By Mike Rosenberg, San Jose Mercury News, Calif.
Jan. 04–Warning of an “immense financial risk” to the state, a renowned group of transportation and financial experts advised lawmakers Tuesday to pull the emergency brake on funding California’s $99 billion high-speed train. Continue reading
To me, the most disturbing and distasteful feature of the Sunnyvale Palo Alto Medical Foundation, designed by Hawley Peterson Snyder, is the nonchalant placement of the Parking Garage Exhaust Vent adjacent to an 80-year-old woman’s home which was omitted from study in the PAMF DEIR/FEIR.
During the June 23, 2009 Council Hearing, a compelling speaker, Trustee Robert Varesio, implored “The Planning Commission would not address or answer my questions about persistent proximate exposure.” 
Continue reading
Posted in PAMF Sunnyvale, PAMF Sunnyvale Parking Garage Exhaust Vents Impacts, Sunnyvale City Council
Tagged CEQA EIR LAW, Cynthia Greaves, Gary Luebbers, Gerri Caruso, Hanson Hom Sunnyvale, Hawley Peterson Synder Architects, PAMF, Parking Garage Vents, Sunnyvale City Council, Sunnyvale Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Sutter Health
Sept. 22nd marked a monumental day of outcry for social justice directed at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, a subsidiary of Sutter Health. as it faced not only the Sunnyvale PAMF EIR Appeal Court Hearing, but also dealt with the largest labor action in years as over 20,000 registered nurses went on strike.
Sutter Nurses Strike Sept 22, 2011 Credit Courtesy Community Commons
Nurse Morgan stated “Sutter’s focus is on money,” she said. “The nurses’ focus is on patients. Even though Sutter says they are in the business for patients, their actions speak louder than words.”
The president of the largest labor federation in the nation joined striking nurses on a Berkeley picket line. He criticized corporate hospital leaders for what union members say are 200 proposed cutbacks by Sutter Health in employee benefits and patient services.
From the Sunnyvale PAMF perspective, I agree. In my opinion, placing two intense parking garage vents emitting toxic air contaminants known to cause cancer within a few feet of elderly residential homes spoke of insensitivity and a lack of residential and elder respect.
Click Here for the Oakland Tribune “Nurses at Nearly Three Dozen Hospitals in California Hospitals Strike” By Kristin J. Bender 09/22/11
The oral arguments for the Palo Alto Medical Foundation PAMF and City of Sunnyvale City Council Environmental Impact Report EIR Lawsuit were heard this morning in the 6th District Court of Appeal with Associate Justice Patricia Bamattre-Manoukian presiding.
The complaints address the inadequacy of General Plan Discussion for the three Kenny Court Residential Homes to become part of the medical facility, improper traffic and noise baseline , and improper construction mitigation for the nearby residential homes influenced by nearly 2 1/2 years of construction noise that exceeds the City of Sunnyvale Noise Ordinance.
In fact, the initial indicators of a required PAMF EIR, according to John Schwarz, of David J Powers & Associates, in an email, warned Sunnyvale Planners Gerri Caruso and Trudi Ryan 9/19/08 of “given the proximity of the residential uses, the HIGH construction levels anticipated and the duration of exposure to those levels . . . ”
The purpose of an Environmental Impact Report EIR under the California Environmental Quality Act CEQA is to disclose the impacts to those not involved in the decision-making process as well as mitigate to avoid or significantly lessen the impacts.
Take a look at this plywood fence that Sacramento Attorneys Trainor Fairbrook consider “good enough!” for noise mitigation, egad! Additionally, wouldn’t it be reasonable to include the massive underground structure in the PAMF EIR analysis? It is not.
By Alia Wilson, Sunnyvale Sun Posted 06/29/2011
awilson@community-newspapers.com
As ordered by the Superior Court, the Sunnyvale City Council decertified the Mary Avenue Extension Project environmental impact report and project approval Tuesday night, three years after it was originally approved.
The action followed a lawsuit filed by the Sunnyvale West Neighborhood Association in 2008 that contested the approval and adequacy of the EIR. The project was for a proposed bridge at the north end of Mary Avenue at Almanor Avenue. The bridge to the Moffett Business Park was designed to allegedly mitigate part of the traffic effects of the Moffett Towers. Continue reading
Unless you drive or walk by the 301 Old San Francisco Road Sunnyvale Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) excavation site and physically observe the aggressive shoring currently proceeding forward, despite the CEQA PAMF EIR litigation Appeal, one would never grasp the intensity and scope of the project.
Per the PAMF Respondent CEQA Appeal Brief by Trainor Fairbrook dated April 22, 2011, the site is described “The PAMF’s medical campus is separated from other residences by a large parking lot . . . ” conveying an image or perception of vast “buffered” space between the PAMF site and adjacent Single Family Low Density Residential Homes.
