(408) 730-7516

September 21, 1999

Mr. Robert Peterson
THE BBQ BOYS
830-2 Jury Court
San Jose, California 95112

Dear Mr. Peterson:

The City of Sunnyvale has been working very closely with the residential neighbors of Las Palmas Park for several months now in an attempt to ensure continued "good neighbor" relations.

To that end, we have reviewed park design elements, initiated new administrative policies, and increased our efforts at securing park users' compliance with established park rules and regulations.

You can help! The enclosed copy of pictures portray your firm preparing to provide Las Palmas Park users with what is perhaps "the finest and freshest in BBQ catering" service (an activity the Parks and Recreation Department whole-heartedly endorses and appreciates!). However, these particular photos also show your staff setting up shop in violation of park rules and regulations. Catering/ barbecuing operations are not permitted in the parking lot--doing so needlessly reduces the amount of limited parking available to park visitors, and allows an unnecessary amount of undesirable smoke and fumes to enter residential properties next door. Hence, the citizen concerns registered by this Department relative to the day of the pictured event (yes, it's been at least a couple of months since the photos were apparently taken).

Educating your catering staff in terms of this particular issue would go a long ways toward ensuring the continued authorization of picnic permits associated with your firm, and would help us to retain good relations with our near neighbors.

Please be advised that this is only one of several issues we are tackling in order to improve park users' compliance with park rules and regulations, and that your firm is not alone in its well-intentioned deviation from those policies. On the other hand, there is little doubt that our collective failure to address related issues could ultimately result in more stringent park use policies regarding private catering operations in our public parks. Please work with us in this regard.

Sincerely,

Robert A. Walker
Director of Parks and Recreation

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