Manor residents appeared before the Los Gatos Town Council Feb. 17 to demonstrate their support for a proposal to make their area part of the town. If the proposal is accepted, Los Gatos would annex the 31 houses in Blossom Hill Manor, and its occupants would be entitled to services provided by the town.

Blossom Hill is in an unincorporated area, currently under Santa Clara County jurisdiction. The pocket consists of homes on Lilac and Oleander avenues and a few houses on Dahlia Way. Although the area borders Los Gatos, Manor homes are not considered to be part of the town. This means that the residents are not entitled to Los Gatos­Monte Sereno Police Department protection, cannot vote for town council members and must pay out-of-town fees for library and parks usage.

Residents have been fighting for inclusion over the past three years. Carol Gruetzner initiated the effort after she tried to volunteer for the Los Gatos fine arts council. When she tried to obtain an application for the group, she was turned away because of her address.

"I knew I lived in the county, but I didn't understand the ramifications," she told the council last night.

Other residents echoed Gruetzner's thoughts, voicing their concerns about living in a county-supervised region. Many called themselves "second-class citizens," because they are not entitled to Los Gatos services, yet they feel they are a part of the town's community.

"We think we mean something to the town, and we think the town means something to us," said Larry Gerston.

Ron Ricci told the council that the county police response was often slow and inadequate, with reaction times dragging past 10 minutes. The county was also unable to control the speeding in the area, refusing to implement traffic-calming measures. Ricci said he believed both problems could be addressed if the area was incorporated into Los Gatos.

"I think I speak for everyone in the community when I say that we want nothing more than to move 200 feet closer to you," he said.

Political participation was another topic residents broached to the council. Residents can vote for county supervisors, but are restricted from voting for town measures and officials.

"We're really in no man's land politically. We have no political voice," said Grutzner. "We can't vote for San Jose and we can't vote for Los Gatos."

Although every speaker before the council spoke in support of the move, many residents worried about possible opposition and sought to quell concerns about the annexation.

Eleanor Gallmeister tried to dispel myths associated with the move, stating that property taxes would not rise and that the town would not force residents in the area to install sidewalks.

In order for the annexation to occur, fewer than 25 percent of the residents can oppose the move. If this is the case, the council can order the annexation without any further votes on the matter. If more than 50 percent of the residents are in opposition, the annexation proposal will automatically fail. However, if 25 to 50 percent of the residents oppose the annexation, residents will vote in the November election to decide if the move should take place.

Another way for the annexation to succeed is based on property value. If those owning property worth more than 75 percent of the total property value in the area support the move, the annexation can proceed. If those owning 25 to 50 percent of the property are in opposition, it will require another vote in November. If those owning more than 50 percent of the property are in opposition, the annexation process will be terminated.

The next town council meeting will take place March 1 at 7 p.m. in council chambers, 110 E. Main St.