Just look how close this giant excavator is digging furiously immediately behind this Sunnyvale Jarvis Court Home. The excavation or Shoring Systems will be two levels below grade (25 feet) at the 301 Old San Francisco Sunnyvale PAMF site, just 10 feet from the adjacent residential lot line observed in the photo.
Jarvis Court PAMF Backyard Excavation Exceeds Sunnyvale Noise Ordinance
Neighbors have stated that the vibration feels like continuous earthquakes. The walls shake, they fear damage and items falling from their walls while nerves remain shaken.
Sunnyvale PAMF Construction Jarvis Court Adjacent to Neighbor Residences Exceeds City Noise Ordinance
The PAMF DEIR/FEIR was required by CEQA to explore mitigation measures to reduce the loud noise to a level compliant with the City of Sunnyvale Noise Ordinance.
In fact, the initial indicators, according to John Schwarz, of David J Powers & Associates, warned Sunnyvale Planners Gerri Caruso and Trudi Ryan 9/19/08 writing “given the proximity of the residential uses, the HIGH construction levels anticipated and the duration of exposure to those levels . . . do not give it to Camino until we have a chance to discuss it.”
According to the PAMF DEIR Noise Impact Analysis, page 89, the Demolition and Site Preparation Noise Levels will reach 75 at Jarvis Court and 70 at Bayview which exceeds acceptable standards, according to the City of Sunnyvale Noise Ordinance.
The PAMF project construction noise is estimated to be two and ½ years at an estimated project cost of $120M or $190M (PAMF versus the City of Sunnyvale estimates).
The SUNNYVALE WEST NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION v. CITY OF SUNNYVALE CITY COUNCIL Certified for Publication Decision is significant and historic. A big win not only for the Mary Avenue Extension Project (MAEP) residents living nearby, but for all communities in California affected by projects requiring an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) in compliance with the California Quality Environmental Act (CEQA) law and policy.
The Published Decision is so significant, in fact, seeming to rattle the systems of massive agencies, such as The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) as they led, with an additional 15+ other public agencies and private industry groups, in filing a multitude of Briefs to the Supreme Court with Requests for Depublication this past February.
The VTA’s et al Request to Depublish the SUNNYVALE WEST NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION v. CITY OF SUNNYVALE CITY COUNCIL was denied by The Supreme Court yesterday, April 27, 2011. The case is now closed. Continue reading
The City of Sunnyvale has been charged close to a whopping $1.3M to date for the failed Mary Avenue Extension Project (MAEP) with additional expenses to De-Publish Precedent Opinion climbing and still yet unknown.
Filed and Published December 16, 2010, the 6th Appellate Court ruled against the City of Sunnyvale Council’s approval of the proposed Mary Avenue Extension Project and its Certification of the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR).
The Appellate Court found the City of Sunnyvale’s usage of year 2020 hypothetical traffic “baseline” to be legally deficient. The FEIR did not consider the project’s traffic and related impacts on the existing environment and “constituted a failure to proceed in the manner required by law.” Continue reading
The City of Sunnyvale has permitted The Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) Project to begin demotion and excavation despite the current CEQA litigation.
PAMF Giant Pit 301 Old San Francisco Road, Sunnyvale
Click here for the PAMF building webcam activity.
This surprising approval seemingly contradicts the first indicator that the PAMF Rebuild Project, located at 301 Old San Francisco Road, required an Environmental Impact Report (EIR), according to CEQA, due to the intense construction noise impacts occurring from demolition and excavation that would exceed The City of Sunnyvale Noise Ordinance for an extended amount of time.
On 9/19/08 John Schwarz, of David J Powers & Associates, forwarded the draft environmental noise report from Illingworth & Rodkin to Sunnyvale Planners Gerri Caruso and Trudi Ryan warning “given the proximity of the residential uses, the HIGH construction levels anticipated and the duration of exposure to those levels . . . do not give it to Camino until we have a chance to discuss it.” Continue reading
The Sunnyvale Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF), a Subsidiary of Sutter Health, has demolished the former 301 Old San Francisco Road Building and is preparing the site despite the PAMF Environmental Impact Report (PAMF EIR) CEQA Litigation.
Click here for the PAMF building webcam activity.
PAMF Plywood Fence Noise Barrier. Will this be Adequate?
Note the 8′ plywood fence noise barrier. According to the PAMF DEIR, the purpose is to shield adjacent residences from MAJOR noise generating phases of demolition and construction to reach 75dBA on Jarvis Court, exceeding The City of Sunnyvale Noise Ordinance. Continue reading
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