Saratoga News
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Photograph by George Sakkestad
The Gateway Project on Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road in Saratoga is nearing completion. The controversial pillars have been removed, and the final stages of the beautification project are under way.
City's Gateway Project is nearing completion
By Shannon Burkey
There are no pillars involved this time--only a few picnic tables and road improvements--but the final stages of the $2.8 million Gateway Project that began in 2000 are about to be completed, finishing the beautification project of Saratoga's gateway district.
When Highway 85 was built, the state relinquished parts of Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road to each of the cities it runs through, asking them to take over maintenance of the old highway.
Caltrans provided $2 million to the city of Saratoga for the Gateway Project that called for infrastructure improvements of a half-mile stretch of Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road from Prospect Road to Cox Avenue. Another $880,000 came from a grant provided by the Valley Transportation Authority.
Along with the road improvements, the beautification of the gateway area also included a stone wall at the entryway with the name Saratoga, as well as new medians, sidewalks and landscaping.
The majority of the work has been finished, but there is still $250,000 of the original money left, and the public works department is about the start its last two projects.
The first is the Pierce Road and Saratoga-Sunnyvale intersection. According to John Cherbone, the city's public works director, the intersection is in need of work in many different areas.
"We will work on the drainage, landscaping and beautification of the intersection. We also plan to realign the grade going onto Pierce Road so that it is not so steep," Cherbone said.
The improvements on Pierce Road were in the original design plans for the Gateway Project, although some things may have changed slightly, according to Cherbone.
The second project that will bring the yearlong process to an end is the sprucing up of a tiny park adjacent to Calabazas Creek. The Santa Clara Valley Water District owns the park, but the city was able to obtain an encroachment permit to work on the park.
"Basically, we are just adding a few picnic tables, benches and a water fountain to make it a nice little sitting area," Cherbone said.
If all goes according to plan, the work should begin within the next month and Cherbone anticipates it taking only two to three weeks to complete.
"We would like to get it all done before the winter rain season starts," Cherbone said, "but it all depends on how fast we can get contractors mobilized. It won't take long once we start."
The Gateway Project came under fire earlier this year when 13 stone pillars were erected in the median on Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road going into Saratoga.
The pillars were approved by the city council five years ago, but when they went up in February, they were not what anyone was expecting.
After hearing from many unhappy residents, the current council voted 3-2 to remove the offending pillars and replace them with trees.
As for the final touches to the Gateway Project, Cherbone said he has had pretty good dialogue with the residents interested in learning about the changes at Pierce Road and, in general, the residents in the area have been supportive.
In addition to the park and Pierce Road projects, the city received a $875,000 federal Surface Transportation Program Fund grant to be used to repave Saratoga-Sunnyvale road to complete the look of the gateway district.
