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Sunnyvale public speakers urge keeping Las Palmas Park open; tennis/astroturf questions raised for Sarah Park design
Summary
During oral communications and a public hearing, residents urged the city to preserve Las Palmas Park as open meadow and oppose fenced, lit sports fields and artificial turf; at a Sarah Park design public hearing, a resident flagged contract language mentioning synthetic surfaces for tennis, and staff clarified the contract does not commit athletic fields to synthetic turf.
Residents at the June 16 council meeting urged the council to preserve Las Palmas Park's open meadow and oppose plans that would fence the space, add bright lights or convert turf to artificial surfaces.
At-length public comments: Alexandra Carvashetska presented a citizen'led analysis arguing the meadow is widely used for informal sports and picnics and would be harmed by a fenced sports complex that would reduce multi-use access. Monica F. and other longtime residents described weekend usage of the meadow (hundreds of people), frequent informal volleyball activity and neighborhood parking concerns; they encouraged the city to consider alternative sites for organized sports such as Baylands.
Sarah Park design question: During the public hearing for agenda item 1F (Sarah Park design contract), a speaker pointed to draft contract language that appeared to reference artificial turf for tennis court surfaces. Staff responded that the contract scope would assess current conditions, would not commit to synthetic turf for athletic fields and that any materials decisions are subject to final public outreach, design and council approval.
What the city said: Staff confirmed that the city is not planning to convert athletic fields to synthetic turf and that any decisions will be made after public outreach and design work. The council asked staff to ensure outreach and to add clear statements to public materials about turf considerations.
Speakers quoted in this report appeared in council public comment and the Sarah Park hearing and include Alexandra Carvashetska, Monica F., and a public speaker identified as Zack K. Staff included Public Works and Parks design staff and the city emphasized upcoming outreach for Las Palmas Park and Sarah Park.
Next steps: Public outreach for Las Palmas Park is scheduled to start in July 2026 (staff will post a QR-code linked outreach page and assemble an external facilitator). Sarah Park design will continue through public input and design phases; the council asked staff to clarify materials choices and to confirm that athletic fields will not be replaced with synthetic turf without explicit council approval.
