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An advisory group meets to discuss the downtown
Committee hopes to help shape and influence the new city center
By Gretchen Knaup
The second Downtown Stakeholders Advisory meeting took place Aug. 21 with the stated purpose of creating an all-encompassing downtown.
Twenty-one Sunnyvale citizens were chosen for the committee, all of whom have investments in the city, whether in time or money. Members of the public were also invited to voice their opinions at the end of the meeting.
According to the city, this and upcoming meetings allow for a shared vision for the downtown that the entire community can be a part of.
"We are working with two consultants right now. One is for land economics, and the other is helping us tie everything all in," said committee member Suzi Blackman, president/CEO, Sunnyvale Chamber of Commerce. "We are trying to make the downtown into one place that stretches all the way from El Camino to Eveyln."
Blackman said the meeting consisted mostly of the consultants taking a look and telling the committee what they saw.
"Now we want to add our information and add our information into that," she said
She added the committee's goal is to include more than just the retail shops and restaurants into the downtown. "It should include the civic center and the library, where people do other things as well," Blackman said.
More specifically, the committee is made up of 21 people representing local businesses, the downtown association and residents from various neighborhood associations, as well as the developers. According to Blackman, there were a couple members of the public there to make comments at the end. "I think it's a little early in the game for the public to respond," she said.
Robert Paternoster, director of community development for the city, said this is just the beginning of the process.
"They are getting information from the consultants and reacting, but they aren't making any decisions at this time," he said. "And there wasn't any public testimony."
According to Paternoster, what they were presenting at the meeting were their observations and comparisons to other centers, such as Mountain View.
"For instance, [Mountain View] found that their downtown is the same distance away from the railroad station as ours," he said. "Ours just seems longer because there is nothing to do along the way."
He added, "They also talked about the economic standpoints, saying Sunnyvale's downtown was very strong in office potential, and from a retail standpoint, strong possibly in furniture stores."
Paternoster said the committee has tried to form a group that represents the whole community. "The two major developers, which are John Mozart, Jerry Schutte of American Mall Properties were there," Paternoster said. "Also downtown business owners Nick Gara, Andy Kasik and Joe Antuzzi, who is also chair of the committee."
Others in attendance were Michael Worthley of Macy's, Donna Dowey, Chris Kenall, David Luebkeman with WHL Architect and Planners, and residents Monica Davis and Joe Nabalet.
According to city officials, the city has selected two well-qualified consultants to work on this study. Keyser Marston of San Francisco will analyze the land economic niche for the downtown. ELS Architects of Berkeley will provide design expertise to help the city prepare the urban design framework. Lastly, Fehr and Peers traffic engineers and SWA landscape architects will assist them.
"We are working hard to establish a downtown which has meaning for our whole community--an exciting vibrant place that is unique to Sunnyvale," Paternoster said in a recent press release. "If this place is going to become the heart of our community, it must be a reflection of what the community wants for itself. That's why public participation and feedback continue to be an important part of the process."
According to a press release from the community development department, planning and urban design studies of the downtown were last undertaken in the early '90s, resulting in adoption of the Downtown Specific Plan.
Since that time, several major developments have begun that were not originally reflected in the plan. These include the Mozart Downtown Office Plaza, consisting of a four-level garage, three office buildings and a public plaza. Also new to the plan is the expansion of the Town Center Mall, including a 20-screen movie theater and new retail space due to open next year.
Paternoster said he is working on the Downtown Urban Design Study. The study began in July 2001 and will continue through February 2002. According to the city's community development department, one purpose of the study is to prepare an urban design framework that will link the separate projects together into a unified downtown Sunnyvale.
Residents and other stakeholders are invited to attend meetings of the Downtown Stakeholders Advisory Committee to give input to the Urban Design Study. At the next meeting, they will talk about a vision for downtown and different ways to treat the use of land and buildings.
The committee had its first meeting on July 26 and will meet monthly for the remainder of the year. The scheduled meetings are Sept. 26, Oct. 9, Nov. 14 and Dec. 12, at the Del Monte Building, 100 A Murphy Avenue, Sunnyvale. To get more information about the stakeholders meetings, call the Sunnyvale Community Development Department at 408.730.7612.
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Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
