Preserve Our Heritage

HISTORY OF PRESERVE SARATOGA

It Began with a Sawmill

In 1848, William Campbell set up shop on the banks of what is now Saratoga Creek. His sawmill was destined to be the seed of a new community, but before he could complete it, gold was discovered at the western base of the Sierras, touching off the California Gold Rush and delaying Campbell’s plans.

Martin McCarty leased Campbell’s mill in 1850, and began improving access to the site by building a toll road.  The new road made it easier to transport lumber, and encouraged the growth of industry in the area.  Before long, the sawmill was joined by a tannery, furniture factory, and paper and flour mills.  The community that grew up around them was known for short periods of time as Tollgate, McCartysville, and Bank Mills.

Saratoga Becomes a Town

The settlement received a permanent name after residents discovered a mineral spring in the early 1860’s. The spring’s chemical content was quite similar to that of Congress Spring at Saratoga Springs in New York, and in 1865 the town was officially named Saratoga.

To stem the rapacious annexation policies of San Jose, the residents of Saratoga voted to incorporate and establish their own City government in 1956.  A slogan during the campaign to incorporate the city of Saratoga was "Keep it Rural," according to historian Willys I. Peck.

Saratoga continued to flourish as a rural community as stated in the City of Saratoga’s “Values Statement.” 

Saratoga City Council Eliminates 2 Story Limit

April, 2010 - The Saratoga City Council voted to reverse the sixty-plus year history of a two story building restriction throughout all of Saratoga

The Council entirely removed the limit on the number of stories for the CH-1 Zoning District (The Village), at the same time changing the height limit for mixed use buildings in the Village from 26 feet to 35 feet and removing all remaining two-story limitations City-wide - throughout all City zoning and planning ordinances.

Restore Saratoga is Born

• May, 2010 - In response to The City Council’s unprecedented action, a group of concerned citizens formed “Restore Saratoga”  to qualify an initiative for the November 2010 election to reverse the changes the City Council had made in April.
   
• June 2010 - Representatives of Restore Saratoga met in a study session with the City Council and all agreed to address the two-story limit with a ballot measure.
   
• July 2010, representatives from Restore Saratoga worked with city staff, the city attorney, and representatives of the Council to develop an initiative for the November ballot and ordinances to address shared parking, 50% commercial/residential ratio, and density clarification in the general plan.
   
•   At the end of July the City Council placed a measure on the ballot to limit most commercial buildings in Saratoga to two-stories. This became known as Measure Q.
   
• Restore Saratoga contributed approximately $12,000 to the Measure Q campaign. The California State Realtors' Political Action Committee, headquartered in Los Angeles, contributed over $50,000 to the "No on Measure Q" campaign.
   
• Measure Q lost by 204 votes out of 14,082 votes cast. 
   
• 2019 Restore changed it's name to Preserve Saratoga to better represent is goals.

On Going

Since the election, the Preserve Saratoga Steering Committee has been meeting and developing strategies.  Our “Mission Statement” currently defines our organization and focus.

 We are currently monitoring every development application, every planning commission meeting, and every city council meeting.

We are actively engaging in fund raising as we anticipate Saratoga's future.