Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Las Palmas Park topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents urge Sunnyvale to keep Las Palmas Park open and limit outside survey participation
Summary
Multiple residents urged Sunnyvale council to protect Las Palmas Park’s open‑field character, oppose high perimeter fencing and lighting for a proposed sports complex, and to limit renovation surveys to Sunnyvale residents after alleged outreach by out‑of‑area cricket groups.
During oral communications on May 5, several Sunnyvale residents urged the City Council to reconsider plans that would fence and light large portions of Las Palmas Park for organized sports.
Speakers emphasized the park’s role as flexible open space where neighbors, families, pickup games and informal users gather without reservations or fees. Angie Hinson asked the council to "reconsider the proposal of option 1 to fence off a large portion of our Las Palmas Park for a sports complex," saying that fencing would "turn a public commons into a controlled area, limiting who can enter and how they can use it." Darryl Jam Gochun and other residents echoed concerns about displacement of spontaneous park users and the need for surveys that accurately reflect local usage.
Multiple public commenters alleged that the Northern California Cricket Association encouraged non‑resident participation in the city’s athletic needs assessment and subsequent surveys, posting links and urging followers to complete Sunnyvale surveys. Emmanuel Guerrero said those posts "...urged nonresidents to influence our local surveys" and characterized that as a compromised foundation for any project built on the results.
Speakers asked the city to clarify survey methodology, limit voting to Sunnyvale residents where feasible, add clearer yes/no questions about perimeter fencing and lights, and factor real‑time observations of park use into planning. A staff speaker (Kirby) noted a project FAQ and an online project site for updates. The council did not take immediate action on Las Palmas Park during this meeting; comments were entered into the record for future agenda consideration.
Next steps: residents asked staff to refine the survey and increase transparency about eligibility and results; some council members thanked residents and encouraged them to use the project site to subscribe for updates.
