Advocating for Lighting Ordinance

In 2019, we advocated with Sunnyvale City Council to minimize light pollution by developing a Dark Sky / Lighting ordinance for outdoor lighting. In the Council Study Issue Prioritization process, Council initially voted in support of our request, but the issue dropped during the budgeting discussions. 

The City is now starting its 2020 Study Issue prioritization process, and we’ll try again.

Moffett Park Specific Plan 

The Moffett Park Area in Sunnyvale is changing as new office towers sprout monthly, and the existing Plan’s permitted office development allowances are almost used up. At the request of Google and other Moffett Park landowners, Sunnyvale is currently updating its Moffett Park Specific Plan with the goal of approving additional office space, and potentially also include housing as a permitted land use. 

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This area, North of 237, in currently an office park bounded by with the landfill hills, the Sunnyvale water pollution control plant, Moffett Field and Sunnyvale parks along the Bay.  SCVAS participated in several focus groups to provide input. We focused on:

    • Potential changes to the Water District approved Flood Control Project that includes tall walls on Charleston East and West Channels

    • Protection of baylands and of open space near the baylands (the Yahoo Campus, Lockheed-Martin

    • Provision of parks and open space

    • Native plant landscaping

    • Preservation of large trees

We expect an Environmental Impact Report in 2020, and will continue to advocate for a bird-friendly district as the plans are formed.

Moffett Park: Priority Development Area

A first step in promoting growth in the Moffett Park area is the application by the City of Sunnyvale to State Authorities to designate Moffett Park a “Priority Development Area”. This allows Sunnyvale to apply to the State for funding for housing and transportation infrastructure.

When this designation was considered by City Council in December 2019, we advocated for bifurcating this designation and declaring the wetlands on the Lockheed-Martin and Yahoo/Google properties along the Bay “Priority Conservation Area”. Only three of seven Council Members voted against the requested “Priority Development Area” designation, but all expressed an interest in protecting the environment and in considering ecology and Sea Level Rise as the Moffett Park Plan moves forward.