On Dec. 8, the arts commission met with Public Works Director John Cherbone and architect Steve Kikuchi to discuss feasible ways to liven up a portion of the gas station on the corner of Saratoga-Sunnyvale and Prospect roads. According to Cherbone, the owner agreed to donate a portion of the property for the city to add decorative structures under the condition that the city assume all of the maintenance costs and responsibilities.

Details have not yet been confirmed, but Cherbone said that the site will have redwood trees and a large oak tree transported from the Heritage Orchard for approximately $25,000. The site will also include a sign, possibly similar to ones on Saratoga Avenue and at the Civic Center, designating the city's starting point from the Cupertino side of Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road.

There was some discussion about what type of materials to use for the sign.

"The key thing to consider is what type of material and font is appropriate for Saratoga," Kikuchi said.

One of the options was to use gold-leaf lettering, which would be relatively inexpensive and easy to maintain.

The original design also included a water feature, such as a cascading fountain, but that feature was taken out due to limited space. According to Cherbone, the feature would have cost between $200,000 and $300,000.

Tracy Halgren, the arts commission's chairwoman, said that not having a water feature would not be a problem.

"It's not a big loss," she said. "A water feature doesn't really reflect the spirit of Saratoga."

In addition, Cherbone said that not only would the city be saving a considerable amount of money by not having the water feature, it would open the door to other possibilities.

"There are other ways to draw visual attention to the area," Cherbone said.

Several ideas were tossed out on the table during the meeting, some of which aroused enthusiasm among commissioners.

Mayor Ann Waltonsmith and Commissioner Betty Peck agreed that the area should be similar to Blaney Plaza. Peck said she would like to see a replica of the Memorial Arch, as well as a larger version of the Saratoga sign on Saratoga Avenue.

"This would be a great way to incorporate the old with the new," Peck said.

Another idea that received a considerable amount of support among the commission was the concept of a rotating art collection, which would benefit both the city and the artist. According to Halgren, the commission would call upon one artist at a time to loan a sculptured art piece for a year. This would give the artist recognition at little to no cost to the city.

The arts commission will be discussing design plans in further detail at the Jan. 12 meeting. The issue is scheduled to be on the Jan. 21 city council meeting agenda.