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Photograph by Dai Sugano
Saratoga youngsters participated in the San Jose Clash Youth Soccer camps. Above center, Stephanie Borsun, 7, brings the ball toward the goal at Congress Springs Park.
1999 Year in Review
October
Saratoga celebrated the 15th anniversary of its relationship with its sister city of Muko, Japan, during the annual Saratoga Community Parade. Muko's mayor, Masayuki Okazaki, and officials from the Japanese consulate in San Francisco shared in the day's events, which included bands, floats, flags, fire engines and dignitaries.
The Friends of the Saratoga Libraries also had reason to celebrate when they received their single largest grant ever: $5,000 from the Wells Fargo Foundation. The grant, earmarked for children's books and programs, would directly improve services to children who visit the library in the afternoons.
Saratoga Planning Commissioners granted conditional use permits to Cellular One, Sprint PCS and Metricom to install antennas on existing structures in the city. Neighbors came to the commission meeting armed with concerns about the negative health effects of radio frequency emissions, but planning commissioners, citing FCC regulations that restrict local jurisdiction in these matters, granted the permits.
A two-alarm blaze destroyed an Aspesi Drive home. The fire caused $400,000 in damages, according to fire department officials.
Photograph by George Sakkestad
Doug Jones, swim and water polo coach at SHS, is looking forward to the new pool.
November
The City Council unanimously approved five of the six recommendations of the Parks and Recreation Commission on how to spend the $2.4 million in Park Development Funds, including installing playground equipment, renovating bathrooms, and improving city trails and the playfields at Congress Springs Park.
A dispute over a batting cage between two Sobey Road neighbors made it all the way to the City Council for resolution. Council members unanimously agreed to overturn the Planning Commission's denial of a permit for David and Cindy Wright to use the batting cage/bocce ball court that they had installed on their property. The Wright's neighbors, the Grellases, said they didn't plan on having a batting cage so near their property or they would never have bought their house.
The community got its first look at a proposal to revive Azule Crossing at 12312 Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road during a Planning Commission public hearing. Commissioners directed the applicant (developer Scott Ward, who represented the owners) to take into consideration commissioners' and neighbors' concerns about the proposed development, which comprised a commercial building and a 27-home residential unit. Developers came back two weeks later with a revised proposal for a 25-home residential component that had more open space. Planning Commissioners approved the project 5-1.
A consultant selected by the county prepared for public comment and review a draft environmental-impact report for the Mountain Winery's use permit and architecture and site approval applications, which would legalize the concerts, theatrical events, business meetings and receptions that have occurred at the winery since 1958. The use permit would only approve the current buildings on the property and would not allow any new uses of the winery. According to the draft EIR, if the applications were approved, there would be no environmental impact that couldn't be mitigated to the point of insignificance.
The City Council gave its blessing to a $15 million bond measure to expand and renovate the Saratoga Library for the March 2000 election. The amount was one million dollars more than was requested by the Library Commission. The cost to taxpayers would average about $12 per year per $100,000 in assessed property value over 30 years. A coalition of library expansion supporters requested the bond measure because the last step of an awareness campaign, a Nov. 7-9 poll, showed that more than two-thirds of Saratogans would support a $14 million bond to expand the library. The bond would pay for more books, space for more books, more seating, quiet study rooms, new lighting, more children's programs, rewiring to improve access to the Internet, improved access to fire exits, compliance with modern earthquake standards, and new improved access for people with disabilities.
The Los Gatos-Saratoga High School District board unanimously approved construction of an Olympic-size pool for Saratoga High School, even though bids came in slightly higher than expected and fundraisers were about $208,000 short of the needed amount. SUSD board members approved final site plans for renovations at Foothill and Argonaut schools.
Photograph by Dai Sugano
Stan Bogosian, Saratoga's new mayor, still lives in the house where he grew up.
December
Councilman Stan Bogosian, who had served as acting mayor of Saratoga since Jim Shaw died in August, was elected mayor of Saratoga at the City Council meeting Dec 1. The council elected John Mehaffey as vice mayor. Bogosian felt strongly about remaining mayor pro tem until the end of Shaw's term. His plans for the coming year include extending Measure G to apply to commercial zoning districts as a ballot measure to be placed before voters in the November 2000 election. If this ballot measure passes, it will mean that a proposal to change a commercially zoned area to a residential area must be approved by voters. Bogosian also plans to look into forming a Joint Powers Authority with other cities in the county to solve the lack of playfields problem long-term.
Members of the city's Planning, Parks and Recreation and Public Safety commissions and the public expressed concerns about the draft environmental-impact report for the Mountain Winery's conditional-use permit and architectural and site approval applications. Citizens criticized the draft EIR for its ambiguity and for what some called an "inadequate" traffic study. Bogosian relayed those concerns at the county Planning Commission's public hearing on the draft EIR and asked for an extension of the public comment period so the city could look into annexing the winery.
Union firefighters agreed to support a $6 million bond measure to pay for a new fire station, on the condition that the Saratoga Fire District involve the Santa Clara County Fire Department in choosing a consultant to study the fire and medical services in Saratoga. The measure probably would go before voters in a general law election in April or later. The SFD commissioners announced in July that they would place an initiative on the November ballot. But union firefighters (the International Association of Firefighters Local No. 3875) in August had announced their opposition. They said they recognized the need to replace the station, but believed a facility as big and as costly as commissioners were proposing would not be required if the district contracted with the county.
In a move that surprised Azule Crossing property owners, City Council members decided to call up for review at a future meeting the Planning Commission's decision to approve the proposed development. Because two council members requested review within 15 days of the commission's decision, the council was permitted to place the development on its agenda. Rather than asking the council to approve the same project the Planning Commission approved, the developer further reduced the number of planned homes to 20 to try to reach common ground, he said. Although 22 people spoke in support of the proposed development at its public hearing, the City Council denied it, overturning the Planning Commission's prior approval, by a vote of 3-2. Councilmen Nick Streit and Evan Baker voted to approve the project.
Attorneys for Saratoga and Los Gatos reported that both cities were discussing settlement with AT&T in the lawsuit brought by the cities against the telecommunications giant. The cities are suing AT&T for moving their community-access television stations, KSAR in Saratoga and KCAT in Los Gatos, from their positions on cable Channel 6 to Channel 15.
1999: The Year in Review
January - March 1999
April - June 1999
July - September 1999
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Saratoga, California Since 1955
