Saratoga Office, Daycare Project Nixed

Times-Space Investment Development LLC. also wanted to add a retail component to the project, which was next to the West Valley Muslim Association.

Saratoga Community Development Director James Lindsay said in December the plan originally was for the association and Times-Space to develop together and seek the city's approval to build both properties at once, but that didn't work out.

Currently, the property is occupied a warehouse building and offices.

The back portion of the 12250 Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road project was being considered for the day care center and the front portion for office and retail uses, Lindsay said.

York Le, a representative of the Times-Space project, confirmed earlier this year that the project had been submitted to the city for consideration. On July 5, he sent an email to Saratoga government officials announcing his plans to pull the project.

Lindsay said Times-Space presented its plans to the city in October and his office held a neighborhood meeting in early December of 2012 to allow the public to review the plans.

The Restore Saratoga group had expressed concern about the building's height, parking, traffic and noise impacts to the surrounding neighborhood.

Saratoga Council member Chuck Page stated that it was a shame that Le decided to pull his project. “I am quite sure that with all the vocal opposition from the followers of the 'Restore' people – the 'No' people – first on the revised ordinance that would have allowed a 26-foot height limit in some of our commercial districts and then all of them opposed to Mr. Le’s project, he reached his limit," he said.

"The thing is that the ordinance created by the Planning Commission was really good. And Mr. Le had made significant accommodations to the neighbors and the vocal opposition, essentially following the rules that were set forth in that ordinance," Page added.

Le has apparently said he’ll come back with a project that does not require any variances. 

"I don’t know what that will look like, but I know that it could include multi-family housing and be as tall as 30 feet.  I’m pretty sure that the 'No' people will not like that, either," Page said. "I’m looking forward to Mr. Le’s next plan, because that parcel really needs improvement.”