Members of the organization are dedicated to "preserving the quality of life in Sunnyvale" and hope the initiatives will prevent the city from moving forward with its downtown design plan.

The plan, which was introduced last April, calls for several high-rise buildings to be built downtown along Mathilda Avenue. A model is on display at the Sunnyvale Public Library. Friends of Sunnyvale formed after the plan was made public.

Melinda Hamilton, Friends board member, said high-density buildings would bring increased traffic to a city not equipped to deal with it.

The city recently released the plan's environmental impact report, which identifies potential impacts to the environment and also recommends ways to address these impacts. The report singles out impacts on traffic and air quality.

But Robert Paternoster, director of community development, says the impacts are relatively minor. "Any major environmental impact report will come up with impacts on traffic and air quality," he said.

The report shows that traffic on Highway 101 will increase, and Paternoster says that since the highway cannot be widened the city council must decide whether the positive aspects of the project will outnumber the negative impacts.

The city council will review the final report at a council meeting on June 10.

The Friends of Sunnyvale's three initiatives call for limiting the use of eminent domain in development, restricting the height of buildings in the downtown area to 46 feet and requiring voter approval for all redevelopment projects.

Jennie Brick says that in her 40 years of living in Sunnyvale she has seen the city change. But Brick thinks Sunnyvale still retains the sense of suburbia amidst the high-tech companies that populate it.

"If the plan went through, it would make Sunnyvale a metropolitan area instead of the suburb that it is now," Brick says.

Brick got involved with Friends of Sunnyvale after watching a city council meeting on KSUN. "I saw a Friends of Sunnyvale presentation, and I was glad that finally somebody was doing something about it," Brick says.

Brick started walking her precinct to collect signatures for the three initiatives. She finds that most residents know nothing about it. Even if the initiatives don't make the November ballot or if they do but don't pass, Brick says, at least the citizens will be aware of the issues and can voice their opinions.

The Friends of Sunnyvale have a booth at the farmer's market on Murphy Street every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, call 408.732.8839 or visit http://www.friendsofsunnyvale.org.

There will be an informational meeting on the environmental impact report on April 10 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the community center, located at 550 E. Remington Drive. A copy of the report is available at http://www.sunnyvaleplanning.com.