Planning is the key to success.
That was the main message of the mayor’s annual state of the city address on Sept. 13.
With the city’s newest park, Seven Seas, as the backdrop for the event, Mayor Jim Griffith touted the city’s longstanding ability to plan ahead and bring its plans to fruition. The completion of the first new park in 25 years was attributed to the 2010 decision to increase park dedication fees.
“Seven Seas is a true symbol for what the city of Sunnyvale does best–imagine the possibilities, plan for the future and bring it to fruition, in often very creative ways,” Griffith said during the address. “It is that very process that brought us this gorgeous flagship park for the 21st century, and it will continue to help the community envision and achieve a 21st century city.”
While it’s never easy to increase fees, Griffith said, that decision provides funds needed to invest in the park system and to expand the city’s open space.
Under the Parks of the Future plan, there will be an expansion of Orchard Gardens Park, rehabilitation of Lakewood and Fair Oaks parks, and a complete redesign of Plaza del Sol downtown.
A new city manager and council have also worked together this year to restore services, such as road paving and tree-trimming to pre-recession levels.
Upgrades to the city’s wastewater treatment plant are underway and will be the largest public works project in Sunnyvale’s history. In addition, the city is working to expand its recycled water system in partnership with Apple and the Santa Clara Valley Water District.
Amid all the planning and growth, one looming, stagnant piece of the city continues to be the downtown.
Despite being mired in private lawsuits and appeals, Griffith said the new city manager and new city council are taking a new approach to addressing the problem.
“The city manager has already been meeting with the bank that owns the property as well as the former developer to see where progress can be made,” Griffith said. “Meanwhile, the council has directed the city manager to undertake a review of the existing development permit to determine if there are changes we can make to reflect current market conditions so that we are ready to move quickly when the litigation reaches resolution.”
Griffith mentioned that next door to the Sunnyvale Town Center, new residential and commercial buildings have been opening this year, making the area a destination for diners, shoppers and families.
“Forbes magazine recently ranked the Sunnyvale-Santa Clara-San Jose metro area as No. 1 in the nation for jobs, with growth surging by 4.3 percent last year,” Griffith also touted. “Our unemployment rate is 5 percent and has remained consistently lower than both the county and the state. Median home prices have increased dramatically compared to this time last year, with single-family homes rising by over an astounding 44 percent.”
But Griffith reminded residents that even with all of this good news, the city must remain cautious and fiscally prudent.
“While balanced, our general fund is tightly budgeted over the long-term,” Griffith added. “This is where our innovative 20-year financial planning model comes into play. Thanks to the power of that tool, we’re able to project revenues and expenses over the long-term to ensure that resources will be available to meet our service needs. This helps us better understand the future impact of policy decisions we make today. No other city in California forecasts so well and so far.”
After the state of the city address, the annual Community Awards were given out, recognizing local residents for their achievements.
Award nominations were accepted from the community this summer and reviewed by a panel of former Community Awards winners. This year’s awardees are Frances Zowin, outstanding community volunteer; Dr. Gary Gold, outstanding businessperson of the year; Susan Holtzapple, outstanding educator; Iron Construction, outstanding environmental achievement; and Robert “Bob” Harms, distinguished resident of the year (posthumous award).
