Turtle takes Mom's

When Seth "Turtle" Johnson first returned to Saratoga and started his business, Slow and Steady Law Office, he knew that he wanted to bring change to his hometown. From the very beginning, he had his eyes set on 402 1st Street, the home of Mom's Kitchen. On June 19, Johnson officially closed on the property. 

"This something I've been looking at since I came back to town; trying to figure out a way to make a deal to purchase the property, then to get the deal made and to get the funding together," said Johnson. "This is the first step in a bigger project."

Residents got a brief preview of what Johnson's plans were when he attended the May meeting of the Saratoga Planning Commission to ask about a Special Use Permit and a Zoning Amendment. Having closed on the property, the Saratoga-based attorney can now speak to what he has planned.

"Ideally, I would like to demolish these two structures and then build my office with three rental spaces offices and a meeting room/coffee shop area. That's kind of the plan," Johnson said. "This is something I've been planning since I came back because there's a legitimate lack of professional rental space in this town; someplace where somebody can come and start a professional business and just hit the ground running."

When Johnson first returned to Saratoga, his office was at the Platte Valley Community Center while he incubated his businesses. After that, the search was on for a temporary office, which was held at the meeting room in the Riviera Lodge for a time. Now, his temporary office is held at property he owns on Farm Avenue.

If Johnson is able to follow through with his plans, Mom's Kitchen and the house next to it will be demolished. He will then build his office and the three rental offices so as to provide the professional rental space he feels is lacking in the area.

"It's not available here, so that's something I would like to create for people because it is the issue that I had. So, people can come here and Saratoga can start to grow," said Johnson. "Competition is good for business. It makes services better, it makes services cheaper."

Though he has taken the first step, Johnson still has many steps ahead of him to see that his goal comes to fruition. A public hearing will be held prior to the regular meeting of the Saratoga Planning Commission on July 9.

In the meantime, those wanting his services can find his office at 1116 W. Farm Ave. or call 307-326-3460.