Sunnyvale City Council Passes General Plan Revision

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NOTE: originally posted by Adina Levin at greencaltrain.com. Republished with permission.

Earlier this month, Sunnyvale City Council passed an update of the Land Use and Transportation Element of its General Plan, by a 6:1 vote. The plan anticipates adding commercial space for 42,000 jobs and 15,000 housing units through 2035, worsening the jobs/housing balance from 1.44 to 1.73.

At the same time, City Council passed a motion to support further study of additional tools that could improve the jobs/housing balance, due to concern about the housing shortage and affordability. Most community comments at the meeting supported the growth in the plan but wanted to see more housing and an improved jobs/housing balance.

The City Council maintained a policy to create “village centers” – walkable, mixed-use areas which had drawn mixed community response. Some valued opportunities for more housing in increasingly walkable places, while others were concerned about density and traffic. Council supported a requirement that proposed Village Center proposals have community outreach before review by the Planning Commission. Council also added consideration of the southwest corner of Sunnyvale/Saratoga as a village center which would be served by the new, frequent VTA 523 service.

Overall, the plan envisions to have growth concentrated in focused areas such as the Downtown, Lawrence Station Area, and some growth in the Village Centers. Over time, Sunnyvale has been strengthening its goals to have more sustainable transportation and fewer car trips in its change areas, including a new policy in an early adoption phase to have transportation demand management for residential developments.

Wednesday, April 26: The Future of El Camino Real

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ECR+Plan+Study+Area+by+the+City

ECR Plan Map, City of Sunnyvale

This Wednesday, April 26, the Sunnyvale Sustainable and Affordable Living Coalition, Greenbelt Alliance, Sunnyvale Cool, Sunnyvale Democratic Club, and Friends of Caltrain are hosting a panel discussion, moderated by Tara Martin-Milius, regarding the future of El Camino Real in Sunnyvale.

Questions that will be explored:

  • How can we create great neighborhoods that we can all afford?
  • What can be done to make safer places for walking and biking with smart transportation choices?
  • How will the future of the corridor affect our economy, our environment, and our quality of life?

Panelists include:

Larry Klein, Sunnyvale City Council Member, former Planning Commissioner, a long-time advocate for affordable housing, open space, and walkability. Larry was involved when the Downtown Specific Plan was kicked off more than 15 years ago. He was previously on the Sunnyvale Planning Commission for 9+ years.

Adina Levin, a passionate transit advocate, co-founded Friends of Caltrain and currently serves on the Menlo Park Transportation Commission, the San Mateo County Congestion Management and Environmental Quality Committee, and the Silicon Valley @ Home policy advisory committee.

Kirk Vartan, owner of New York Pizza in Sunnyvale. Kirk is a strong advocate for smart urban design, including transit, housing, and agrihood. He is Co-chair of the Stevens Creek Advisory Group in San Jose, which addresses issues and opportunities that will come with the development of that region’s urban villages.

Marie Bernard, Executive Director of Sunnyvale Community Services since 2010. The mission of Sunnyvale Community Services is to prevent homelessness and hunger in the local community, helping 8,000 people each year with financial aid, food assistance, case management, and bringing together 2,000+ volunteers from public, private, and faith communities.

Jaime Fearer, AICP, Deputy Director in San José, is passionate about where we live and is interested in the critical intersection of equity, public health, and active transportation planning and advocacy. She focuses on California Walks’ partnerships across the state, to positively influence policy that will improve pedestrian safety and walkability. She represents San Jose on the VTA’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee.

Details:

Wednesday, April 26
7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Ballroom, Sunnyvale Community Center
550 E. Remington Dr. Sunnyvale, CA 94087

RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-future-of-sunnyvales-el-camino-real-a-panel-discussion-tickets-33120918559

Sunnyvale ECR Corridor Specific Plan: http://plansunnyvaleecr.m-group.us/

Questions: contact Sue Serrone at sueserrone@comcast.net

High Speed Rail community meetings

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The California High Speed Rail Authority is hosting Community Open House meetings on the range of alternatives being considered for the segments from San Francisco to San Jose. San Francisco to San Jose section is part of the first phase of California HSR, connecting communities from San Francisco and Silicon Valley to the rest of the state. The meetings will be identical in format and content. Some of the issues for review include:

  • Vertical alignment for the approach to Diridon
  • Passing track options, including how they will affect service quality for Caltrain
  • A train storage and maintenance yard proposed for Brisbane

The meetings will be held from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. with a formal presentation starting at 6:00 p.m.

  • Mountain View – Tuesday, April 11, 2017 – Success Center – 875 West Maude Avenue, Unit 5, Mountain View
  • San Mateo – Thursday, April 13, 2017 – Silicon Valley Community Foundation – 1300 South El Camino Real, Suite 100, San Mateo

If you have questions, the High Speed Rail staff to contact are:

Ben Tripousis, ben.tripousis@hsr.ca.gov
Morgan Galli, morgan.galli@hsr.ca.gov

Via: greencaltrain.com

Apply to Serve on a Board or Commission: Applications due April 21

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Would you like to have a greater understanding of and a voice in the management of your city? Consider service on one of our Boards and Commissions. These bodies serve some administrative functions and also advise the City Council on legislative matters.

Recruitment is underway for the following upcoming board and commission openings:

Applications are due Friday, April 21. Candidates are tentatively scheduled to be interviewed by the City Council May 16 and 17. Further information and applications are available at the city’s Board and Commissions web page.

