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SUNNYVALE, Calif. (KTVU) - A fight is underway in Sunnyvale to save apricot trees in one of the last remaining orchards in Silicon Valley. The orchard sits behind the Sunnyvale Community Center. The historical museum next door wants to expand and that could result in cutting down trees.
Not so long ago, Silicon Valley was known as the Valley of the Heart’s Delight for its orchards. Community members want to preserve the agricultural history. The museum has other plans and wants to preserve the city's technological roots.
Charlie Olson marvels at the fruits of his labor Blenheim apricots which will soon to be ripe in two weeks. He claims they're the most favorable in Silicon Valley.
“They are the best,” said Olson. “You are always going to have a debate but they are very good.”
The 84-year-old has been in the farming business for 70 years in Sunnyvale. He now manages an apricot orchard owned by the city. It’s one of the last working farms in Silicon Valley home to 10 acres of apricot trees.
“At one point in time they used to produce 25,000 tons of dried apricots in the Valley,” said Olson.
“This is icon of Sunnyvale,” said Rich Surprenant of Santa Clara. “It represents Sunnyvale in so many different ways.”
At City Hall, there was a fight to save apricot trees before the city's Parks and Recreations Commission Wednesday night. The historical museum next door wants to take a bite of the orchard.
“We’ve always been an agricultural history of course for many decades but we have now been a technology center for five decades,” said Laura Babcock of the Heritage Park Museum.
The proposal is to extend the back of the museum 1,600 square feet into the orchard to build a research library and exhibit highlighting Sunnyvale’s tech defense industry, notably the Blue Cube facility.
The addition would require the removal of up to 10 apricot trees.
“This is a very minute number of trees,” said Babcock. “There is plenty of space in the orchard of removing some tents and open items where double that amount of trees can be replanted.”
Orchard supporters said the farm needs all the trees and equipment and replanting new trees takes years and money. They fear more trees could be cut down later on.
“You tear down a tree today, tear down a few tomorrow,” said Surprenant. “Then what’s going to happen is this farm is not going to be operational.”
For Olson, the farm is a living heritage treasure that can't be replaced.
“Young people would never know what a good apricot tastes like, it's that simple,” said Olson.
In the end, the Parks and Recreation Commission recommended to not the extend the museum into the orchard. However, the fight isn't over. The issue will now go before the Sunnyvale city council who will make the final decision.