Minutes - Planning Commission

City of Sunnyvale

Meeting Minutes

Planning Commission

Monday, April 27, 2026

6:00 PM

Online and Council Chambers, City Hall,

456 W. Olive Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94086

Special Meeting: Study Session - 6:00 PM | Public Hearing - 7:00 PM

6 P.M. SPECIAL PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING (Study Session)

Call to Order

Vice Chair Shukla called the meeting to order at 6 PM.

Roll Call

Present: 6 -

Chair Nathan Iglesias

Vice Chair Neela Shukla

Commissioner Galen Kim Davis

Commissioner Martin Pyne

Commissioner Michael Serrone

Commissioner Ilan Sigura

Absent: 1 - Commissioner Chris Figone

Study Session

Proposed Project: Related applications on a 4.22-acre site

26-0488

SPECIAL DEVELOPMENT PERMIT: to construct a mixed-use

project consisting of 67 residential units (55 townhomes and 12

flats) and 18,535 square feet of retail (maintain 2,900 square foot

Speedy's Tacos building and construct new 15,635 square foot

two-story retail building), for a total of 10% commercial FAR.

TENTATIVE MAP: to subdivide one parcel into 17 lots and two

common lots.

Location: 911 Duane Avenue (APNs: 205-12-001, 205-12-002,

205-12-003 and 205-12-004

File #: PLNG-2024-0083

Zoning: C-1 (Commercial)

Applicant / Owner: Paul Meuser (applicant) / Nicholas Gera (owner)

Environmental Review: Environmental impacts of the project are

addressed in the Land Use and Transportation Element (LUTE)

Environmental Impact Report (EIR): no additional review required per

California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15183.

Project Planner: Margaret Netto, (408) 730-7628,

mnetto@sunnyvale.ca.gov

Adjourn Special Meeting

7 P.M. PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING

CALL TO ORDER

Chair Iglesias called the meeting to order at 8:20 PM.

SALUTE TO THE FLAG

Chair Iglesias led the salute to the flag.

ROLL CALL

Present: 6 -

Chair Nathan Iglesias

Vice Chair Neela Shukla

Commissioner Galen Kim Davis

Commissioner Martin Pyne

Commissioner Michael Serrone

Commissioner Ilan Sigura

Absent: 1 - Commissioner Chris Figone

Commissioner Figone’s absence is excused.

ORAL COMMUNICATIONS

None.

CONSENT CALENDAR

There were no public speakers for this agenda item.

MOTION: Commissioner Pyne moved and Commissioner Davis seconded the

motion to approve the Consent Calendar with the following revision to the Planning

Commission meeting minutes of April 13, 2026:

1.) Note that the formal amendment on page 7 must be updated to read as follows:

FORMAL AMENDMENT: Vice Chair Shukla moved, and Commissioner Sigura

seconded the motion to specify that developments with only 10 or more rental units

would be subject to the proposed ordinance.

The motion carried by the following vote:

Yes: 5 -

Vice Chair Shukla

Commissioner Davis

Commissioner Pyne

Commissioner Serrone

Commissioner Sigura

No: 0

Absent: 1 - Commissioner Figone

Abstained: 1 - Chair Iglesias

Approve Planning Commission Meeting Minutes of April 13, 2026

26-0483

Approve Planning Commission Meeting Minutes of April 13, 2026, as submitted.

PUBLIC HEARINGS/GENERAL BUSINESS

Proposed Project: Recommend to City Council to Adopt an Urgency

Interim Ordinance pursuant to Government Code Section 65858

adopting a Temporary Moratorium on the establishment and operation of

“Smoke Shops,” as defined, within the City of Sunnyvale.

Location: Citywide

26-0451

File #: PLNG-2026-0232

Environmental Review: Exempt CEQA Government Code 15061(b)

(3)), would not result in a significant impact.

Staff: Rebecca Moon, (408) 730-2700, rmoon@sunnyvale.ca.gov

City Attorney Rebecca Moon presented the staff report with an oral presentation.

At Commissioner Davis’ request, City Attorney Moon provided the definition of a

stand-alone smoke shop.

Commissioner Serrone confirmed with City Attorney Moon that a majority vote is

required to forward recommendations on the urgency interim ordinance to City

Council.

Commissioner Serrone and City Attorney Moon discussed the outcome of a 2025

case in which seven of the City’s smoke shops were found to be in violation of the

City’s ordinance prohibiting flavored tobacco.

At Commissioner Serrone’s request, City Attorney Moon explained why there is a

need for the proposed urgency interim ordinance.

Chair Iglesias received clarification from City Attorney Moon regarding the statutory

procedure for interim zoning moratoria.

Chair Iglesias opened the Public Hearing.

There were no public speakers for this agenda item.

Chair Iglesias closed the Public Hearing.

MOTION: Commissioner Davis moved, and Commissioner Sigura seconded the

motion to recommend Alternative 1 to the City Council: Recommend that City

Council Adopt the Urgency Interim Ordinance pursuant to Government Code

Section 65858 adopting a Temporary Moratorium on the establishment and

operation of “Smoke Shops,” as defined, within the City of Sunnyvale found in

Attachment 2.

Commissioner Davis spoke in support of the motion.

Commissioner Sigura confirmed his support for the motion.

Commissioner Pyne stated that while there is a need for more retail in the City,

regulations such as these are necessary.

The motion carried by the following vote:

Yes: 6 -

Chair Iglesias

Vice Chair Shukla

Commissioner Davis

Commissioner Pyne

Commissioner Serrone

Commissioner Sigura

No: 0

Absent: 1 - Commissioner Figone

This recommendation will be forwarded to the City Council for consideration at the

May 5, 2026, meeting.

