The Sun
Sunnyvale's Newspaper

City Council candidate Fowler

Fowler's roots in neighborhood group

By Natasha Collins

Fred Fowler knows that if he is elected to City Council he will be living his life in a fishbowl, but to him the city is worth it.

"I have a lot of leadership experience through my volunteer work, sitting on the Moffett advisory committee and as president of my neighborhood association," Fowler said. "I care about the city and am willing to put my private life on the line."

No issue is more important in the long run than Moffett Field, Fowler said. "A space museum is an acceptable solution without any conditions. The hurdle to be jumped is the cost of more than $80 million to build it," he said.

The people in the community could make contributions to help pay for the cost of building the museum, he suggested. "It would be for the sake of the science and technology in the area and for our community."

As Sunnyvale grows and expands, it needs to keep its identity and remain Sunnyvale, Fowler said.

"Sunnyvale needs to be proud of itself," he said. "It is a comfortable, homey place where people are regulars. We don't need to spend millions on some flashy attraction that won't represent what Sunnyvale is."

Downtown business is thriving, and before any changes are made, a creative team should look at all the possibilities and what the market will allow, Fowler said.

"You can always find good food and great entertainment and enjoy yourself in Sunnyvale," he said.

There is traffic in Sunnyvale because the city is successful, and the city must be mindful of the impact of any future development on traffic, Fowler said.

"New development means new traffic," he said. "We need to make sure we follow the floor-area ratios [FAR], which govern how many people can use a facility. If we allow development beyond the allowed FAR, that will mean extra people and more traffic than was anticipated for the area."

Olson's Cherry Orchard is an important spot because it is the city's last link to the past, he said.

"If I could wave a magic wand, I would love to see a nonprofit buy the orchard and turn it into a park or lease it out to someone who will keep it as an orchard," Fowler said. "We are living in a whirlwind of change, and we have to preserve both the old and the new."

The Silicon Valley is not going to slow down, and change is a way of life, Fowler said. "We just need to make sure the changes are good and we don't lose the parks and all the other good things the city has to offer."

Fowler is in favor of the utility-tax measure, which he says will ensure that deregulating power companies will not cause a $1 million shortfall in the city's annual revenues.

"It is designed so the city will collect the same amount of utility tax each year that it always has," he said. "It will allow us to keep the same services without really costing the people more money."

Fowler said if he's elected, the best part of being on the council would be to encourage others to step up to new challenges.

"I see my role as challenging people to do things they have never done before and to do everything in my power to make sure they are successful," he said. "It makes me very happy to see people do an outstanding job and see what they can really do."

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This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, September 17, 1997.
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