City Council

Sunnyvale Continues Selling Cars on El Camino but Driving Fewer of them on Murphy and Tasman

/ Daniel Howard / Leave a comment

On February 7, Sunnyvale City Council moved to convert Murphy Street into a Pedestrian Mall and to extend the temporary lane closure on Tasman Drive until December 2024. The council also clarified the zoning rules to conditionally permit auto sales along El Camino Real.

For African American History Month, Santa Clara County’s Poet Laureate, Tshaka Campbell, recited a poem, “Ally in Ten Octaves.” The final line resonated with your faithful reporter, given the task at hand: “10. We will hum the journey’s chorus to you on the way up, but you, my friend, must write in the words yourself.”

For Public Comment, Margaret Lawson spoke on the nature of Fremont Avenue. The street is built like a six-lane highway with dead landscaping. Lawson advocated for rebuilding Fremont as a four-lane avenue with landscaping and protected bike lanes, citing nearby San Antonio Road in Los Altos as a model. Eric Crock spoke against a proposed dog park beneath the PG&E line between Lois and Ramona, citing the need for children to access unmanicured natural areas. Sharlene Liu, with Bike Sunnyvale, and Jonathan Blum advocated for a newly-proposed study issue on Active Transportation metrics. Angela Hickson and Eileen Lai advocated for safer transportation options for Fremont High School students. Lai, a Sunnyvale School District Board member, also advocated for a new K-8 school to be included in plans to redevelop Moffet Park. Steve Meier voiced concern over a recently dismissed lawsuit involving a stalking incident within Sunnyvale Public Safety.

Permanent Closure of Murphy Avenue

Notice of Intention to Establish a Pedestrian Mall, Murphy Ave.

During the Pandemic, the 100 Block of South Murphy Ave was closed to through traffic. Staff explained that there was widespread support among the public and local merchants to keep Murphy St permanently closed and converted to a pedestrian mall. As a pedestrian mall, the street will require accessibility improvements. Staff recommended paying for those improvements from the city’s Community Benefits Fund, as many local merchants were still recovering from business lost during the Pandemic. Once modifications are complete, the cost of ongoing maintenance will run around $200 per month per business.

Councilmember Mehlinger commented that when it comes around to covering maintenance costs, instead of charging a flat fee per business, the city could look at “leasing” specific portions of the street to business use, making the costs for merchants proportional to their benefit.

Half a dozen residents and business owners spoke in support of the pedestrian mall. Resident Bryce Beagle asked that portions of the pedestrian mall be made available as a public amenity so folks could come and sit at a table and not feel obliged to purchase something. “Right now, there are only a couple uncomfortable metal benches hidden amongst the dining tables.” Beagle also highlighted the need for more and better bike parking. Leia Mehlman elaborated on the need for bike parking and seconded a comment to bring the Saturday Farmer’s Market back up Murphy, as it has been in the past.

Council unanimously signed off on the pedestrian mall plan. This sets a public hearing for May 16. City staff will work on a project to regrade the vehicle parking bays for accessibility.

Temporary Tasman Drive Closure Extended

Tasman Drive is a four-lane road with light rail running down the center and lacking consistent sidewalks. Owing to resident advocacy, one Eastbound lane was closed to provide an ersatz sidewalk and protected bike lane in June 2020. The closure was extended in August 2021. Dennis Ng of Public Works explained that while traffic was increasing about 1% per month, it was still well below pre-Pandemic levels, with no delays in traffic or emergency vehicle response. The city is spending around $1,300 monthly to maintain the temporary barriers. A consultant will join city staff in March to study the installation of a permanent pedestrian and bicycle facility.

Several residents of the Casa de Amigos mobile home park expressed how grateful they are for the temporary lane closure and their hope for a more permanent fix. It was noted that going Westbound, traffic can flow at 50 MPH around curves that limit visibility, which is terrifying for cyclists. In contrast, on the Eastbound side, with the temporary lane closure, motor vehicles travel at a lower speed, and people have room to travel safely.

Casa de Amigos resident Harfijah Oliver explained that before the lane closure, “a lot of residents felt trapped, and we would only walk within our complex. It was not safe at all to walk to the grocery store on the corner of Fair Oaks and Tasman, and now we can. I am very grateful.” Oliver explained that she drives to work at peak times and has never had congestion concerns, either pre-Pandemic or since the lane closure. “My son goes to middle school; he uses the bike lane every single day. It has improved his mental health tremendously. Now, he loves to bicycle. He loves to be outdoors more. It also prepares him for the school day, which is really important for parents and families. It is also sending the right message with reducing Carbon footprint.”