Proposed Project: Forward a Recommendation to the City Council to

take the following Actions:

26-0376

a. Find that the Proposed Actions are Exempt from the California

Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines

Sections 15061(b)(3) and 15308;

b. Adopt a Resolution to Establish Lower Density Residential

Objective Design Standards for Single-family Dwellings,

Two-family Dwellings and Dual Urban Opportunity (DUO) Housing

Developments, and Repeal the Single-Family Home Design

Techniques;

c. Introduce an Ordinance to Amend Sunnyvale Municipal Code Title

19 (Zoning) to Amend Chapter 19.32 (Building Heights, Lot

Coverages and Floor Area Ratios) and Repeal and Replace

Chapter 19.80 (Design Review) to Implement the Lower Density

Residential Design Standards, and to Amend Chapter 19.79

(Accessory Dwelling Units) to Conform with New State ADU

Laws;

d. Adopt a Resolution to Update and Adopt the Green Building

Tables for 2026; and

e. Repeal City Council Policy 1.1.12 Maximum Standards for Small

Lot Single-Family Residential Developments.

Location: Citywide

File #: PLNG-2024-0517

Project Planner: Aastha Vashist, (408) 730-7458,

avashist@sunnyvale.ca.gov

Senior Planner Aastha Vashist presented the staff report with a slide presentation.

Commissioner Davis confirmed with Senior Planner Vashist that a staff-level design

review is mandatory for all proposed two-story homes.

Commissioner Serrone confirmed with Senior Planner Vashist that while all housing

development projects are subject to the objective design standards, the Planning

Commission may request an exception from up to three of these standards.

Commissioner Serrone shared his thoughts on how a neighborhood should be

defined according to the objective design standards.

Commissioner Serrone received clarification from Senior Assistant City Attorney

Sandra Lee that while all-electric appliances are not required by the City’s Reach

Codes, their use is incentivized.

Commissioner Serrone confirmed with Senior Planner Vashist that this study

considered updates to the City’s zoning code standards pertaining to lot coverage

and floor area ratio (FAR) thresholds and that a separate study is required for

additional updates to the zoning code.

Commissioner Pyne confirmed with Senior Planner Vashist that the motion made by

the Planning Commission must take into consideration corrections made by staff to

the staff report and Attachment 3 to the staff report.

Commissioner Pyne asked whether a revision to the City’s Eichler Design

Guidelines may be made to ensure it is consistent with proposed changes to FAR

thresholds for staff-level Design Reviews. Senior Assistant City Attorney Lee

explained that the Planning Commission may forward a recommendation to the City

Council to ensure this revision is made.

Vice Chair Shukla confirmed with Senior Planner Vashist that the Sunnyvale

Municipal Code includes a chapter on tree preservation and this is separate from

the City’s objective design standards. Senior Planner Vashist added that the

objective design standards are subordinate to the zoning code.

Commissioner Serrone confirmed with Principal Planner Noren Caliva-Lepe that the

Planning Commission may forward a recommendation to the City Council to direct

staff to revise other design guidelines impacted by proposed changes to the object

design standards.

Commissioner Davis and Principal Planner Caliva-Lepe discussed language to be

included in the motion for this agenda item.

Chair Iglesias opened the Public Hearing.

There were no public speakers for this agenda item.

Chair Iglesias closed the Public Hearing.

Commissioner Davis stated that only new two-story dwellings and any second-story

exterior modifications in neighborhoods where one-story dwellings are predominant

should be subject to a staff-level Design Review with public noticing.

Commissioner Davis noted that it should be made clear that images included in the

objective design standards’ appendices are there for strictly illustrative purposes

and compliance with the City’s design guidelines should not be assumed.

In response to Commissioner Davis’ comments, Commissioner Pyne stated that it

would not make sense to require less review for a new two-story home than a new

single-story home. Commissioner Davis shared his thoughts on this matter and

ultimately decided to proceed without any modifications to the proposed thresholds

for Design Review permits.

Chair Iglesias agreed that lowering the threshold for Design Review permits for new

two-story dwellings and any second-story exterior modifications would reduce the

demand on staff time.

Commissioner Serrone confirmed with Senior Planner Vashist that one-story tiny

homes would be subject to a staff-level Design Review in the same way that other

one-story dwellings would be.

MOTION: Commissioner Davis moved, and Commissioner Pyne seconded the

motion to recommend Alternative 2 to the City Council - Alternative 1 with a

modification. The modification is as follows:

1) Clarification must be added to images in Appendix A to specify that architectural

style images have not been reviewed for compliance with all City development and

design standards.

FRIENDLY AMENDMENT: Commissioner Pyne proposed a friendly amendment to

direct staff to consider updates to other City design guideline documents to ensure

compliance with the revised Design Review thresholds. Commissioner Davis

accepted the friendly amendment.

Commissioner Davis voiced his support for the motion.

Commissioner Pyne expressed his overall support for the motion.

Vice Chair Shukla confirmed her support for the motion.

Commissioner Sigura stated that he is in support of the motion.

Chair Iglesias agreed that he is supportive of the motion.

The motion carried by the following vote:

Yes: 6 -

Chair Iglesias

Vice Chair Shukla

Commissioner Davis

Commissioner Pyne

Commissioner Serrone

Commissioner Sigura

No: 0

Absent: 1 - Commissioner Figone

This recommendation will be forwarded to the City Council for consideration at the

June 2, 2026, meeting.

NON-AGENDA ITEMS AND COMMENTS

-Commissioner Comments

None.

-Staff Comments

Planning Officer Shaunn Mendrin advised that Planning Commission meetings are

scheduled for May 11 and May 26, 2026.

Planning Officer Mendrin informed the Planning Commission that on April 21, 2026,

the City Council engaged in a discussion on a Safe Parking program.

ADJOURNMENT

Chair Iglesias adjourned the meeting at 9:24 PM.