6-5 City Council meeting

Depending upon who you speak with, Saratogans either won or lost last night. The City Council wound up voting 5 to 0 to deny all the Planning Commission's recommendations, including the height limits. What I found most disturbing was the attitude of two of the Council members. Instead of listening respectfully one of them used facial expressions to express his dislike of some speakers' comments; the other Council member was incredibly rude and bullying. To be sure, the other 3 members listened respectfully as citizens expressed their opinions, primarily regarding the possible raising of height limits in mixed use/commercial areas. We're basically back to square one, with all the existing setback, landscape and height limits intact. However, included in the 5 to 0 vote was the promise to develop architectural designs and other restrictions that would reflect what Saratogans want for our City. There will be opportunities for public input as well as Council and Planning Commission thoughts. So, stay tuned; we all have a stake in this process.