Bigger than most cities our size
Click on any image to enlarge
ISSUES
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Traffic-Housing-Growth: Our infrastructure limits growth - we must respect our limits.
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Civic Center: $373 Million for new Civic Center buildings (link) in times of economic uncertainty?
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Parks-Open Space: Preserve and expand our parks to keep Sunnyvale liveable.
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Environment: Net-zero emissions in new buildings & more public chargers for electric vehicles.
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Airplane-Noise Commission: Resident empowerment instead of top-down bureaucracy.
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Ombudsman: Residents need an advocate to help them deal with Sunnyvale's bureaucracy.
"I, my wife, and two sons have lived in Sunnyvale 30 years. We have enjoyed it's lovely parks sports fields, and library. With the current economic uncertainty, we need to be very careful that we don't have to cut the services which make Sunnyvale such a great place to live. I want to work for you. I want a city government that does not ignore petitions with over 1,000 resident's signatures. I want a city that responds to each individual's needs as well as to those of the majority.
It will take years for the world to recover from the economic disruption due to Covid-19. We should be very careful in city expenditures. But we also need to improve "safe routes to school". As growth happens, we need to create more parks, improve our existing library, add more crossing guards and other public safety measures, without selling off public land to do it. I want a city that listens to you and responds to your needs."
LIST OF ISSUES
Sunnyvale's 24-Acre Civic Center
Above is the Sunnyvale Public Library - Heart of the Civic Center
Our 24-acre Civic Center, with its library, public safety building, and city hall, is a quiet oasis in the middle of our increasingly busy downtown.
I want to preserve and enhance it, and make sure it is not sold to the highest bidder. Current plans for the $373 Million Civic Center "Modernization" (a new City Hall and addition to the public safety building including $93 Million in debt service) would leave a large part of the Civic Center on El Camino ripe for sale. If, yet again, a future city council decides they want the money or some large campaign contributor wants it - will it be sold. I want to preserve the open space there and make sure the people have a say in the "modernization".
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Serra Park
Parks and Open Space If I had to choose the one thing that I love most about Sunnyvale it is our parks. Compared to neighboring cities we have more park acreage per person, and they are far better designed and maintained.
In 2016 the city was divided by the sale of the Raynor Park Activity Center, which deprived the neighborhood of both parkland and a center with daycare, classes for kids' in gymnastics, dance, etc. At the same time, the proposed sale of 60% of the Civic Center drove home the low regard for the desires of Sunnyvale residents held by some city staff members and councilmembers of the time,
A new city council responded to this division by passing an ordinance requiring a 5-2 supermajority of the city council to sell any lands on a list of protected city lands. I am very glad to be a part of the city council doing that did this.
It was a good first step, Now it is time to finish the job. Let's preserve our parks and open space by requiring a majority vote of the people to sell any more public space.
Ombudsman: Residents of Sunnyvale need an
"Ombudsman" to deal with city hall. Wending your way through the bureaucracy can be a daunting task - you need someone to help. This Scandinavian concept has caught on around the world. Time for Sunnyvale to get one.
Housing and Traffic There are only so many routes to get in and out of Sunnyvale. The entrances to Hwy 85 and 101 are jammed. [More housing + More jobs = More traffic]. More traffic in and more traffic out. This is the hard limit to our growth.
There is a myth that if you build housing near jobs that everyone "can walk to work". If everyone had identical skills with identical work that could happen, but that is not why cities exist.
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Cities exist to bring together a wide range of skills and specializations so companies can innovate using the most highly developed talents. This requires commuting.
Sunnyvale is built out. If one building goes up, another has to come down. With bus ridership rapidly declining, even before Covid-19, we have limited options for housing expansion while still enabling people to get to work and schools.
I have been actively involved in regional and statewide movements to stop some of the crazier housing laws being formulated in Sacramento. With your support, I can bring the influence of Sunnyvale voters to Sacramento politicians to advocate sensible housing plans that address the real issues of homelessness, and overcrowding, and not the interests of rich developers.
Environment: One of the biggest GreenHouse Gas emitters (GHGe) is natural gas. It's main use is in generating electricity (14.7% of CA GHGe). But, more than most realize are GHGe from natural gas in homes and businesses (cooking, heating rooms & hot water). This accounts for more GHGe in California than all trucks and airplanes (9.7% vs. 9.5%). Chart below from California Air Resources Board.
Getting rid of natural gas from new construction is a key point that other cities have already done and we need to also.
Electric Cars are Here! We need more public chargers for the 50% of residents who rent. Chargers should be in parking spaces in public areas, work, retail, and apartments.
