CC 02-21-2024 Oral Communications (2)CC 2-21-2024
Written Communications
Oral
Communications
From:Rhoda Fry
To:City Clerk; City Council
Subject:City Council Agenda Item Oral Communications 2/21/24 Vallco Concerns
Date:Wednesday, February 21, 2024 12:59:44 PM
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City Council Agenda Item Oral Communications 2/21/24 Vallco Concerns
Dear City Council,
I have a number of concerns with the Vallco project:
1. The developer is not being community-minded by selecting the antiquated 2016
building codes for the entire project. Building codes are improved every 3 years. Since 2016,
the codes have improved to require better energy-efficiency, zero net energy, solar, no gas,
bird-safe, and enhanced fire codes. This is an environmental issue, a public safety issue, and an
affordability issue. Please have this project use the most up-to-date building codes during each
phase of its construction.
2. The project removes ~700 trees. That’s really bad. Even though trees are being replaced –
they can’t truly be replaced. Please do what you can to prevent the loss of beautiful and
unreplaceable mature trees.
3. Do know, that by reducing the height of some of its buildings to 85 feet, the developer will
be able to take advantage of a new law (SB423) that allows SB35 projects to avoid using
"skilled and trained" workers. That means the developer is not required to hire union labor.
Note also that the plan includes 200-ft high skyscrapers.
4. The project has fewer affordable units and fewer of those units are very affordable - a new
law (SB423) reduces the affordability requirements. Sad.
5. It is shocking that this is an "SB35" projects, because these projects are not allowed to have
hazmat - - - and there are at least 2 open cases for hazmat onsite. I hope that the County will
make sure that the land is cleaned up to avoid health impacts (and I hope that the workers there
have not been affected). I urge the City to support the County in protecting the public’s health.
6. The developer reneged on its promises to our community on Cupertino's Main Street project
(and in multiple other cities). The affordable-housing needs to be built in advance of the more
lucrative aspects of this project. I urge the City hold the developer accountable.
Sincerely,
Rhoda Fry
PS – see images from plan set below
Virus-free.www.avg.com
From:Liang Chao
To:City Clerk
Subject:Fw: Assume Positive Intent, Respect Diversity and Treat Everyone Fairly
Date:Tuesday, February 20, 2024 10:06:05 PM
Please enter this response into the written communication for Feb. 21 Council meeting.
I would like to submit my answers to the resident JB as written communication since other
residents would likely have similar questions as JB and might be making certain false
assumptions because of misunderstanding. So, I hope my answers help clarify things up. I
have used the abbreviation JB and removed his/her email address.
Liang Chao
Councilmember
City Council
LChao@cupertino.gov
408-777-3192
From: Liang Chao <LiangChao@cupertino.org>
Sent: Monday, February 19, 2024 7:33 PM
To: JB
Subject: Re: Cupertino Matters: TONIGHT - Planning Commission, Tues., Feb. 13,2024, 6:45 p.m.;
RECAP - City Council, Tues., Feb. 6, 2024, 6:45 p.m.
Dear JB,
I was planning to attend the State of City Address this year.
But a meeting with a few UC Merced students was rescheduled to Thursday night last
week.
Between attending a meeting, as one of 200 attendees, which I could watch on video
afterwards and attending a meeting to help a few Computer Science students on their
projects, I decided that my time is better spent at the meeting with students.
For me, attending a meeting just for publicity's sake is not a priority; for some others, it
may be. I hope you understand that different councilmembers have different priorities
and respect the diversity on the Council.
As for the City Manager's statement regarding my question at the last meeting on Feb. 6,
I confirmed with her later that the answer she claimed was in the staff report and the fee
allocation report was not even there. And at the same meeting, Councilmember Hung
also asked questions when I knew the answer and in fact had screenshots of the answer
in my notes. But the City Manager did not answer Hung's question with "it's in the staff
report".
I don't have a photographic memory. When I study an agenda item, I often focus on
certain aspects and skim through other aspects. But sometimes based on the comment
from the public or other councilmembers, I might find that I wish to know certain
information later. At a public meeting, whether any answer is in the agenda packet or not
is irrelevant, providing the answers at the public meeting is more important, since the
members of the public won't always read the agenda packet.
Thus, it really does no one any good to argue at a public meeting whether certain
information was already provided in any report earlier.
In order to have a collaborative environment, we need everyone to assume positive
intention and to treat everyone fairly.
I hope that you write your blog with the same mindset too.
Thank you.
Liang
Liang Chao
Councilmember
City Council
LChao@cupertino.gov
408-777-3192
From: JB
Sent: Friday, February 16, 2024 7:01 PM
To: Liang Chao <liangchao@cupertino.org>
Subject: Fwd: Cupertino Matters: TONIGHT - Planning Commission, Tues., Feb. 13,2024, 6:45 p.m.;
RECAP - City Council, Tues., Feb. 6, 2024, 6:45 p.m.
Councilmember Chao,
Missed you at the State of the City event last night. As a member of the public, I expect
council members to support the current mayor and meet the community...there were over 200
attendees, not counting Zoom, YouTube and after-the-fact viewing. That's part of a council
member's job.
In the future, please do your homework in advance of council meetings, and get questions
answered before the meeting starts. Those of us in the council chamber on Feb. 6 did not
appreciate the extra two hours to consider the Consent Calendar items that you pulled.
Unhappy resident,
JB