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Published on 07/24/1995 All articles from this issue

What a difference a few years make. When the City of Los Altos announced an extensive renovation project for Main Street in 1993, the plans unleashed a storm of protest from merchants who were afraid of losing summer business. A few merchants organized a group and sued the city to stop the project. It took a judge's decision for city workers to proceed.

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When the city announced plans to repave State Street, reaction among the business community was not nearly as confrontational. Most seemed to be greatly in favor of the work, while those opposed made their feelings felt but didn't form splinter groups or seek litigation.

There are some major distinctions here: For one, the city had to close down Main Street for three weeks while crews actually tore up the street, replacing the old concrete. State Street also will remain closed for the bulk of the 33-day project, but the street will likely be opened sooner because the plans are less involved. The Main Street project's design elements, which included brick intersections and benches along the sidewalks, also stirred their share of controversy.

But it's obvious to us that this time around, the communication between city officials and merchants was much better, and the city has been much more responsive. When one merchant objected to the initial starting date and circulated a petition, the city delayed the starting date from mid-July to July 31, this Monday.

City officials also learned the lessons of the Main Street experience well. Merchants and the general public were made aware of the plans months in advance. Unlike the Main Street debacle, when officials went through the Los Altos Village Association without talking directly to merchants, there were no communications breakdowns this time around. It also appears, with the willingness to delay the project, that the city is also willing to bend a little to work with the residents. That wasn't the case two years ago.

Nobody wants to face the prospect of losing business because of prolonged closure of streets. But State Street's facelift will be a worthwhile investment for businesses. It's nice to see that this time around, everyone gets the message.