Sunnyvale

Sunnyvale is a rural, sparsely populated, affluent town in Dallas County, Texas, United States. It is the easternmost city completely within Dallas County. The population was 5,130 at the 2010 census. The town now called Sunnyvale was inhabited by various Native American tribes in the years before the European conquest of the Americas. It became under the rule of Spain in the 18th century, very close to the boundary of Spanish and French territory (although this boundary was carried upward a bit in 1819; see Adams-Onís Treaty.) During this time, the area was relatively underdeveloped. However, some settlers migrated to Texas and would eventually settle in Sunnyvale. In 1821, the town became a possession of Mexico when Mexico received its independence from Spain. After the Texas Revolution, the area once again changed hands, under the Republic of Texas. This is when the town started to develop. During this time, settlers migrated to present-day Sunnyvale, naming the hamlet they founded Long Creek. In 1845 Texas became a United States state. More settlers migrated to the area. In the 1860s, the town was briefly part of the Confederate States of America. As more people arrived, eventually three new towns sprang up in the area: New Hope, Tripp, and Hatterville. New Hope was the most prosperous of these. It had many shops and stores, a fair called Gala Days, and a newspaper, the New Hope News. It was neighboring Mesquite's biggest rival. This all ended in 1921, when a storm blew the town away 2. Many buildings were damaged and the prosperous days were over. From this year on to the 1950s, the four towns had no new developments, remaining stagnant. In the year 1953, the hamlets of Hatterville, New Hope, Long Creek, and Tripp merged under the name Sunnyvale. The name was chosen in a contest from a local school. Today, there are many reminders of Sunnyvale's rich history, like the old New Hope School; the Tripp First Baptist Church, built in 1882; and many antique houses. The Long Creek Cemetery in southern Sunnyvale is over 150 years old, and the first recorded burial there is that of Leona Crownover Caldwell, dated October 2, 1855. There are also veterans from most major American wars, including the War of 1812, the Civil War (both Union and Confederate veterans), the World Wars, and others. Some of the oldest burials in the cemetery include James Truss and Priscilla Dulaney Truss, both born in 1799.

The town council includes four members and the mayor. As of May 2011, Jim Phaup is the mayor of Sunnyvale. As of the same year the council members are Mayor Pro-Tem Karen Hill, Paula Yates, Pat Wiley, Ronnie Henderson, and Saji George. In 2000 a U.S. district court ruled that Sunnyvale had enacted discriminatory planning and zoning practices that were in place to exclude the development of apartments and small single family lots. Sunnyvale and the Inclusive Communities Project (ICP) entered into an agreement in which Sunnyvale was given three years to identify 70 housing units favorable for purchase or rent by low income individuals and families. Since 2008, three developers have considered low income developments in Sunnyvale, but no applications have been filed with the Town. ICP filed a lawsuit against Sunnyvale in 2009, seeking the development of low income units at a site in Sunnyvale. Sunnyvale's government responded, saying that it had taken appropriate steps to approve the creation of low income housing. As of 2009 Sunnyvale has no Section 8 residents and no apartment units. “The Town of Sunnyvale received an order from Honorable Judge Reed O’Connor regarding the Dews vs Town of Sunnyvale case, finding the Town in contempt of court for its failure to implement the Settlement Stipulation in the case by April 15, 2008. The Town has reviewed, and understands Judge O’Connor’s order, yet is clearly disappointed in the ruling, because the Town believes that it did all that was possible to comply with the settlement under the circumstances. But Judge Reed O'Connor found the Town guilty of contempt of court and the town has to July 15, 2011 to comply and make available 70 low income units that qualifies for section 8 vouchers

source: wikipedia.org