Resident says new community center pond lacks escape ramps after waterfowl drownings

A Sunnyvale neighbor told the Parks and Recreation Commission on July 1 that the renovated community center pond lacks permanent means for animals to escape and described multiple recent waterfowl deaths she attributed to the absence of exit ramps.

Sue Oh, who said she lives directly across the street from the community center, described finding plywood ramps temporarily installed after the pond reopened, only to see them removed weeks later. “There is, no way for injured or young animals to get out at this time,” she said, and recounted that a goose drowned and others appeared in distress over several days. She said attempts to contact park staff and animal services produced no immediate rescue response.

Oh said park staff had told her the ramps were removed because ‘all the baby ducks and geese were gone,’ a claim she disputed based on recent observations, and she called the situation “inhumane.” She asked commissioners to have staff inspect the pond and take steps to prevent further wildlife suffering.

Deputy Director Jim Stark had described the community center project earlier in the presentation as completed and in warranty, and he noted pond mechanical systems (pumps) are under warranty and being adjusted during the warranty period. Staff did not announce an immediate corrective action on the ramps during the public comment period.

What’s next: The issue was raised during oral communications; staff did not provide a definitive on‑the‑record remedy during the meeting. The resident asked the commission to have staff investigate and address the pond’s animal escape provisions.