Horizon 2035 LUTE & CAP

Exit this survey 

1. Improving the ability to easily reach transit and transportation connections from work, home, and shopping improves life in Sunnyvale because;
• It's more convenient
• Reduces the need to use a car
• Protects neighborhoods by reducing vehicle trips on neighborhood streets

2. Promoting a variety of transportation modes (trains, light rail, buses, walking and bicycling) positively affects Sunnyvale by reducing regional and local roadway congestion.

3. Converting free parking to paid parking (both on City streets and in parking lots) will help promote carpools, bicycling, transit use and walking and will benefit Sunnyvale by reducing use of automobiles.

4. Providing safe access on Sunnyvale streets for all modes of transportation (cars, transit, bikes and pedestrian) is more important than increasing roadway capacity that allows more cars to travel efficiently.

5. It is more important to preserve residential neighborhoods exactly as they are than to create opportunities for other housing types througout the City.

6. Read about Village Centers in the draft Land Use and Transportation Element (LUTE) at Horizon2035.inSunnyvale.com. Village centers are mixed-use developments that combine residential uses with other commercial uses (such as apartments over shops and restaurants). Village Center buildings would be 2-4 stories high. The proposed General Plan would allow new Village Centers at selected major street intersections where there are currently older neighborhood shopping centers.

Village Centers are a good concept for Sunnyvale because they;

• Strategically limit the locations for increased development intensity to the edge and periphery of existing neighborhoods
• Create housing choices mixed throughout Sunnyvale
• Can improve the appearance and appeal of older neighborhood centers
• Provide a nearby place that is walkable/bikable for shops, services, dining and to gather
• Concentrate enough people and uses together to plan for and attract transit
• Reduce the need to use a car to conduct day-to-day living

7. Limit or prohibit hazardous, noisy and potentially disruptive land uses near residential areas.

8. Allowing mixed use development (e.g. residential with retail) at older corner shopping center sites on the edges of residential neighborhoods is acceptable to improve the availability of nearby services and to create a variety of housing choices in the community.

9. Development guidelines and zoning regulations can be used to promote and achieve a visually interesting and attractive community and should also promote respect for the character and scale of the adjacent existing residential neighborhoods.

10. A residential neighborhood should include parks, public gathering places and places to work, shop, entertain and dine.

11. Providing a variety of housing prices and choices is important to support a diverse population of all ages and life phases (e.g. single family homes, duplexes, apartments, townhomes, senior housing, assisted living).

12. It benefits Sunnyvale to provide existing businesses with opportunities to grow (create more jobs), expand (build new buildings) and develop new technologies.

13. The City should have programs in place that encourage businesses to minimize waste, use resources efficiently and be environmentally responsible.

14. Create zoning districts for businesses where there is good access to transit (e.g. bus lines, VTA light rail, Caltrain) and promote programs to reduce parking and auto use by job commuters.

15. Create zoning districts that allow a variety of business types in order to resists economic downturns, provide jobs and provide revenues for City of Sunnyvale services.

16. In order to reduce the City’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions to the environment, Sunnyvale should reduce the amount of dark, non-reflective roofing and paving material in order to mitigate the urban heat island effect and reduce energy associated with heating and cooling.

17. Sunnyvale should increase the number of shade trees planted in the community, and protect the existing tree stock.

18. Educate and involve the Sunnyvale community regarding actions they can do at home to reduce energy, water, waste, and fuel consumption.

19. Decrease the amount of waste sent to landfills through increased recycling, composting, and materials management.

20. Increase the amount of renewable energy produced in Sunnyvale and find ways to increase renewable energy delivered to the City.

21. Reduce water-related greenhouse gas emissions through reclamation, conservation, and improvements to the water and wastewater processes in Sunnyvale.

22. Plan and organize land uses in the City to reduce the amount of times cars are needed to complete daily activities.

23. Promote the use of clean alternative motor vehicles and fuels in Sunnyvale to reduce emissions from vehicular travel.

24. Design and connect streets in a way to helps people bike, walk and access transit throughout Sunnyvale.

25. Creating mixed use neighborhoods (residential combined with commercial), providing
office districts with nearby restaurants and support services, and increasing high density
housing near major roadways are land use strategies. These would benefit Sunnyvale because:

• These types of areas attract transit services
• Adopting these planning strategies helps the City’s justify/secure funds for transit (light rail,
bus, commuter rail) and transportation system improvements
• They create opportunities for people to use transit use and transportation alternatives
(carpooling, walking, bicycle commuting)
• These strategies can help reduce reliance on automobiles (especially single occupant
trips)
• Strategically locating and clustering land uses can help reduce local and regional vehicle
trip length