for improvement five years ago, officials said the city couldn't afford the changes. But last year, the city received $2 million from the state when Saratoga Sunnyvale Road became part of Saratoga.

According to Orr, the consultant, Steven Kikuchi, should have the first set of plans available in September. A task force subcommittee, which has yet to form, will meet with Kikuchi to look at the plans and make sure they meet the task force's objectives.

"That's a wonderful step in the right direction," Orr said. "[City officials] really sound like they're going about it in the right way."

Task force members would like to see the speed limit along the corridor--which is 45 mph around the railroad tracks and drops to 40 mph before Prospect Road--reduced to 35 mph. They would also like crosswalks and sidewalks installed and the bus stop near the railroad tracks moved to a safer place.

In addition to decent gutters, task force members would like the corridor to have what every other business district in Saratoga has--median strips with plants. They want a street lined with trees, rather than power lines. Instead they want underground utilities. The power lines make the corridor look like an industrial area, Orr said, and people who drive through think they're in San Jose. "That's kind of embarrassing," he said.

The task force believes that making the district more aesthetically pleasing will improve business. If Gateway stores can generate more business, the city can receive more money through sales taxes, Orr said.

Task force members have discussed a monument on the corner of Prospect Road and Saratoga Sunnyvale Road. The monument would mark the entrance to the district and the city. Although there is a stone sign on the corner that says "Saratoga," the brass letters tarnish quickly to become the same color as the stone, Orr said.

Task force members would like the city to rename Saratoga Sunnyvale Road, and not just because it's a mouthful. Computer-generated address systems sometimes abbreviate the name to "Saratoga," and at least once a month, delivery workers call the Colour Shoppe from Saratoga Avenue, saying they can't find the store.

Orr said it would be ideal to rename the street De Anza Boulevard to match the name of the street that extends into San Jose and Cupertino. Another possibility is to rename the street "Saravale," a combination of "Saratoga" and "Sunnyvale."

The city has begun to fulfill the task force's desire for a traffic signal at Seagull Way. The money for the signal is coming from funds designated for the Azule Crossing project, which involves the development of retail and homes in the Azule Crossing area, on the corner of Saratoga Sunnyvale Road and Seagull Way.

Kikuchi works for Greg G. Ing and Associates, who designed the improvements for the Saratoga Sunnyvale Road Improvement Project. The Saratoga Sunnyvale project encompasses the length of the street from Prospect Road to Big Basin Way/Saratoga Avenue.

The council decided to integrate the two projects so that time wouldn't be lost on one project while waiting for completion of the other. Because the area from the railroad tracks to Big Basin Way/Saratoga Avenue is almost finished, Public Works Director John Cherbone said the city will now focus on the Gateway area.

"We're kind of the forgotten stepchild out here in Saratoga," Orr said. "Other areas in town have had their facelifts and upgrading, and now it's our turn."

Photo: Unwanted Delivery

Home buyers finding more for less

Wedding: James and Kimberly Albright

Saratoga Sampler

Sports Briefs

Los Gatos Dammit Run

2001 Stead Open Tennis Tournament