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Published on 02/01/1999 All articles from this issue

Los Altos city officials, businesses close on economic development position, goals

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By Carol Tiegs

Special to the Town Crier

Los Altos business representatives agreed on refined objectives for a city-funded economic development coordinator position last Friday. They also supported development of a five-year plan outlining goals for the city's economic development.

The meeting was the last of a series held jointly by the Los Altos Chamber of Commerce and Los Altos Village Association to provide the city with business community input on the role of a part-time economic development coordinator position approved by Los Altos City Council.

Three dozen business people met on Jan. 22 to develop a list of economic development and business assistance objectives.

On Jan. 29, two dozen people were back at Hillview Community Center to refine the list and hear Los Altos City Manager Phil Rose outline his goals for the position.

Focusing on broad economic development objectives, the group agreed on the need to develop and maintain a five-year economic development plan for the city that would include specific, measurable goals and objectives and address issues of "growth vs. status quo."

Group members voiced strong support for leadership from the city for solutions to accessibility to Los Altos businesses, including parking, and to maintaining and improving the infrastructure. They also endorsed a review of zoning ordinances with an eye toward support of economic development.

The business people called for the economic development coordinator to "be a liaison between the business community and the city to facilitate retention, recruitment and ongoing support." This included being a primary information resource, maintaining "Space Station Los Altos" to advertise space available for lease, serving as a liaison to business associations and communicating with landlords and property owners.

Serving as a liaison to business associations figured in six of the 14 specific job objectives Rose presented to the group. Among them was meeting with the Foothill, Homestead and Grant Road property owners and businesses "to determine whether the city can provide support to make this a cohesive shopping area."

First- and second-quarter job objectives included meeting with downtown property owners and merchants to review past work on the parking issue, develop a consensus statement defining the parking problem, and developing alternative solutions including cost estimates and finding alternatives.

Rose wants to see the economic development coordinator not only maintain "Space Station Los Altos" but also include it on the city's Web site. The site would be expanded to include significant economic information.

Rose's list of job objectives includes:

"develop and manage a program of refuse and litter collection on public property within the city's commercial areas;

develop a summary of the services and capital required to maintain and operate the public areas of the downtown at various levels;

work with property owners and tenants to develop or redevelop their property to fit within the 'vision' for the city."

The coordinator would also manage the First and Main streets property, Rose said. This includes "exploration of development alternatives including private or public development."

"I'm impressed," said Mel Kahn of Kahn's Corner Pharmacy. "I really feel you've covered what this person should do."