A Sunnyvale official’s recent bicycle accident is reigniting concerns about traffic safety. Sunnyvale Councilmember Richard Mehlinger was hit by a car while riding his bike on California Avenue Aug. 30, breaking his left thumb and right wrist. Mehlinger, a staunch traffic safety advocate, said the incident shows the necessity and urgency of installing safety infrastructure. “There wasn’t a bike...
Sunnyvale has found the secret to downtown’s success
Sunnyvale has found the blueprint for creating a prosperous downtown. Officials have figured out how to balance retail, housing and offices in the city’s core, even with an aggressive plan to build out nearly 1 million square feet of new office space in downtown. Sunnyvale is confident it will attract employers with its live, work...
North Sunnyvale bike path approved but lacks funds
North Sunnyvale cyclists have another protected path in their future. The Sunnyvale City Council on Tuesday voted 6-1 to approve the installation of raised multi-use pedestrian and bicycle paths on both sides of Tasman Drive, from Fair Oaks Avenue to Vienna Drive. The roughly half-mile stretch runs between two of the state’s largest mobile home parks...
Sunnyvale public safety chief all about community engagement
Sunnyvale’s new public safety chief wants to uphold his department’s unique, integrated approach to providing service and engaging with residents. Daniel Pistor started as chief of the Department of Public Safety June 22, after former Chief Phan Ngo retired in April. The department is uniquely structured, as all sworn officers receive police, fire and EMT...
Sunnyvale’s retail protection plan falls short
One of Sunnyvale’s proposals to build more housing threatens to demolish several grocery stores, and city fixes haven’t patched the problem. The Sunnyvale City Council unanimously approved an overhaul of the Village Center Master Plan Tuesday. The new plan redefined how seven aging retail spaces, called village centers, will be zoned for commercial, residential and...
Sunnyvale hires one of its own as new public safety chief
Sunnyvale has hired a new chief for its integrated Department of Public Safety. After a nationwide search, City Manager Tim Kirby appointed Daniel Pistor, the department’s deputy chief of fire services, after former Chief Phan Ngo retired in April. Pistor started his new assignment June 22 and is charged with overseeing the city’s integrated Department...
Housing could replace North Sunnyvale grocery stores
Sunnyvale has been struggling to preserve grocery stores in its northern neighborhoods, and residents are frustrated with plans to build more housing that would push the area toward being a food desert. True Life Companies has plans to develop 101 townhomes that would replace the Lakewood Shopping Center, which includes New Wing Yuan Market, one of...
Sunnyvale neighborhood boxed in by multiple housing developments
Another affordable housing development is planned for downtown Sunnyvale, but some neighbors are feeling claustrophobic. Sunnyvale is planning for 126 affordable apartments at 295 S. Mathilda Ave. on a 1.04-acre city-owned site, developed by MidPen Housing. The site is adjacent to multiple new developments like the Meridian and downtown Cityline’s various apartments. Some nearby residents...
Sunnyvale ready to dip into surplus with looming federal cuts
While Silicon Valley grapples with millions of dollars in federal cuts, one city is trying to use its own money to weather the storm. The Sunnyvale City Council allocated its fiscal year 2025-26 federal grants on May 6. The city has about $383,000 from the HOME program, $1 million in Community Development Block Grant funding...
Sunnyvale under fire over festival booth controversy
Sunnyvale is facing criticism after officials asked a Palestinian art booth to leave a city-run children’s event for refusing to remove a poster. City officials confronted the “Palestine Palette” art booth’s organizers partway through the Hands on the Arts festival Saturday, citing unapproved political content: a poster with a historic map of Palestine. The Council...