Please join us!

When: February 1st, 6:30 pm
Where: On Zoom.

REGISTER HERE

Our main topics are:

Public Art in Sunnyvale

According to Americans for the Arts, seventy percent of Americans feel arts improve the image and identity of their community.  Do you identify with these seventy-percenters? 

If so, please join us as Sunnyvale’s Kristin Dance, Public Art Coordinator, walks us through art funding, how public art is selected, the role you can play in its selection and, where our community’s over 100 art works are located; from the iconic Out to Lunch sculpture to the mixed media, made in USA:  Angel Island Shh. And a sneak preview into upcoming art installations!

Downtown Specific Plan Amendments

Martin Pyne will discuss proposed amendments to the Downtown Specific Plan for Block 20. Block 20 sits on the East side of Mathilda between Olive and El Camino Real. The proposed changes increase the residential housing units and commercial square footage for this block.
REGISTER HERE

Big News! Livable Sunnyvale is now officially a 501(c)(3) organization!. This means we can open a bank account, donations are tax-deductuible and we can apply for grants!

Please join us!

January 11th, 6:30 pm

On Zoom – REGISTER HERE

Our main topics are:

2023 Transportation Priorities

Adina Levin from Friends of Caltrain and Seamless Bay Area will discuss the top priorities this year for transit in the Bay Area.

Issues include an upcoming “fiscal cliff” for VTA funding, Sunnyvale’s Active Transportation Plan funding and Seamless Bay Area initiatives.

City of Sunnyvale Legislative Advocacy Process

Former Council Member Gustav Larsson and Michele Zahraie, Senior Management Analyst will discuss the City process for advocating for bills in the California legislature.

Currently, the City Council votes on general legislative priorities at the beginning of the year. Then the Mayor sends letters advocating for or opposing specific bills as they move through committees and to the Assembly or Senate. Should the full Council or members of the public be more involved in this process?

We will vote on a motion to send a letter to the Council asking that correspondence from Staff or Council on potential legislation be subject to a vote of the City Council. (Note that the wording may change as a result of discussion at the meeting)

REGISTER HERE

Note: This meeting replaces our usual general meeting for December.

Livable Sunnyvale Holiday Social!

When: December 10th, 2 to 5 pm
Location: Faultline Brewery Address: 1235 Oakmead Parkway, Sunnyvale

RSVP to get in on the Prize drawing at 4:00PM. 

Join us for this IN PERSON gathering at the Faultline Brewery. It has been a long year and the pandemic has taken a toll on all of us.

On the other hand, there is so much to celebrate: The El Camino Real Specific Plan Completion, the start of the Moffett Park Specific Plan, and the Sunnyvale Housing Element first submission among many others. Next year we will be welcoming three new members to the Sunnyvale City Council, a new Assembly Member and a new State Senator,

For our Holiday social this year, we are partnering with our friends at the Sunnyvale Democratic Club to celebrate and share our experiences. We will provide a few appetizers, but Faultline is a restaurant/bar, so you can order a wide range of food or drinks.

The event is open to everyone and there is a prize drawing at 4 pm, so RSVP early to get your name in the hat!

We need to let the restaurant know how many will be there. So – please RSVP by December 8.
 

When: November 2, 6:30 pm

Register in advance or right before joining this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUrceiopjgjGtdEwt87F7dBf8AQnAyYMz7u
After registering, Zoom will email you info on how to join the meeting.

As an organization grows and evolves, it is important to take time to look at where it began, where it is today and where it will be tomorrow.  To that end, we have asked Sue Serrone, Livable Sunnyvale founder and Chair Emeritus and Mike Serrone to share our humble beginnings and our achievements over the years. 

Marie Bernard, Executive Director, and David Hernandez Chief Programs Officer, Sunnyvale Community Services (SCS) will share the state of our community today through the needs of the clients SCS serves.

Lastly, we will take a look at where we are heading in the short and long term.  I am sure that our conversation with Marie and David will be a jumping-off place to talk about this.  As an organization, we need and want your participation so please be prepared to share your thoughts on Livable Sunnyvale’s evolution.   

AGENDA

Community announcements

Livable Sunnyvale – A Look Back

Sunnyvale Community Services (SCS) – A Look at Today

Livable Sunnyvale – Current and Upcoming Issues:
(which issues are most important for the next year?)

