By Khalida Sarwari
The Saratoga City Council unanimously approved a proposed plan and timeline for the annexation of nearly 207 acres of land next year in an unincorporated area of Santa Clara County south of Glen Una Drive.
In February, Saratoga’s application to amend the city’s “urban service area” to include the Congress Springs Quarry property and to retract the area of On Orbit Drive and Orchard Meadows Drive was approved by the Local Agency Formation Commission, or LAFCO, a commission tasked with regulating the boundary changes proposed by other public agencies or individuals. The certification of the approved annexation of the Quarry Property was contingent upon the city’s approval of a plan and timeline for the 206.9-acre proposed annexation area known as STG05.
Last year, LAFCO also approved another application by the city to include about 54 acres of land owned by Garrod Farms in the urban service area. That resolution included a condition that the city prepare a plan and timeline for annexation of the STG05 area.
Typically in the past, annexations in Saratoga were in response to landowner requests or involved unincorporated islands no larger than 150 acres in size, and therefore qualified for expedited procedures. In the case of STG05, however, the annexation area includes multiple parcels in different ownership and is larger than 150 acres. The process to annex STG05 is estimated to take at least eight months, possibly requiring additional time for an environmental review or obtaining factual data.
No members of the public addressed the council at the Oct. 16 meeting, but council members Howard Miller and Chuck Page weighed in on the annexation plan and timeline.
“It’s going to be a lengthier process because there’s a number of developed homes up there and they may or may not want to come into the city of Saratoga, so this will be a lot different than those onesie-twosies that we were dealing with, which are very streamlined and which are very easy to accomplish,” Page said. “This one may take some time and it may not even fly, but I think it’s a great project and let’s move forward.”
As part of the annexation process, the city would need to prepare a number of documents, including a service plan and a California Environmental Quality Act, beginning in January. Also as part of the process, the council would need to give the residents and landowners in the annexation area an opportunity to protest the annexation.
If there are no protests, or if there are protests and an election supports the annexation, the council would then adopt a resolution ordering the annexation. The final step would entail a certificate of completion of annexation by LAFCO.
Council approves plan for annexation of 207 acres of county land
