The Saratoga City Council will discuss the access road proposal at its March 3 meeting, and could determine where that road would run.

Residents of the Saratoga hills near Bohlman Road contacted the city more than two years ago about the need for an emergency access road. Norton Road resident Beverly Phipps proposed a path through Villa Montalvo's artist residency cottages—which were under construction at the time—that would feed into Montalvo's main exit.

According to Phipps, "little action followed," but Montalvo has since been working with the city on proposals for that and alternate routes.

Elisbeth Challener, executive director of the Montalvo Association, said the association is in the process of forming a neighborhood group that would meet regularly to discuss issues related to the arts center, as well as an email list to notify neighbors of issues and events. The association also proposed an alternate access route that would run along the edge of Montalvo.

"Our interest is in strengthening relations with the community," Challener said. "We are all working toward a common goal, which is to find a solution. We feel that this is really a partnership."

But some neighbors are not convinced that the association—or its board of trustees—has the best interests of hillside residents in mind.

Saratoga Heights Mutual Water Co. president David Dolloff, who lives off of Norton, said the Montalvo Association is primarily concerned with privacy and status.

"Montalvo is giving us offers that are, cost-wise, more expensive than anyone else can come up with," said Dolloff, who serves on the city's ad hoc committee dealing with the proposals.

Dolloff said he believes an unobtrusive road through the artists' residence would be mutually beneficial to both the hill's residents and people at Villa Montalvo in an emergency.

Saratoga Vice Mayor Kathleen King said she thinks that both sides have valid concerns, and that Montalvo has dealt with the process appropriately.

"The Montalvo group is really trying to build their relationship with the community," she said.

King said she hopes residents of the hill realize what is being asked of the arts association.

"I look at it as, if it was my backyard, I should have some say in where the road goes."

John Cherbone, the city's public works director, agreed with King that communications with Montalvo, at least recently, have been going smoothly.

"There was a lot of changeover at Montalvo," he said. "I think the communication at this point has been greatly enhanced since the new people have taken over."

Cherbone said he hopes the March 3 council meeting will result in a decision on which emergency road to move forward with. Three other proposals that do not involve running through Montalvo will be presented, but he said the two that do are much more feasible.

Residents echoed the desire for a decision to be made, since their safety is at stake.

Phipps said evacuating via the long, winding, steep roads that currently lead to his property would be unsafe while emergency vehicles were attempting to travel up the route.

"If you read the reports of the Oakland fire, that is exactly the situation that caused a lot of death and damage," he said. "I looked it up on the Internet and was quite horrified."