The Sun
Sunnyvale's Newspaper

Miller

Longtime resident seeks council seat

By Natasha Collins

Julia Miller does not support commercial air cargo at Moffett Field. She is against high-density developments and supports the utility tax increase. She also believes she is the best candidate for Seat 2 on the City Council.

Miller is running for the position currently held by Robin Parker and is the only female candidate in the race. She has lived in Sunnyvale since 1958 and has raised her family here.

The city should push for an air and space technology center as a viable use for Moffett Field, she said.

Miller is a graduate of Leadership Sunnyvale and has been in business here for more than 34 years.

"I am a longtime resident and have seen Sunnyvale grow and change over the years," she said. "I am the most qualified and have always served the community. It would be an honor in continuing to serve the community."

Since her son, Jason, is leaving for college in the fall and Miller is no longer working full time, she feels this is an excellent time for her to run for the council.

"It is the perfect opportunity for me to give back to the community," she said. "I've got the time. I've got the energy. And I have the experience."

Miller is in favor of allowing the current uses of the airfield, such as Department of Defense deliveries, Reserve Units and Lockheed Martin deliveries.

"An air and space center would bring in tourism that would be great for both Sunnyvale and Mountain View," she said. "It would also allow NASA to keep the [airfield] under their jurisdiction."

Housing is not a viable option for Moffett because of the contamination at the former Navy base and the amount of money it would take to clean it up.

There is little land available for development, and Miller thinks it is important to keep the suburban feeling of Sunnyvale.

"There is enough high density in the area," she said. "Density is adding to the traffic problem, which is only now seeing the money from Measure A to help alleviate it."

She supports the utility tax increase only if it will not increase the revenue Sunnyvale takes in each year and believes Sunnyvale has "superbly efficient services."

The future of Town & Country shopping center, as well as the Town Center Mall, is another issue that Miller thinks needs to be addressed.

The city should form a task force to look into the problem, she said.

"There is not going to be one solution to the problem," she said. "What has happened to Murphy Avenue is wonderful. Now we just need to see what we can do to continue it to the rest of the area."

By making Sunnyvale more readily known to surrounding communities, she thinks that it will help generate revenue downtown.

"The festivities like Oktoberfest and the Art and Wine Festival have been great," she said. "Murphy Avenue is filled on the weekends now, and I would like to see that happening across the street [at Town Center mall]. There is vacant space for anyone who wants to invest, we just need to make them want to invest here."

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This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, August 27, 1997.
©1997 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.