Sunnyvale City Council to consider General Plan revision: more jobs, more transit, less housing

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On April 11, City Council is expected to review a revised draft of the Land Use and Transportation Element (LUTE) which is a chapter of the city’s General Plan. The objective is to move Sunnyvale towards being a “Complete Community” that is less dependent on automobiles. Major strategies include:

Village Centers: modify existing shopping districts to include housing. This will increase the housing supply at village centers and expand commercial opportunities for businesses there. Village center will be located near transit lines, improving the odds that residents can commute without driving.

Jobs/Housing Balance: Sunnyvale will add proportionately more jobs than housing. Under present conditions, Sunnyvale has 1.44 jobs per housing unit. By 2035, Sunnyvale will have 1.73 jobs per housing unit. This will make jobs more plentiful, and make it more difficult for residents to secure housing within Sunnyvale.

Multimodal Transit System: city policies will emphasize complete streets, carpooling, mass transit and bicycle infrastructure. As we approach and exceed Sunnyvale’s capacity to transport residents via private automobiles, residents will need better access to more efficient transportation.

LUTE-2035

Development will focus on transit corridors and village centers. Proportionately more jobs will be added. Most existing residential neighborhoods will remain low density.

What do you think? Let City Council know!

Contact City Council to share your thoughts on the LUTE.

City Council is expected to review the changes next Tuesday, April 11, at 7 pm in the City Council Chambers, 456 W. Olive Ave. Members of the public are welcome to speak at the meeting for up to three minutes each.

UPDATE: the City Council agenda for April 11 has been published. Council will review the Land Use and Transportation Element as agenda item #4.

Help VTA Improve Tasman Drive

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VTA is undertaking a “Complete Streets” survey to determine what improvements can be made to Tasman Drive to make it safer and easier to use for pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit riders. VTA has a nice website for this project, where you can click on spots on the map, make suggestions, and review and comment on other suggestions made by the public.

Tasman Map Blue3

Tasman Drive from Sunnyvale to Milpitas

Per VTA:

Gathering public input is critical to the success of all the planning efforts VTA undertakes. We want to hear from you. How do you use the corridor and what improvements would you like to see?
Tell us how we can improve this area in our online survey, or attend an upcoming public outreach events:

  • Tuesday, April 11, 2017 at 6pm
    Riverwood Community Room
    2150 Tasman Dr
    Santa Clara, CA 95054
  • Wednesday, April 12, 2017 at 6pm
    Lakewood Park
    834 Lakechime Dr
    Sunnyvale, CA 94089
  • Thursday, April 13, 2017 at 6pm
    Centria Community Room
    1101 S Main St
    Milpitas, CA 95035

RSVP:  View the meetings as Facebook events: Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, and Milpitas/San Jose.

Palo Alto to Introduce Eichler Neighborhood Design Guidelines

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Eichler homes, the first of which were built in Sunnyvale in 1949, are an architectural signature of the peninsula. In 2009, the City of Sunnyvale adopted its Eichler Design Guidelines, which are available via the Heritage Commission. Sunnyvale’s Eichler Design Guidelines detail a list of Sunnyvale’s Eichler neighborhoods and design guidance to ensure the basic preservation of these distinctive homes. Sunnyvale’s Guidelines suggest that additional protection should be afforded by the creation of Heritage Preservation Districts.

On April 11, the City of Palo Alto is hosting a community meeting to introduce their own Eichler Neighborhood Design Guidelines project:

Tuesday, April 11, 2017, at 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Mitchell Park Community Center, Midtown Room
3700 Middlefield Road
Palo Alto, CA 94303
Attendees are requested to RSVP to Eichler@CityofPaloAlto.org

Additional information is contained in this flyer.

Thanks to local realtor John Fyten for the tip.

Congressman Ro Khanna: Cupertino Town Hall March 25

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ro_khanna_official_portrait_115th_congress

Rep. Ro Khanna (CA-17)

Rep. Ro Khanna (CA-17) will discuss recent developments and current legislative activities in Congress and take questions from constituents in attendance

Saturday, March 25, 2017, 4:00pm – 5:30pm
Homestead High School Gymnasium
21370 Homestead Rd.
Cupertino, CA 95014

If you are interested in attending, please fill out the form at the bottom of: https://khanna.house.gov/about/events/march-25-2017-town-hall-meeting

The last Town Hall at Fremont was packed and not everyone who came could attend. The Homestead High School gymnasium seats approximately 1,000 people, and attendees will be accommodated on a “first come, first served” basis. Expressing interest through the RSVP form does not guarantee entry.

Thursday: DIY Native Garden

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(Via John Cordes on NextDoor)

“Install-It-Yourself” Native Garden

This is the second, yet stand-alone, class following the “Design-It-Yourself” talk in January. The speaker will cover the nuts and bolts of lawn removal, sheet mulching, soil percolation testing, transitioning to drip irrigation, plant acquisition, and planting techniques. This lecture provides a lot of material in a short time and is designed for a layperson who wants some tips on how to install a small native garden.

Thursday, March 16
7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Library Community Room
Mountain View Public Library
585 Franklin St Mountain View, CA

Deva Luna is a sustainable and Bay Friendly-certified landscape designer who has been teaching and speaking about horticulture for over 20 years. She has a degree in “Plants and Art” from U.C. Davis and works for EarthCare Landscaping in Cupertino.

Gardening with Natives (GWN) is a special interest group within the Santa Clara Valley chapter of the California Native Plant Society that includes beginning and seasoned native plant gardeners, along with landscape architects and designers. It offers over 30 talks throughout the year at public libraries which are free and open to all. Visit http://www.cnps-scv.org to see videos of past programs, find out about more events, and learn how you can join the chapter.