A proposed housing development is ruffling the feathers of some Sunnyvale residents who claim the traffic it will bring will disrupt the neighborhood’s character.

At its July 1 meeting, the Sunnyvale City Council approved a general plan amendment to rezone a parcel located at 781 S. Wolfe Road. The property is located on the south side of Wolfe Road near the shopping center on Old San Francisco Road.

The action before the council was to alter the parcel’s allowable density to make way for a proposed development. That change slightly ups the density on the .69-acre site to host eight single-family homes.

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“It is consistent with the immediate neighboring property to the north, Fire Thorn Terrace,” said Aastha Vashist, senior planner. “It will have a similar scale, density and character. It will also help with a more gradual transition of density in the neighborhood, and it will also further the city’s goal of providing additional home ownership opportunities in the city.”

Forrest Mozart, a Palo Alto-based developer, wants to demolish the single-family home built in the mid-60s to construct 2,500 sq. ft. homes with attached two-car garages.

Because the development will only generate seven peak-hour trips, according to city employees, the city did not conduct a traffic study, as it is well below the threshold of 100 peak-hour trips needed to justify such a study. 

Neighbors in the Braly neighborhood where the development is slated to be located said while the number of trips generated are not aggregately that high, they amount to a 20% increase in traffic on Lusterleaf Road, the street connecting the development to Wolfe Road.

That doesn’t even include the uptick in traffic from delivery vehicles or any potential accessory dwelling units (ADUs), additional add-on housing allowed by state law.

The site is a good location to double the density in the area in a “respectful way to the neighbors,” Mozart said, adding that he “understands” the neighbors’ concerns and isn’t opposed to a traffic study.

David Pearson, who lives in the Braly neighborhood, said he is “laser-focused on traffic safety.” The thought of having an uptick in traffic in the neighborhood is giving him “heartburn,” he added.

“I am concerned about kids getting run over. That has not been studied,” he said. “It seems like it might be worth taking another look, even if it is outside policy … 20% impact on Lusterleaf versus a couple of cars going onto Wolfe Road, that’s like a drop of water going into the ocean.”

Neelam Paradkar, a resident at Fire Thorn Terrace near the proposed development, also said the thought of the potential traffic gives her “heartburn,” adding that it is a “nightmarish” situation that “compromises safety.”

The council only voted to amend the general plan, not to approve the project. Before the project comes back to the council for approval, the city will hold a study session, another community meeting, have city employees look it over, and hold a planning commission meeting.

Council Member Alysa Cisneros said the project could have been a builder’s remedy project, where the developer can leverage state law to build a project at whatever density it wants, wherever it wants. She said the developer’s willingness to work in “good faith” with the community made the project attractive. 

Council Member Richard Mehlinger said the proposal will “ensure successful and positive development for the city.”

“This adds much-needed housing. The merits of the project are good,” he said.

Contact David Alexander at d.todd.alexander@gmail.com 

Other Sunnyvale City Council Articles:
Sunnyvale Council Takes Action on Tasman Drive Pedestrian-Bicycle Improvements Study
Sunnyvale Changes Zoning To Accommodate Housing Amid State Red Tape
Sunnyvale Hikes Utility Rates

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