Councilmember Mehlinger moved to extend the lane closure until December 2024, pending the analysis of a permanent lane closure, and contingent on the roadway remaining un-congested and accessible for emergency vehicles. Mehlinger explained, “I mentioned that we were opening Murphy Avenue, not closing it. That comment applies here as well. What we are doing is we are opening a new route for cyclists and pedestrians that previously did not exist. Without this facility, there are no safe routes, on foot or on bicycle, heading southwest from the mobile home parks.” Mehlinger cited the Land Use and Transportation Element of Sunnyvale’s General Plan: “the order of consideration of transportation users shall be: 1) pedestrians, 2) non-automotive, e.g., bicycle, 3) mass transit vehicles, 4) delivery vehicles, 5) single-occupant vehicles.” The City Council agreed unanimously.

Zoning for Car Sales on El Camino Real

Council unanimously amended the zoning standards to clarify that auto sales could be allowed on El Camino Real with a conditional-use permit. Director of Community Development, Trudi Ryan, explained that due to a previous oversight while working on the El Camino Real Specific Plan, auto sales were not allowed. Ryan explained that there was an application pending for a mixed-use development that includes auto sales and that this modification would allow the city to consider allowing the applicant to continue selling automobiles as they add housing.

Council adjourned at 11:21 p.m.

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A Right to Lease for Sunnyvale

/ Richard Mehlinger / Leave a comment

Sunnyvale is facing a housing and displacement crisis. Working people are having difficulty paying rent, and are increasingly being forced to leave our community. Yet we offer little in the way of tenant protections above those required by state law. 

This July, at the urging of Livable Sunnyvale, our City Council agendized a study issue calling for a right to lease ordinance that would require landlords to offer their tenants a six- and twelve-month lease at terms equal to or better than any month-to-month lease that they offer. This proposal does not impose controls over the amount landlords can raise rents; it only requires them to offer longer term leases at favorable terms compared to their shorter leases. This proposal is modeled after the ordinance Mountain View had prior to the passage of rent control by ballot initiative in 2016.

That’s a mouthful. So let’s talk about why this is needed, and what it would mean for our city.

One of the most alarming things I’ve heard as I’ve become more and more involved in housing activism is from working people who’ve told me that they’ve faced more than one rent increase in a year. Most landlords at the upper end of the market already offer twelve-month leases at favorable terms, since that means that they can go longer without having to fill a vacancy. After all, large corporations value stable cash flow, and every day an apartment is left empty is lost money. At the lower end of the market, however, many landlords appear to only be offering their tenants month-to-month leases. Their goal appears to be to simply extract as much rent as possible from their tenants.

Life on a month-to-month lease makes it impossible for tenants to plan their future. They’re left in limbo, never knowing when the next rent increase will come, never knowing when they’ll be forced to pick up and move. Moving and apartment hunting costs time and money that is in scarce supply. The average intrastate move costs over $1,100. Even without hiring movers, people will need to take time off and recruit help. And there is no guarantee that one will be able to find an affordable home within range of one’s job.

Moves aren’t cheap.

Frequent moves are especially damaging to children. Frequent moves during childhood are associated with increased risks of depression and anxiety and poorer academic performance. When a student switches schools during the school year, the effect can be hugely disruptive, both to the student and the classroom that they move to. A British study has shown that students who move even once midyear suffer distinctly impaired educational outcomes.  This disruption is even greater when it affects a teacher or staff member. Now, it is no longer one student whose education is at risk of disruption, but dozens.

Every time their landlord raises their rent, renters are faced with the choice of the disruption and expense of a move or accepting the rent increase. This leaves them in a distinctly weaker negotiating position with their landlords and could allow landlords to extract even greater rents than our already desperate market would allow.

A right to lease ordinance would reduce the frequency of moving expenses and help protect children from the disruption of being forced to move during the school year. It would leave renters in a better negotiating position with their landlord, and make it easier for them to plan a life for their family. Finally, it grants them some small degree of peace of mind. The rent increase might still come, but at least you’ll know when it will come and have time to prepare.

It’s worth taking a moment to discuss that second clause, which requires that the offered leases be at terms equal to or better than any month to month lease offered. This is really, really important. Without this clause, landlords could simply offer the required leases at a prohibitively expensive rate, to force tenants back onto the month-to-month. The ordinance would be toothless.

The costs of this proposal are modest. Other than enforcement and education, it imposes no costs on the City of Sunnyvale. Nor does it impose an unreasonable burden on landlords. Because this proposal does not control how much landlords can increase rents, it avoids the potential economic problems associated with rent control. Nor does it impose any burdens on tenants, who would still be free to take a shorter term lease if that better suited their needs. Indeed, the ordinance would require six-month leases be offered as well as twelve-month leases.

Adopting a right to lease ordinance won’t solve the housing crisis, not by a long shot. But it will give some much-needed stability and protection to tenants and will have no substantial negative effect on landlords. Adopting this ordinance should be a no-brainer.

