At least, that's the way the Saratoga City Council would like things to be.

Council members shared their vision for the future of the Village at a June 24 retreat at Hakone Gardens, discussing some philosophical and concrete ideas for how they might make their ideas come true.

John Livingstone, the city's community development director, said there are different ways of making it happen.

"This is a very complex issue. We will have to look at the forest and not the individual trees," he said. "The bottom line is that we have to make the Village more attractive to merchants."

Mayor Kathleen King and Vice Mayor Norman Kline, who make up the Village Ad Hoc Committee, have pushed relentlessly for making the downtown area more commercially viable.

"The shops are small, the rents are high and parking is very restrictive. That's the problem with the Village," King said.

Kline said two issues that need to be addressed soon are the repair of the Village sidewalks and parking in the downtown area.

Village sidewalks are owned by Caltrans. The city has been negotiating with the state body to take over the right-of-way so that the sidewalks can be maintained.

The city council has also been discussing a new and less restrictive parking ordinance for downtown Saratoga. The current ordinance requires merchants in the Village to pay for a specified number of parking spots, depending on their square footage.

"It will be easier for new businesses if they have to buy fewer parking spaces to do business in the Village," Kline said.

At the retreat, Kline also suggested the formation of a business improvement district to fund Village development.

"The property owners can tax themselves and the money can then be used for the development of the business district," Kline said. He cited Willow Glen, which has successfully implemented such a model.

Both Kline and King have also suggested the formation of a Village association--an informal group of merchants and business owners who will meet often to communicate and resolve issues affecting the downtown.

"All of these components will add up to a planned development of the Village," Kline said. He said a cohesive and coherent plan will bring more value to commercial rental space.

Kline also said that he would like to see a more active Chamber of Commerce in the city.

The first step, according to King, is to begin a discussion with the merchants in the Village. "We need a lot more input from the people who matter," she said.

Kline said the city seems to be going through a transition. "We're never going to be a Los Gatos or Carmel, but we can surely bump it up a bit so that we have more commercial activity," Kline said. He suggests soliciting more high-end businesses such as wine shops and bridal stores.