• Housing Element 
• Moffett Park Specific Plan
• Village Centers
• ADU Toolkit
• Warming Centers 
• Full-time City Staff to Support Unhoused Programs
• Universal Basic Income (UBI)
• Safe Parking 
• Right-to-lease ordinance
• Commercial Development Fees
• Gun Safety 
• Cyclist and Pedestrian Fatalities Homestead Bike Lanes

Livable Sunnyvale – A Look ForwardVote on California YIMBY Coalition Partner

Saturday, October 15th

When: October 15th, 2 to 4 pm
Where: Zoom (Register here)

Saturday, October 15th is our bi-annual Ballot-Palooza meeting, a discussion of the pros and cons of ballot measures on the November ballot.

This is a joint meeting with the Sunnyvale Democratic Club.  

The following seven ballot measures will be on the ballot. Members have volunteered to research and present information about the measures. So bring your voter guide and follow along or join the discussion.

• Proposition 1: Putting abortion safeguards in the California constitution: 
• Propositions 26 and 27: Legalizing sports gambling, two ways: 
• Proposition 28: Set aside school funding for arts and music:
• Proposition 29: Kidney clinic rules, third time a charm?
• Proposition 30: Millionaires paying for electric cars.
• Proposition 31: Reconsidering a flavored  tobacco ban.

To register, click on the link below before the meeting

.https://tinyurl.com/sdc-zoom-meeting-registration

Attend this online candidate forum Sunday, October 2  from 4 – 6 PM.  

Featuring Sunnyvale City Council Candidates in:

• District 5 (Richard Mehlinger and Satyam Davé), 
• District 3 (Justin Wang and Murali Srinivasan), and 
• District 1 (Appointed Council member Linda Sell) 

The Sunnyvale Team of Silicon Valley Youth Climate Action* will ask climate focused questions about candidates’ policy ideas for the city.

*Recipients of the 2022 Sunnyvale Environmental Achievement Award.

Registration link:  https://bit.ly/sunnyvaleclimateforum

For those of you who were able to come to our recent Moffett Park Committee meeting with Michelle King, Principle Planner, City of Sunnyvale and Pilar Lorenzana, Community Development, Google, thanks for attending and sharing your thoughts. We heard and discussed presentations on mobility-related issues such as parking maximums, transportation and the concept of a Transportation Management Association (TMA) for Moffett Park.

Here is a link to the recording of the meeting.

In case you would like to speak during the Moffett Park Specific Plan Mobility Workshop on 20 September (detailed information is below) or would like to send an email to council but are not sure what topic(s) you would like to address, we have put together a few that may resonate with you.  That said, please do not feel limited to these suggestions.  Just raise your voice in whatever way sounds best to you. 
Advocacy messages:

• Half of all of Moffett Park is currently used for cars! That does not reflect (our/my) values. I urge the city to make better use of our land! Moffett Park should evolve from an asphalt parking lot to a vibrant set of neighborhoods with streets that allow people of all ages and abilities on bike and foot to safely share the road with drivers.
  • Ask: We ask that the council direct staff to reprioritize precious right of way with more emphasis on peds, bikes, nature and transit (public and private) and less on private vehicles.  Great streets should be great places.

• As a Sunnyvale (resident/worker) I care about livable, vibrant, and inclusive streets and spaces. 
  • Ask: (We/I) are proud of the city’s commitment to safety and sustainability. Streets are places for everyone – not just cars – and we strongly encourage the City to ensure that the Moffett Park specific plan implements the goals in the Climate Action Plan and Vision Zero

• Breaking our addiction to fossil fuels starts by the City providing alternatives to solo driving through walking and biking infrastructure and by connecting Moffett Park to Caltrain, downtown, and other parts of Sunnyvale. 
  • Ask: We ask that the council set a meaningful goal of a 50% solo driving rate and incorporate supporting strategies to make the goal feasible.  We also support the City adopting a parking maximum policy to encourage the transition to transit, biking, and walking, as well as free up land for other, more vibrant uses.  Fewer parking spaces means fewer cars.
    