So what’s next? Next February, the city council will prioritize the study issues it wants city staff to work on. If the right-to-lease ordinance is going to become a reality, we need to show up and advocate for it to be ranked as highly as possible on the list of next year’s study issues. If we’re going to make this ordinance a reality, we’ll need the good people of Sunnyvale to let our Council know that this is a priority during the public hearing on study issues.

Want to get involved? Livable Sunnyvale meets the third Wednesday of every month at Toyota Sunnyvale from 6:30 to 8:30. We hope to see you there!

(Image credit: http://www.jbsa.mil/News/Photos/igphoto/2001770707/)

City to Consider District Elections

/ Daniel Howard / Leave a comment

On September 5, the City Council will convene a special meeting, in order to set direction regarding public outreach and to potentially put a charter amendment on the 2020 ballot to change how the City Council gets elected.

The City Council is currently composed of seven seats, selected “at large” by voters from across the city. The City Council elects council members to serve as a Mayor and a Vice Mayor. This is fairly typical for California cities. One concern is that the at-large system dilutes minority votes, leaving minority leaders at a disadvantage at the ballot box.

sunnyvale-race

A view of race and density in Sunnyvale grabbed from The Racial Dot Map

This has led to lawsuits across the state, most notably in Santa Clara, which, until this year, had a system like the one we have in Sunnyvale. In July, Santa Clara lost a court case brought by the South Asian Law Alliance and was ordered to shift to a district-based system. This November, Santa Clara voters will elect representatives from their six districts, and a mayor will be elected in a city-wide election.

CityofSantaClaraDraftPlan3

Santa Clara’s Six Districts

City staff has prepared an in-depth report, detailing the scope of the challenge that Sunnyvale faces in terms of minority representation. The city’s population is 14% Latino and 33% Asian. Our voter turnout sees 11% of voters with Spanish surnames and 21% turnout for Asian surnames. Sunnyvale’s demographics are similar to Santa Clara.

Over the years, Sunnyvale has had City Council candidates and Councilmembers that identify as a minority race or ethnicity.

  • In 2013, Magana ran for City Council and lost to Hendricks.
  • In 2011, Chang lost to Meyering; and Pan lost to Milius.
  • In 2009 and 2003, Flores lost to Moylan and Swegles, respectively.
  • In 2003, Chu won but was not reelected in 2007, when he lost to Whittum.
  • Lee won in 2003 and served a term as mayor. Lee was not challenged in 2007 and served another term.

City Staff is recommending a period of public outreach through Spring 2019. Next summer, Council should decide on a ballot measure for the 2020 general election. Assuming the charter amendment is approved by voters, districts would be set up in 2021 based on the 2020 census, with Sunnyvale’s first district elections in 2022.

Apply for Boards and Commissions by Friday!

/ Daniel Howard / Leave a comment

From https://sunnyvale.ca.gov/government/boards.htm:

The City has a strong tradition of community participation, one of which is through volunteer service on a board or commission. Boards and Commissions advise City Council on specific policy issues and provide a forum and opportunity for broad community input. Applications are accepted on a continuous basis; appointments are made by City Council as needed throughout the year.

  • You must be a resident of Sunnyvale and registered voter of the City to apply for a position on a City board or commission, unless otherwise noted.
  • Members serve four-year terms, unless otherwise noted.

Current Openings

Recruitment is underway for the following upcoming commission openings:

  • Arts Commission (2 vacancies)
  • Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission (2 vacancies)
  • Heritage Preservation Commission (2 vacancies)
  • Housing and Human Services Commission (1 vacancy)
  • Parks and Recreation (1 vacancy)
  • Personnel Board (1 vacancy)

Application deadline is 5 p.m. on Aug. 31. Interviews are tentatively scheduled for Sept. 11. Appointments by City Council are scheduled for Sept.25.

The application and instructions are available at: https://sunnyvale.ca.gov/government/boards.htm

Cyclist Death and a Call to Action

/ Daniel Howard / Leave a comment

Last week, a cyclist was killed by a big rig truck at Borregas and Sunnyvale Ave, near the SMaRT recycling station. This is where Sunnyvale’s principle North-South bicycle corridor connects to the Bay Trail. There is further coverage at the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition.

The SVBC has posted a Call to Action for City Council, which meets Tuesday evening. Folks are invited to contact City Council and request that the consent item for the Green Street Demonstration Program along Carribean Drive be pulled from the agenda and that additional review is made to ensure safety.

Sunnyvale City Council Passes General Plan Revision

/ Daniel Howard / Leave a comment

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.

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

/ Daniel Howard / Leave a comment

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

/ Daniel Howard / 1 Comment

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.