The Sun
Sunnyvale's Newspaper

Council pledges $200,000 for study of space center

By Natasha Collins

The Sunnyvale City Council allotted $200,000 Oct. 22 for a feasibility study on an air and space technology center at Moffett Field, but how the money will be spent is not known.

The City Council, trying to plan ahead in case NASA abandons the airfield, pledged the money so it could investigate alternative uses. Mountain View and NASA have also pledged $200,000 each.

"All we know is that it will get us to the discussion table. We don't know what we are budgeting for," said Councilman Jack Walker. "It is an empty promise, but it is important for us to take a stand."

Councilwomen Robin Parker and Pat Vorreiter voted against spending the money because they felt there were too many unanswered questions. The staff report, presented by Mayor Stan Kawczynski, was outdated and lacked pertinent information, the councilwomen said.

"How my fellow councilmembers can approve something they know nothing about what they will get in return is beyond me," Parker said. "We don't know what the investment is now or what it will be over a long period of time. We should get more up-to-date information and look at this issue at the budget workshop in December."

Vorreiter wanted the city to consider the transportation, safety and housing impacts the air and space technology center would have on the city before approving the $200,000 donation.

"There is a lot of baggage with this that needs to be addressed before we approve this," she said. "We are going to have to build hotels and restaurants here as well."

Kawczynski said the questions raised and oppositions to the report were unjustified and cut off councilmembers in mid-sentence and asked them to vote in favor of the measure.

"These are penny-wise, pound-foolish questions," he said. "These are not concerns that should be addressed right now. We need to put up the money in order to be part of the process."

Although the $200,000 has been pledged, whether it will ever be spent is unknown. So far the money Mountain View and NASA have put up has not been used. The council is going to take a "gamble" and put forth the money in good faith, Vice Mayor Jim Roberts said. "We may or may not spend it, but by pledging the money we will be allowed to participate in the process from the beginning."

A pledge is a promise, and the money will be spent, Vorreiter countered. "We can't say we are going to pledge the money and turn around later and say we aren't."

Sunnyvale has taken a leadership role by pledging the money, Councilman Landon Curt Noll said. "Sunnyvale will be an equal partner in looking at the air and space project," he said. "Mountain View and NASA cannot move forward without Sunnyvale's participation."

The council will meet on Nov. 25 to discuss the possibility of air cargo at Moffett Field. The council meets every Tuesday at 8 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers.

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This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, October 29, 1997.
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