City of Sunnyvale
Meeting Minutes - Draft
Parks and Recreation Commission
7:00 PM Online and Redwood Conference Room,
City Hall, 456 W. Olive Ave., Sunnyvale,
CA 94086
Wednesday, July 8, 2026
CALL TO ORDER
Vice Chair Mason called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m.
SALUTE TO THE FLAG
Vice Chair Mason led the salute to the United States flag.
ROLL CALL
Vice Chair Dona Mason
Commissioner Daniel Bremond
Commissioner Prashant Gattani
Commissioner Prakash Giri
Present: 4 -
Chair David KestingAbsent: 1 -
Chair Kesting's absence is excused
Council Liaison Cisneros (absent)
PRESENTATION
A 26-0636 Lifetime Tennis and Pickleball Usage Report
Agenda Item 26-0636 was not heard and was continued to the September 9, 2026 Parks and Recreation Commission meeting.
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
Mike C., suggested partnering with Lifetime Activities to provide Sunnyvale residents with free access to pickleball courts rather than constructing additional courts, and recommended exploring Baylands Park as a location for future cricket fields.
Sue O., expressed concern that the renovated Community Center pond lacks permanent wildlife escape ramps, stating that injured waterfowl have been unable to exit the pond. She urged the City to address the issue to improve wildlife safety.
Attachment 5
July 8, 2026Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes - Draft Paula J., stated that the Save Las Palmas group has grown to more than 1,200 members and requested that future park decisions be based on verified park usage data. She supported relocating regional sports facilities to Baylands Park while preserving Las Palmas Park's open space and implementing planned park improvements.
Angie H., urged the Commission to preserve Las Palmas Park's open, multi-use design, stating that fencing and lighting would reduce passive recreation opportunities. She also expressed support for Baylands Park as a more suitable location for regional sports facilities.
Daryl J., encouraged the City to evaluate existing park usage before making park modifications and to assess how proposed changes, including artificial turf and field expansions, would affect current recreational uses.
Henry S., requested improvements to public meeting practices, including timely posting of agendas and meeting materials, maintaining three-minute public comment periods when possible, and consistently enforcing viewpoint-neutral meeting decorum in accordance with the Brown Act.
Tiffany C., noted that Sunnyvale already has a substantial number of pickleball courts but questioned why residents must pay to use the Tennis Center while City funds also contribute to its maintenance, and asked the City to evaluate that funding model.
Connie P., spoke in support of preserving Las Palmas Park's open space, stating that fencing and lighting would diminish the park's spontaneous and diverse recreational uses.
STUDY SESSION
B 26-0637 Capital Improvement Projects Report
Jim Stark, Deputy Director of Parks and Golf, provided a presentation titled Capital Improvement Projects Report. Highlights included: Community Center, Lakewood Library and Park, Plaza Del Sol Phase II, and Serra Park, San Antonio Park, and Las Palmas Park renovations.
Commissioners asked clarifying questions regarding the scope and anticipated timelines for the San Antonio Park and Serra Park projects, as well as the future renovation schedule for Ponderosa Park. Staff confirmed the limited scope of the San Antonio Park improvements, provided estimated completion timelines for the
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July 8, 2026Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes - Draft projects, and indicated they would follow up regarding Ponderosa Park's renovation schedule.
Vice Chair Mason opened for public comment.
A.J. stated that the original scope of the Las Palmas Park renovation focused on general park improvements and expressed concern that adding a cricket field would be inconsistent with the park's intended purpose and deed restrictions. He encouraged the City to further review the property's legal restrictions before considering such changes.
Henry S., requested clarification on whether the Serra Park renovation includes modifications to the tennis courts and whether those changes are related to the Outdoor Sports Assessment. He also recommended that the upcoming Las Palmas Park outreach include data on Tennis Center users, traffic patterns, parking demand, and circulation to better inform future planning.
Vice Chair Mason closed public comment.
C 26-0638
Parks and Recreation Month
Jesus Raygoza, Deputy Director of Recreation Services, provided a presentation on Parks and Recreation Month. Highlights included: Community Center renovation update, Lakewood Library grand opening, public art projects, recreation program participation, recreation scholarship program, special events program update, Fourth of July Festival recap, and the Sunset Movie Series.
Commissioners thanked staff for the presentation and the successful Fourth of July Festival. Questions and comments focused on the reasons for transitioning from the drone show to the downtown festival, the availability of presentation materials with meeting packets, potential future programming at Ponderosa Park, the incorporation of public art into future park projects, and lessons learned from this year's Fourth of July Festival that could inform future events. Staff responded to each inquiry and noted that the feedback would be taken into consideration for future planning.
Vice Chair Mason opened public comment.
Tiffany C., commended staff for organizing a successful Fourth of July Festival and suggested implementing a timed ticket or return-time system for rides to reduce long wait times for families while preserving the overall event experience.
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July 8, 2026Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes - Draft Mitchell C., expressed support for the City's park improvements and asked the City to consider pedestrian and bicycle accessibility when planning parks, noting that major roadways can create barriers to accessing park facilities without driving.
Vice Chair Mason closed public comment.
CONSENT CALENDAR
Vice Chair Mason opened for public comment.
Henry S., requested additional context in the May 20, 2026 meeting minutes regarding the proposed field and park usage data collection project and its discussion, and requested that the June 10, 2026 meeting minutes more fully reflect the Commission's discussion of Panama Park as the proposed location for the pesticide reduction pilot project.
Vice Chair Mason closed public comment.
Commissioner Giri moved and Commissioner Gattani seconded the motion to approve the consent calendar.
The motion carried by the following vote:
Yes: Vice Chair Mason
Commissioner Bremond
Commissioner Gattani
Commissioner Giri
4 -
No: 0
Absent: Chair Kesting1 -
1 26-0633
Approve the Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting
Minutes of May 20, 2026
Approve the Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes of May 20, 2026 as submitted.
2 26-0634
Approve the Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting
Minutes of June 10, 2026
Approve the Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes of June 10, 2026 as submitted.
PUBLIC HEARINGS/GENERAL BUSINESS
Attachment 5
July 8, 2026Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes - Draft 3 26-0635 Selection of Chair and Vice Chair
Staff reviewed the nomination and election procedures for the offices of Chair and Vice Chair.
Chair Kesting was nominated and elected by general consent to serve as Chair for a one-year term. Vice Chair Mason was nominated and elected by general consent to serve as Vice Chair for a one-year term.
NON-AGENDA ITEMS AND COMMENTS
-Commissioner Comments
None
-Staff Comments
Jim Stark confirmed that Ponderosa Park's renovation is slated for 2035 for design, and for construction in 2036.
Jesus Raygoza reminded that there are two grand openings coming up for Lakewood Park and the Lakewood Branch Library.
ADJOURNMENT
Vice Chair Mason adjourned the meeting at 8:34 p.m.
Attachment 5