Superintendent
Michael Gallagher, Ed.D.
Board of Education
Isabel Jubes-Flamerich
Eileen Le
Michelle Maginot
Nancy Newkirk
Bridget Watson
819 WEST IOWA AVENUE | P.O. BOX 3217 | SUNNYVALE, CA 94088-3217 | P 408.522.8200 | F 408.522.8338 Kent Steffens
City Manager
City of Sunnyvale
456 West Olive Avenue
Sunnyvale, California 94086
D
ear Kent:
A
s you know, the Sunnyvale School District and City of Sunnyvale have enjoyed a long and successful partnership with regard to its Open Space Agreement.
W
hen we last updated and renewed the agreement in 2016, Sunnyvale School District was anticipating the need to expand and/or replace school buildings that could affect the footprint of school facilities on some sites. To that end, the Agreement included specific terms for addressing our district’s need to make amendments to site master plans on occasion throughout the term if they might reduce open space areas.
Su
ch an occasion has now arisen, and our Director of Facilities and Operations, Brandt Burns, has had some initial meetings with City staff to discuss proposed site renovations at Sunnyvale Middle School (1080 Mango Avenue, Sunnyvale) and assess the impact of those renovations on the Open Space Agreement. The principal focus of our renovation efforts is the replacement of 20 deteriorating portable classrooms with a new 35,000 square foot, permanent two-story building that includes classrooms, student collaboration spaces, teacher collaboration spaces, and an art classroom/workshop. In addition to the new structure, we will be constructing an outdoor academic quad/collaboration space as a new central feature of the campus to enhance the feeling of community among students. The project was deemed by our Board of Education to be a high priority.
We are now at the point where we would like to seek the City Council’s affirmative approval of our plans as required by the Agreement because the project will result in the removal of approximately 13,000 square feet of existing open space area.
W
e direct your attention to Section 3(d) of the Agreement, which addresses amendments to campus Master Plans. To date, we conducted several site visits with our design team as well as reviewed with City staff our proposed design plans and various alternatives we have considered along the way that would minimize the impact on open space areas.
E
nclosed with this letter, please find the following documents providing specific and technical information related to our plans and needs at the site:
• B
ackground narrative that describes the proposed site modification, the reasons for t
he proposal, and the alternatives considered;
• D
escription of the planned construction, including timeline; Attachment 6
819 WEST IOWA AVENUE | P.O. BOX 3217 | SUNNYVALE, CA 94088-3217 | P 408.522.8200 | F 408.522.8338
• Site Renderings
We’d be happy to meet at the site or otherwise for further discussion as needed. We look forward to hearing back from you.
Very Truly Yours
Michael Gallagher
cc. Chip Taylor, Director of Public Works, City of Sunnyvale
Attachment 6