DATE: February 20, 2002
TO: Vice Mayor, Julia Miller
FROM: Robert LaSala, City Manager
CC: Mayor and Members of City Council
Robert Paternoster

SUBJECT: Citizen Participation in the Downtown Urban Design Plan

On February 14, you corresponded with Community Development Director Robert Paternoster by e-mail, alleging that the Downtown Urban Design Plan was being rushed through without adequate public discussion. I am writing to respond to your concern.

Attached is a chronology of the Downtown Urban Design Study. I believe that this chronology demonstrates a rather extensive and deliberate process to obtain public comment throughout the planning process.

To begin with, the entire process was guided by a Downtown Stakeholders Advisory Committee which was approved by the City Council. In addition to business interests, the Committee includes residential representatives who were particularly conscientious in their attendance and persistent in conveying their opinions to the consultant team.

Five of the Stakeholders Committee’s six workshops provided the opportunity for public comment. Because of the demonstrated interest of the public, and the limited time available at each workshop for public comment, the Committee decided to hold a Public Forum for the sole purpose of obtaining public input. The Forum was held on December 6, 2001, and at the next Committee workshop the plan was revised and recommendations drafted in response to the public testimony.

Throughout the nine-month planning process, staff has expended considerable effort to inform the public about the study and the opportunity for public comment. Prior to each Committee workshop and the Public Forum, a press release was provided to the media. We also posted bulletins on KSUN, posted press releases on our website, and issued Council announcements inviting the public to attend these meetings. Fliers were posted outside City Hall, at Council Chambers, in the Library and at the Community Center. Courtesy telephone calls were made to the public who signed in at previous workshops.

Since August, 2001, the Mercury News has had three articles on the Downtown Urban Design Study, and the Sunnyvale Sun has had five articles. The study was covered in the Fall 2001 Quarterly Report to the Citizens of Sunnyvale and in the Fall 2001 Business Page Newsletter. The Chamber of Commerce reported on the Study in its September, 2001 newsletter, and fliers were mailed to 1400 businesses and residents in the Downtown area in October, 2001.

The most important opportunities for public comment, of course, are the public hearings scheduled by the Planning Commission and City Council during the month of March. Please note, however, that the recommended action by City Council to adopt the conceptual plan is not the end of public participation, but rather the beginning of another extensive process of public involvement in the preparation of the Environmental Impact Report and the revisions to the Downtown Specific Plan, Redevelopment Area Plan and Zoning Ordinance and Map.

Chronology of Downtown Urban Design Study

June 19, 2001

City Council approved award of contracts to ELS of Berkeley and Keyser Marston of San Francisco for the Downtown Urban Design Study. RTC noted that the study would incorporate the North of Washington Study Issue which had received high priority from Council. It also noted that the plan would be completed and submitted to Council in 9 months (March, 2002).

July 10, 2001

City Council supported the formation of a 21-member Stakeholders Advisory Committee for the Downtown Urban Design Study.

July 26, 2001

Initial organizational meeting of Stakeholders Advisory Committee (SAC).

August 21, 2001

Workshop #1 of SAC. Market overview and preliminary site analysis. Public comment.

September 26, 2001

Workshop #2 of SAC. Vision for Downtown Sunnyvale. Public Comment.

October 9, 2001

Workshop #3 of SAC. Improvement of public infrastructure; transportation and parking issues. Public comment.

October 9, 2001

City Council study session to review progress of Study, including the vision statement.

November 14, 2001

Workshop #4 of SAC. Private development opportunities on major sites and along Mathilda; presentation of draft plan. Public comment.

December 6, 2001

Public Forum at Community Center to obtain public comment on the Study and on the draft plan. Two hours of testimony from both residential and business interests. SAC met for one hour following the Forum to discuss the testimony.

December 17, 2001

City Council study session to review progress of the Study, including the draft plan and the testimony at the Public Forum.

January 15, 2002

Workshop #5 of SAC. Response to testimony received at Public Forum (seven key issues); directives to consultants to convert draft plan to final plan. Public comment.

February 1, 2002

Final draft of plan (text and plan) and draft letter of transmittal distributed to SAC members for review.

February 12, 2002

Workshop #6 of SAC to insure that final draft of plan and letter of transmittal represented the Committee’s intent. Unanimous vote of approval. No public comment.

February 12, 2002

City Council briefing on final draft of plan. Noted that staff had been invited by three neighborhood associations to present plan for their information so that they would be able to provide informed testimony at public hearings of Planning Commission and City Council.

Schedule of Future Meetings:

March 5, 2002

City Council and Planning Commission in joint study session to review Plan.

March 11, 2002

Planning Commission meeting to review Plan and make recommendation to City Council

March 26, 2002

City Council meeting to receive Plan and consider adoption and referred to Planning Commission to commence implementation actions (Environmental Impact Report and amendments to Downtown Specific Plan, Redevelopment Area Plan, Zoning Ordinance and Map, all of which will require noticed public hearings).

January, 2003 (approx.)

City Council action on Downtown Specific Plan, Redevelopment Area Plan and Zoning Ordinance and Map to implement the Downtown Urban Design Plan.

Back to Report # 02-0069