Saratoga News

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City council takes a reluctant step forward in plan for north campus

By Shannon Burkey

The Saratoga City Council has taken another step toward the possibility of having a childcare center and gymnasium on the North Campus property, despite the fact that two council members--Chuck Page and Jill Hunter--feel the process is moving too fast and without enough public input.

"My biggest concern is that there is no definite long-term strategy for the North Campus property," Page said. "In terms of how it actually gets used, we haven't heard from a lot of people, and that's the one element missing from here."

But at a June 26 study session to review a proposal submitted by Saratoga residents Alan and Lisa Beck and their partners Nieves Diaz and Juan Menendez, the council voted 4-0 to move forward in negotiations on the proposal and have city staff conduct parking, traffic and noise studies at the campus. Mayor Aileen Kao was absent.

The proposal was one of nine conceptu al proposals submitted to the council on June 6. At that time, the council chose to work with the Becks, Diaz and Menendez to refine their proposal, which was most in line with the direction the city wanted to go in.

The proposal for the North Campus Child Development Center calls for the demolition of the front two buildings of the North Campus property and the front roadway. They would be replaced with a gymnasium with a regulation-size basketball court for the city to run, with all proceeds from its rental going to the city, and a new child development center with a fenced-in playground that would serve 100 children in preschool and kindergarten.

The project is estimated to cost roughly $1.2 million, which the Beck group would fund. The proposal calls for a 10-year lease with a 100 percent leaseback on the gymnasium and a 50 percent leaseback on the childcare center.

"There is very little full-time childcare in Saratoga, and the gym is something that can be integrated into the community for everybody to use," said Lisa Beck, a preschool and kindergarten teacher for 15 years. "Everybody can benefit from this. I don't see how there can be a loss."

Hunter said she sees several problems with the proposal that first need to be addressed.

"I think we're going too fast on this. We're not even sure whether a gym is something Saratoga would even like to see. I think we need to be confident that that's what they want," Hunter said. "Also, we have no idea how the neighbors are going to feel. This is a small area, so these people might have a real problem being so near a school."

Hunter said she would also like to wait and see how popular the newly renovated administration building and the soon-to-be renovated fellowship hall, which both sit at the back of the campus, are with the public before the council makes any decisions on the front two buildings.

"It's our responsibility to make sure those buildings are used the way the public wants them to be used," Hunter said. "If we do it too fast people might be angry, and it's my goal not to be hated in four years."

Page, who also had some concerns about the proposal, said he had doubts that the community would back the plans if the city were to move forward at this point.

"We may be stepping a little too quickly," Page said. "The property has sat vacant for five years, and to rush forward without a true vision would be a disservice to the community."

Page also voiced concern that the public has not been heard; however, only a handful of residents turned up to the open study session.

Councilwoman Kathleen King said lack of public input to this point should not keep the project from moving forward because the council will get that input.

"It isn't until we get to a point where we're really making decisions that the community comes out," King said. "The public will come when they see what's happening here. I think the worst thing we could do would be to be here in another three or four years visioning what we're going to do."

Saratoga resident Jack Mallory, one of the forces behind stopping the sale of the North Campus to developers last year, said that although he is pleased to see the city pursuing the proposal, he is not sure it is quite there yet.

One of his concerns is the quality of the buildings, which will be made out of steel and then finished with architectural stucco wall panels.

"I think if we want to do it better, it's a challenge to the community to come up with the money to do that," Mallory said. "Right now I don't think this package is done yet."

The city initially decided to look at outside conceptual proposals because it does not have the money to renovate the entire North Campus. Renovations to the administration building were recently completed and renovations on fellowship hall will begin shortly, but renovations on the front two buildings-- the sanctuary and education building-- did not fit into the budget.

"The bottom line is we don't have the money to build anything there," vice mayor Ann Waltonsmith said. "I think we should start with this utilitarian plan that is doable, then see if anyone will come out of the woodwork and make it more than doable--make it beautiful."

Waltonsmith, a strong proponent of the proposal, asked the council to move forward and not turn a good opportunity away.

Although Page and Hunter had some doubts and both want to see more public input, they both decided to move the proposal forward in hopes that the community will offer opinions. The council also plans to hold another study session jointly with the planning commission to further flesh out the proposal.

Though she is optimistic about the North Campus site working out and it is her first choice, Lisa Beck said that she and her partners are looking at other spaces because they hope to have the school open by November or December.

"We just don't know the direction the city is going to go in, and if we wait too long we don't want to close any other doors," she said. "I know the residents of Saratoga can be vocal about what they want, and we want them to come and show us their support or tell us what they don't like about it so we can work with it. We just want them to come out."