Saratoga News

Broker of autos for the high-end buyer set to open in the Village

Former liquor store becomes a showroom for exotic cars

Most merchants enthusiastic

By Sarah Lombardo

A new face in the form of an auto brokage is scheduled to move into the Saratoga Village. The owners of Highline Imports, currently located in Campbell, said they hope to move into the space last occupied by Saratoga Wine and Spirits, at 14429 Big Basin Way, by Nov. 15.

Mark Brown, who owns the business with his wife, Stephanie, said the business will deal mostly in Ferraris and Rolls-Royces and called it more of a "showroom and boutique." The Browns said they plan to display "as many cars as will fit" in the store, probably about a dozen, Stephanie said. She said they also hope to carry some car accessories and clothing, but the business will not offer car-care service.

The Browns have been in their Campbell location for three years but said they have been looking to move.

"We've been trying to get a location in Saratoga for about two years," Mark said. "A lot of our customers are from Saratoga, Monte Sereno and Los Gatos."

"It's more visibility for us," Stephanie said. "Right now, we're pretty hidden, and so not a lot of people know that we are there."

The business, although unusual for Big Basin Way, did not have to acquire a use permit for the location or go before the Planning Commission, according to community development manager James Walgren. It just had to obtain an appropriate business license.

"It would meet zoning as long as they display the autos entirely indoors," Walgren said. According to Walgren, the location is zoned for retail use, and the broker would be a retail business the same as any other, but with larger items for sale. But, Walgren stressed, the business would not be allowed to store cars in the parking lot; the cars would have to remain inside the almost 3,000-square-foot store.

Mark said cars not being displayed in the showroom either are kept at the couple's Saratoga home, on Alta Vista Avenue, or are usually in shops getting detailed. He also said that the former liquor store will be left the same, except for the removal of the refrigerators and storage units and shelves, and that no structural changes will be made to the place. Cars will enter the showroom through the rear of the building, he said.

In response to concerns about traffic, the Browns said they doubt their brokerage will cause any significant increase in auto traffic along Big Basin Way.

"Our dealership isn't like a typical dealership," Stephanie said. "It doesn't bring crowds of people like a mega-dealership would. And we don't do any type of services. ...We've never had that kind of [traffic] problem before."

Some Big Basin Way merchants seem happy about the prospect of new tenants. Bill Cooper, owner of Bella Saratoga, said he thought the dealership would be a nice change from the usual sorts of businesses on Big Basin Way.

"I think it adds a new element of show to the Village," he said. "I can't imagine that it's going to create undesirable traffic, but it certainly should bring some browsers."

Pat Smith, owner of the P.S. I Love You Tea Room located right next door to the dealership, said she was "really excited" about the business.

"I think it's time that we do something to get some foot traffic on this part of the street," she said. I think it'll bring more people and more curiosity and more people looking around."

And according to Mark, that's not the only thing that the dealership could bring to Saratoga with its high-ticket sales. "The city will get all the sales tax," he said. "All the sales will be done in Saratoga out of the Big Basin Way site." Mark said the exception would be the purchase of a car by someone out of state. Such sales, he said, make up about 5 percent of his business. About 80 percent of sales, he said, are to local Silicon Valley types.

City Councilmembers said last week that they had just heard about the proposed business, but they initially saw no problems with it.

"I think they will be a positive change to the retail scene," Mayor Gillian Moran said. "It'll be a retail store with lots of sidewalk appeal, owned by Saratoga residents in a building owned by a Saratoga resident."

Stan Bogosian said he would take a wait-and-see attitude with regard to what impact the dealership would have on the Village, but said, "There's nothing that raises a red flag about it at this point."

Highline Imports will not be the first car brokerage located on Big Basin Way. About five years ago, a brokerage specializing in vintage American cars was located where Studio Kicks is now.

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