REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Consider the Sunnyvale Historical Society and Museum Association's Proposed Addition to the Sunnyvale Heritage Park Museum and Find that the Project is Exempt from California Environmental Quality Act
Report
BACKGROUND
The Sunnyvale Historical Society and Museum Association (SHSMA) has proposed a new 1,600 square-foot, single-story addition (Project) to the Sunnyvale Heritage Park Museum. The Museum is located across from the Sunnyvale Community Center at 570 E. Remington Drive, see Attachments 1 and 2. The addition, as proposed in Attachment 3, will remove three to four existing apricot trees, with the possibility of removing up to six to seven apricot trees, and potentially affecting up to a total of 10 existing apricot trees by removal or trimming within a 10-acre orchard. The proposed addition would be used to house historical items from the closed Onizuka Air Force Base's "Blue Cube," and would also serve as a research library.
On June 12, 2019, the Parks and Recreation Commission considered an item brought forward from SHSMA to expand the existing Heritage Park Museum (RTC No. 19-0355). The Commission voted at that time to recommend to City Council not to proceed with the museum expansion, noting that a study issue was underway (DPW 17-05 Orchard Heritage Park and Heritage Park Museum - Analysis and Options for the Long-Term Operations and Maintenance of Orchard Heritage Park and Review of the Sunnyvale Historical Society and Museum Association Proposed Expansion of the Sunnyvale Heritage Park Museum Site).
On July 16, 2019, the City Council reviewed the potential expansion (RTC No. 19-0699) and chose Alternative 1: Direct staff to develop modifications to the Orchard Heritage Park Master Plan and associated agreements and documents, including appropriate CEQA review, of Alternative Plan 1 - add an addition to the Museum at the location preferred by SHSMA, with all costs including CEQA to be fully funded by SHSMA.
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