The draft of the new ordinance says that the city will no longer try to regulate copy on signs. The other main issues that were discussed were neon signs and how to regulate them, A-frame signs that are mostly used by real estate businesses and different signage rules for the Village area and other commercial areas of the city.

Anthony Morici of the Westwood Company, an investment properties group, and Bill Cooper of Cooper-Garrod vineyards indicated at the June 22 meeting at City Hall that the city should do more to encourage businesses in the commercial areas of Saratoga.

"You can't be as rigid as you are. My understanding is that the city wants to encourage business in these areas," said Morici at the meeting.

"A-frames will be allowed for all kinds of businesses under certain circumstances. Downtown businesses will be allowed to use A-frame signs in front of their businesses," said Tom Sullivan, community development director for the city. Businesses will have to allow a 4-foot-wide passage on the sidewalk when they put up an A-frame sign.

Cooper also said that the rules needed to be more specific and clearer for A-frame signs and neon signs. "The draft says that a neon sign should be 24 inches inside a store. If it is a small business with small floor area, the sign will be right in the middle of the shop. This needs to be looked into," said Kristin Davis, executive director of the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce.

Neon, especially in the Village area, has been a touchy issue with many Saratogans. "I keep getting phone calls and emails about neon in the Village," said Sullivan. He said that there would be separate criteria for signage in the village and separate rules for other commercial areas of the city.

"I got a lot of good feedback. I was pleased that everyone did not show up with knives. We want to make this work for everyone. People who go up and down Big Basin Way might have a different opinion than business owners," said Sullivan.

"I was very happy with the general drift of the meeting," said Cooper. "We are moving in the right direction."