Saratoga News
News
Photograph by Zach Beecher
Construction continues on Blaney Plaza in downtown Saratoga. Foreman Raul Herrera (left) handles the jackhammer as Juan Lopez measures the sidewalk.
Plaza gets a makeover in time for city's 50th
By Shannon Burkey
In anticipation of the city of Saratoga's 50th anniversary celebration, Blaney Plaza is receiving a makeover that has been in the plans for almost four years.
Money for the redesign of Blaney Plaza was budgeted for by the city a few years back, but when the economy turned it was delayed, according to Councilwoman Kathleen King.
At that time, King said that the quotes they were receiving for the work that was in the original design plan were nearly double the amount the city had budgeted for.
Now, with changes in the design plan and money the city recently received from the city of Monte Sereno, the Public Works Department was able to finally begin the work on Blaney Plaza.
This year, Monte Sereno received close to $200,000 from the state of California for its parks. The state allocates park bond money to various cities each year. Monte Sereno has no parks of its own, so the city looked to help the parks of its neighboring cities.
"Once we received our park money, we asked both Saratoga and Los Gatos for proposals of what they would do with the money," said Monte Sereno City Councilman Curtis Wright.
Once the proposals were approved, Monte Sereno granted Saratoga $80,000 of its park money. Half of the money was used to rebuild the stage at Wildwood Park, and the other half is being used on the Blaney Plaza redesign.
"This is a great opportunity for us to work with one of our nice neighbors, and our residents will get to use the parks as if they were Saratoga residents," Wright said, adding that nearly a third of Monte Sereno's children attend Saratoga schools.
The original plans called for tearing out the brick that is in the plaza and putting in cement, but in an effort to save money a lot the material that is already in the plaza, such as the brick, is going to be used, King said.
The new plan also involves removing some parts of the wall that is currently in the plaza to allow for more space for people to congregate. The older benches are also being removed and will be replaced with seven stationary 2-feet-by-2-feet redwood tables with ceramic chessboard tabletops and two redwood chairs for each table. The tables will be placed around the perimeter of the plaza.
Saratoga resident Brian Berg said he originally had concerns about the tables. He said he thought that tables might take up too much space and hinder events such as the pet parade or the day after Thanksgiving open house that draws large numbers of people.
But after seeing pictures of the tables and learning more about the redesign, he said he now thinks the area will be more of a congregation place for the people of Saratoga.
"I think the plaza now has the potential to become a focal place for the whole town," Berg said, adding that it was not a very inviting place before. "With the new additions, people will be more likely to want to go there and hang out."
With the addition of Planet Juice to the Corinthian Corners building right next to the plaza and a Starbucks already there, King said that it would now be a great place for people to go once they get their coffee or juice.
"Little towns like ours like gathering places," King said. "And I think this will make a nice gathering place for the residents and the people visiting our Village."
