What currently consists of dilapidated buildings, brown vegetation and wooden benches blocked off by yellow caution tape will be transformed into an area where families can celebrate weddings, local artisans can display their creative pieces and readers can relax with a good book under a canopy of trees.

"The site has a lot of potential to be turned into a nice gathering area," said architect Steve Kikuchi. "The goal is to utilize as much space as possible and to make the area a safer, cleaner and more accessible courtyard."

Kikuchi inspected the half-acre Historic Park along Saratoga­Los Gatos Road and Oak Avenue and presented blueprints of possible amenities to the heritage preservation commission.

The design sketches included a splayed walkway off of Oak Street and ramps throughout the park, which would make it easier for visitors in wheelchairs to maneuver their way around. It also included a patio with benches where people could hold larger social functions, a service court behind the Saratoga Historical Museum and the McWilliams House where restaurants can provide catering services, and an informal amphitheater toward the rear of the park, which would be ideal for dances, musical performances and art displays.

The plans are also environmentally friendly. Bricks and interlocking paving stones would also be used instead of concrete to allow tree roots to breathe.

Commissioners and residents who were present during the heritage preservation commission meeting said they were satisfied with the plans, but some made additional requests and expressed concern.

"The area has a lot of water problems," said the museum's curator, April Halberstadt. "There are several damp and moldy areas. This renovation project should somehow work with the water instead of against it."

According to Kikuchi, the project would actually improve the hydrology in the area and eliminate some of the standing water, thereby restoring the historical structures and protecting the wood from future deterioration.

Kikuchi said there are several ways to address the water problems, the least expensive and most effective being redirecting surface flow by way of natural terrain. He said that new landscaping, such as ramps, stairs and other walkways, would help spread rainwater to other areas, preventing a huge puddle from being formed in one area, which has often been the case during the rainy season. In other areas, underground drainage systems would need to be installed.

Also at the meeting was longtime architect Warren Heid, who suggested not planting additional trees, as Kikuchi proposed in one of his sketches.

"An arbor does not belong in the park," Heid said. "It is not consistent with the natural setting of the surrounding buildings."

Instead of adding new trees, Kikuchi proposed building 30-inch-tall brow walls around the existing trees. These walls would also serve as seating areas. Plans to extend the herb garden at the entrance from Saratoga­Los Gatos Road and plant a rose garden in front of the McWilliams House were also discussed.

"We need to add more fun and color to the area," said Commissioner Norman Koepernik. "The site can be attractive when it's looked at from a different angle. This will get people to recognize the value of the park and of the buildings."

Kikuchi said he does not yet have an estimate for the renovations, but according to the commission's chairwoman, Phylis Ballingall, the commission is in the process of applying for a grant from the Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department to help fund the project. Ballingall said the commission has a good chance of getting the grant because the project fits all the criteria—it is located in a park and is for preservation purposes.

Kikuchi will present the final plans for the Historic Park at the next heritage preservation commission meeting, scheduled for Nov. 11 at 9 p.m. at the Warner Hutton House.