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CC 10-17-2023 Item No. 8 Balackberry Farm Golf Course Feasability Study_Written Communications (2)CC 10-17-2023 Item #8 Blackberry Farm Golf Course Feasibility Study Written Communications From:Lowenthal Admin To:Hung Wei Cc:Pamela Wu; Kirsten Squarcia Subject:Item 8: Keep golf at Blackberry Farm Date:Tuesday, October 17, 2023 1:38:31 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Dear Mayor Wei, I’m writing to urge you to continue to provide golf for our residents at Blackberry Farm. We need more things to do in Cupertino, not fewer. Blackberry Farm golf is especially popular with kids and seniors and I’m hoping that you’ll agree that the best use of City land is to provide services to residents. We have plenty of open space areas now, including right next door at McClellan Ranch and the Stevens Creek riparian areas. Please keep providing lots of recreational alternatives for our diverse interests. We appreciate having choices for recreation in Cupertino. It seems like you’ve got two good staff recommendations, either to make some minimal repairs and continue to have Parks and Rec operate the golf course, or lease the property to someone who will continue to provide golfing opportunities but at a profit to the City. Personally I prefer the lease option, but either option is much better that eliminating our popular golf course. Thanks for reading, Richard Lowenthal From:Shiao-ping Lu To:City Council; City Clerk; Cupertino City Manager"s Office Cc:Shiao-ping Lu Subject:Agenda item #8 Blackberry Farm Golf Course Date:Tuesday, October 17, 2023 1:41:58 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Dear Mayor, Council members, and city staff, As a frequent senior golf player at the Blackberry farm, I fully support keeping the golf course, and improving the irrigation system. The golf course not only is the best compared to all neighboring cities for seniors, families, youths and varsity teams training/competition, it is also a sanctuary for many birds. We're all aware of the drought and its impact on our community. An improved irrigation system would reduce the overall water usage by at least 20% (according to surveys by many golf courses around the country), with better coverage to keep the course green. Thank you for your thoughtful consideration to keep the golf course ! Best regards Shiao-ping Lu From:Rhoda Fry To:City Council; City Clerk Subject:Cupertino City Council October 17 Agenda Item #8 Blackberry Farm Golf Course Date:Tuesday, October 17, 2023 3:27:52 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Cupertino City Council October 17 Agenda Item #8 Blackberry Farm Golf Course Dear City Council, Around 2000, the City published an MND, Mitigated Negative Declaration, in which the watering system at Blackberry Farm would be replaced. It hasn’t happened yet. It also stipulated that there would be no night-time lighting because it was adjacent to a wildlife corridor. Since then, as outlined in the Staff Report, there have been various re-imaginings of the Golf Course are for other uses. We’ve come full circle, keep the Golf Course. If we added up the cost of all of those studies, how much of that new watering system could we have paid for??? One thing that the public has been unanimous about is having the Golf Course be a low- key amenity. Yet the Staff Report suggests further study which was NOT part of COUNCIL DIRECTION. - - - Staff report below - - - my comments in BOLD If Council gives direction to keep the golf course, Staff will pursue with some investigations: a. Minimal Repairs: scope and costs YES b. Operational improvements that improve revenue generation JUST RAISE FEES by a buck and call it a day c. Golf Course Enhancements that improve the course and perhaps reduce the footprint NO d. Explore Lease Options with outside vendors to reduce costs and increase City revenues NO STOP THE ENDLESS STUDIES. REPAIR THE WATERING SYSTEM. PLEASE ALSO CONSIDER REDUCING IRRIGATION IN NON-ESSENTIAL GOLF AREAS to SAVE WATER and INCREASE NATURAL HABITAT We don’t need enhancements. This would reduce the charm and affordability of the golf course. And by all means, no night-time lighting per the MND to protect adjacent wildlife. Sincerely, Rhoda Fry, 40-year resident From:Connie Cunningham To:City Council; Cupertino City Manager"s Office Cc:City Clerk Subject:Action Calendar Agenda Item 8, Blackberry Golf course Feasibility Study Date:Tuesday, October 17, 2023 3:34:55 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Dear Mayor Wei, Vice-Mayor Mohan, and Councilmembers: My name is Connie L Cunningham, resident of Cupertino , and Housing Commissioner (self only) Subject: Agenda Item 8. Subject: Blackberry Farm (BBF) Golf Course Feasibility Study, considering options to complete minimal repairs and improvements to the BBF Golf Course (Option 1) or convert BBF Golf Course to a Natural Habitat (Option 3). Over several months in late 2022 and the early part of 2023, I advocated at many City Council meetings and other community gatherings, along with many other residents, for converting the BBF Golf Course to a Natural Habitat. I am deeply saddened that the result of the hours of documentation of Climate Change in the world and, especially, the huge impact that cities can have on the improvement of air quality, water quality, ecosystem repair, and sustaining wildlife (like the Steelhead Trout in and along Stevens Creek) was not interpreted by City Staff as I interpret it. Research supports, and I agree, that the City has a compelling reason, in a clear directive from the community, to dismantle an established public facility that is strongly supported by a significant segment of the community. It is a hard choice. However, the future is not just knocking on our door. The future is slamming its entire weight against our door. Cupertino has a real possibility to meet the future with greater force—and win. At the minimum, I hope the City Council takes the following steps if it approves this Agenda Item as written. 1. Investigate golf course and facility improvements that may further reduce water use, and add opportunities to increase natural habitat. Of particular note are the possibilities for butterfly meadows, bird and other wild critter habitat, in the existing dry ponds and other locations on the course. 2. I recommend that City NOT explore the leasing the golf course to an outside vendor to further reduce expenditures and increase City revenues. 1. In reviews offered by residents in this review process, the City has found that it is difficult to properly maintain the golf course with appropriate non-toxic methods, control critters without toxins, and to properly keep toxins used from running into Stevens Creek. 2. In my long experience with the federal government, I can state that cutting costs by giving the job to someone else is not always effective, partly because the chain of command is lengthened. Cutting costs can lead to cutting work—especially safety standards. I urge the Council to not approve this Option 1 for Blackberry Farm. Too much work has been done by City Staff and by residents participating in the process, to keep the golf course of the past. Step into the future and fight Climate Change. Sincerely, Connie L. Cunningham