City of Sunnyvale Government News

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.

On April 22, El Camino Health broke ground on the El Camino Health Rehabilitation Hospital, an inpatient rehabilitation center in Sunnyvale, CA. Officials with the health system said it will offer a “safe and therapeutic environment” for individuals facing serious challenges.

Sunnyvale's new partnership with Santa Clara County Animal Services has some major glitches.

Sunnyvale’s top public safety officer is retiring after eight years of service.
Public Safety Chief Phan Ngo will step down at the end of April, after steering the city through its COVID-19 emergency response and bolstering community trust in the department.

Sunnyvale wants to preserve retail space in an underserved community, but the city will have to convince developers the investment is worthwhile.

Sunnyvale is trying a new approach to homeless encampment sweeps by putting people in motels and giving them an opportunity to make necessary life changes.
The city on Feb. 26 placed about 25 unhoused people in 18 rooms across two Larkspur Landing hotels — one in Sunnyvale and one in Milpitas — for 30 days, after their encampment near Sunnyvale Public Library was removed. WeHOPE, a homeless service nonprofit contracted by the city, is providing case management and two meals a day.

As Sunnyvale expands its bicycling network, one neighborhood is grappling with decades-old limitations.
Residents in North Sunnyvale, a portion of the city that historically lacks resources, are excited about planned safe transit infrastructure on Tasman Drive, from Fair Oaks Avenue to Lawrence Expressway. Other residents are less enthusiastic, saying the proposed changes — bike lanes and expanded sidewalks — will worsen traffic congestion.
This stretch of Tasman Drive has two lanes in both directions, with a partial sidewalk on one side. Road space is restricted by the VTA Orange Line light rail route, which cuts between both sides of traffic. The improved sidewalk project proposes reducing the street to one lane in both directions.
Ari Feinsmith is a member of Safe Streets Sunnyvale and Bike Sunnyvale who grew up and lives in the Casa de Amigos mobile home park. He said the proposed bike lanes would make the street safer. Tasman Drive has a speed limit of 40 mph and a blind curve at one point, which makes it hard for drivers to see cyclists.
There is no sidewalk on the side of Casa de Amigos, so residents have to jaywalk across the street and VTA tracks to reach a sidewalk. Feinsmith recounted a time when he saw a young couple walking toward the mobile home park's entrance from the grocery store at the end of Tasman Drive, bags in tow, forced to wade through foliage lining the road rather than cross the train tracks.
“It’s so sad that we’ve created our infrastructure where to get basic necessities like groceries, you have to risk your life,” Feinsmith told San José Spotlight. “I’m grateful that my parents have a car, that’s something a lot of people take for granted, but cars are expensive and we need to be designing our streets for everyone.”
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Sunnyvale public safety officers are optimistic a new study will find solutions to the city’s lack of paramedics.

Sunnyvale residents have been waiting for the city to implement its grand plan for a bicycle safety network, but a lack of action has led to mounting frustration.

Sunnyvale officials want to tighten traffic safety near Fair Oaks Park after multiple pedestrian deaths over the past six years.

Sunnyvale wants to replace a vacant Orchard Supply Hardware site with hundreds of new homes.

Each year, Sunnyvale officials prioritize certain projects.
Some projects made it over the finish line this year, while others were shelved, such as a new mobile application for city services. Here’s how the list stands at the end of 2024 and what's rolling into 2025...

Homeless residents in Sunnyvale will be able to find local shelter from the elements this winter instead of going beyond city limits to get out of the cold.

The Sunnyvale City Council is about to see a demographic shift that will make its representation more reflective of the city’s population.

Sunnyvale is taking steps to make its downtown more inviting for residents and visitors alike by beautifying its most historic block.

Sunnyvale leaders want to lower the anxiety levels of residents living in their vehicles through a widely supported solution: giving them a safe place to park.

Sunnyvale voters are on track to reelect Mayor Larry Klein and fill two open City Council seats with women of color.

Sunnyvale is prepared to launch a guaranteed basic income program — it’s just waiting for funding.

Sunnyvale could have a new City Council and mayor next year, with multiple seats up for election come November.

The Sunnyvale City Council will make decisions on housing, transit and the city's budget in the near future — and candidates seeking elected office are sharing their approaches to governing.

More than 100 apartments for older adults and a medical facility could be coming to Sunnyvale within the next few years.

The debate between using artificial turf or natural grass on government-owned athletic fields in Sunnyvale has been pushed into the future, leaving environmental activists and youth sports groups in limbo.

Sunnyvale has a unique strategy to support affordable housing development: purchasing the land for developers.