Photograph by Robert Scheer
Raynor Park resident Tom Senander wants the city to install sidewalks in his neighborhood. Senander's son, Derek, 8, plays in front of their home.
By LESTER CHANG
Residents at Raynor Park have squared off over the need for city-built sidewalks and gutters in their neighborhoods--a dispute that has left Sunnyvale city officials baffled over what to do next.
Several residents want the improvements and are willing to pay for them through higher property taxes.
But many longtime residents, members of the Raynor Park Improvement Association, don't want the improvements and say they can't afford them.
Most residents against the improvements are retired and on fixed incomes, said association member Carolyn Frumveller.
The city won't move on any projects until a majority of the 280 households in the subdivision want them, said Mark R. Dettle, assistant director of the Public Works Department.
The city agreed to that condition when it annexed the area in 1979, he said. The subdivision was approved by Santa Clara County and was built in 1946.
At that time, the county didn't require sidewalks, curbs or gutters, resulting in lower home prices, according to David Vossbrink, the city's community relations officer.
Raynor Park is the last rural area of its kind in the city, he said.
Sunnyvale City Councilman Robert Walker said he tried to intervene and get people on both sides of the issue to work together. Walker was president of the association in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but resigned because of the conflict.
Tom Senander, an 11-year resident, has rallied his neighbors to push the city to pay for the work.
He and other residents will take a survey soon to determine where homeowners stand, Senander said.
"When we became annexed, we became a part of the city. We deserve all the services and amenities that other neighborhoods have," he said. Minus the improvements, the city provides fire and police services, repaves roads and trims trees, he said. The area also has street lights.
The subdivision is located on about 30 acres and has homes that range from $240,000 to $550,000.
But Senander said their resale value could drop because of the lack of improvements and inadequate services.
Senander also wants the city to maintain grassy areas in front of homes.
The city doesn't own the land and is only required to maintain improvements it has made, primarily the roads, said Dettle of the Public Works Department.
Senander said cars have leaked oil onto the dirt area and that he has complained to the Bay Area Water Quality District.
Dettle said it is the responsibility of the car owners to prevent the spills.
Senander also said the city provided street sweeping for eight years but then suspended it for the past year.
"Now we have dust, particularly during the summer," he said. "This is a hazard to people with health problems."
Postal worker Paul Miao said he has to wear a mask when he delivers mail during that time.
"The city said their equipment doesn't work as effectively because of the different grades of the roads," Senander said. "Instead of looking at ways to correct the problem, they just stopped the service."
Dettle said the city suspended the service because of dust complaints from residents. The city will resume the service after work on a $500,000 drainage project, requested by residents, is completed. Work started in August and should be finished by April, he said.
Senander also complained that trees with overhanging branches have damaged moving vehicles. The city hasn't properly maintained trees in front of homes, he said.
Dettle said the city owns fewer than 20 trees in the area and that city crews recently trimmed them. The city can't maintain privately owned trees, he said.
Senander also wants more street signs in the area to make traffic safer around the blind curves in the area. The signs would benefit children attending Peterson Middle School, he said.
This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, February 12, 1997.
©1997 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.