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Residents press Sunnyvale council to keep Las Palmas Park open and unfenced
Summary
Dozens of residents urged the council during oral communications to preserve Las Palmas Park’s open meadow and oppose fencing, lighting and a sports‑hub design; speakers demanded better public‑process controls and secure, local survey methods.
Dozens of Sunnyvale residents used the city’s oral‑communications period on June 2 to press the City Council to preserve Las Palmas Park as an open, unfenced neighborhood green rather than convert the meadow into a specialized sports hub.
Speakers including Angie Henson of Las Palmas Green & Serene and resident Alexandra Kvashetska said the park’s large, unprogrammed meadow is heavily used by families, youth sports and informal recreation. “Las Palmas is one of the nicest and best utilized parks I’ve ever seen,” Kvashetska said during public comment, urging the council not to add fences, permanent lighting or surface conversions that would remove flexible open space.
Other residents raised procedural objections: Judy M. alleged early survey and online voting tools for the park renovation were insecure and allowed repeated out‑of‑area responses, and asked the city to “archive the current illegitimate concepts” and restart with address‑verified input. Several speakers said the park has always been considered a neighborhood — not regional — park and warned that a regional sports focus would increase traffic, parking strains, and maintenance subsidies for local taxpayers.
What council and staff said: The city manager told residents staff had engaged an additional public‑outreach facilitator and expected outreach to run through October before concept plans are finalized; staff also pledged to post updates on the city project page and urged residents to register for meeting notices.
Why it matters: Multiple speakers stressed equity and climate reasons to keep open turf — from elderly golfers’ access to children’s play to shading and urban cooling benefits. They also requested clearer definitions of the park’s designation and an auditable record of changes to proposed concepts.
Next steps: Staff will resume facilitated outreach beginning in July and return concept plans and advisory‑board briefings later in the fall; residents asked staff to document survey integrity steps and publicly confirm any changes to the project record.
