On November 5, the City Council will vote to encourage the City Center to spend $250,000 for detailed drawings of a new parking structure on the City-owned High Rock parcel. Sustainable Saratoga believes the community should be included in decisions about this important parcel before any commitments are made.
The major feature of the new plan for what is being called Flat Rock Center is a parking garage with 754 spaces, nearly 300 more than the earlier City Center proposal. A small committee, meeting behind closed doors, created the plan. It was presented to the City Council in July, with no public notice or follow-up.
Sustainable Saratoga does not object to the City Center building parking for its own use, but we oppose the development of a major plan for the entire parcel without a public process. We have many questions regarding alternative uses, why it is being considered before adopting a broader parking management plan, how it will be paid for, and more.
The City Council should postpone the November 5 vote and take the time for a more careful and complete planning process that encourages public participation.
- Art Holmberg, Chair Sustainable Saratoga