• Current and future employers of all sizes can aim for lower solo driving rates! Sunnyvale should set up a Moffett Park Transportation Management Association (TMA) that can manage programs like a public shuttle, access to bulk light rail and bus passes for future office and residential developments, and oversee a carsharing program for future Moffett Park workers and residents.
  • Ask: We strongly support establishing a district wide TMA to create and fund alternatives to solo driving

• Changing the ways we travel is not just about transportation – it is about creating complete 15-minute neighborhoods where people can live, work, play, and shop without having to get in a car. 

Information regarding the city-sponsored workshop is below. 

 TUESDAY 9/20: MPSP MOBILITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP

The MPSP team will present mobility framework that will inform the draft policies to the City Council.  The presentation and discussion will include  modal priority, street network, pedestrian/bike network, transportation improvements, parking strategy, and transit demand management. This special City Council workshop will be held virtually. For those unable to attend the live event, a recording of the session will be available on the project website the following day. 

When:                  Tuesday, September 20, 2022, at 6:00 PM

Where:                Hosted virtually via Zoom: Meeting call-in telephone number: 833-548-0276 | Meeting ID: 932 7612 3346. No registration is required; the zoom link will be activated 15 minutes before the meeting. 

MPSP MOBILITY SESSION VIRTUAL OFFICE HOUR

Please mark your calendar for our virtual office hour on mobility to get your questions answered! Our workshop speakers will be there to answer your questions and provide clarification on information provided during the workshop and via project website.  

When:                  Tuesday, October 4, 2022, 12:00 noon – 1:00 pm

Where:                 Hosted virtually via Zoom. Office hour zoom link will be provided after the workshop.

Join us for this special candidate forum focused on Housing, Transportation and Sustainability issues.

When: Wednesday, September 7th, 6:30 pm

Where: On Zoom. Registration link here.

Co-sponsors: SV@Home Action Fund, Sunnyvale Democratic Club

Please join us this Wednesday for our August General Meeting: Village Centers and Gun Safety

When: Wednesday, August 3, 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM

Where: Click here to register for the Meeting link. 

Register in advance or register right before joining the meeting.  After registering, Zoom will email you the link to join the meeting.

Village Centers

The City’s 2017 General Plan Land Use and Transportation Element (LUTE) identified seven locations for mixed use Village Centers, in the context of various neighborhood planning areas to ensure each neighborhood is adequately supported by commercial services, as well as schools and parks. These Village Centers are typically located at the crossroads of arterial and collector street intersections and accessible by pedestrian, bicycle, and transit connections.

Development projects have currently been approved at Fremont Avenue and Sunnyvale Saratoga Road and a new development has been proposed at Fremont Avenue and Mary Avenue.

Shaunn Mendrin, Sunnyvale’s Planning Officer will talk about the new Village Centers Master Plan currently underway.

Gun Safety in Sunnyvale

Following almost daily mass shootings in 2022 including the racist shooting in Buffalo, New York, which killed 10 people and the horrific school shooting in Uvalde, Texas that killed 19 children and 2 teachers, many Sunnyvale residents are asking, “What can we do locally to help prevent more gun violence?”

On August 30th, the Sunnyvale City Council will have a Study Session to look at actions the City can take to improve gun safety in Sunnyvale. At our August meeting we will have a brief presentation on possible gun safety measures from the local group behind the 2013 ballot measure that was approved overwhelmingly by the voters.

Finally, following their presentation at the July meeting, we will vote for Mountain View Coalition for Sustainable Planning to become our Coalition Partner

Please join us this Wednesday for our July General Meeting:

When: Wednesday, July 6, 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM

Where: Click here to register for the Meeting link. 

Register in advance or register right before joining the meeting.  After registering, Zoom will email you the link to join the meeting.

AGENDA

1. Announcements and Greetings (10 minutes) 
2. Committee Updates (20 minutes): 
   • Housing Element
   • El Camino Real Specific Plan
   • Moffett Park Specific Plan
3. Mountain View Coalition for Sustainable Planning’s presentation (15+5 minutes)
   • Next month we will vote on whether to have MVCSP become our Coalition Partner
4. The Joinery; Minkoff Group’s Downtown Project Update (10+10 minutes)
   • Use of mass timber construction