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CC 04-03-2024 Item No. 9 Memorial Park_Written Communications_2CC 04-03-2024 Item #9 Memorial Park Specific Plan Design Written Communications From:Rhoda Fry To:City Clerk; City Council Subject:city council meeting 4/3/2024 Memorial Park #9 Date:Wednesday, April 3, 2024 3:57:53 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. Regarding city council meeting 4/3/2024 Memorial Park #9 How much money did we spend on this proposal? The proposed cost is outrageous. $87M??? And we haven’t even started work on Jollyman Park yet, which was supposed to have started last fall – what happened? (and in hindsight would we have been better off money-wise with rainbow bridge?) Memorial Park is functional now. Please wait until we know what the status is of the CDTFA audit - - - do we or do we not owe the State $80M? And we’ve seen charts of a structural deficit going 10 years out – what happens at year 11 and beyond? The community is being asked to give up all sorts of things because the City is unable to increase its sales-tax-base – we don’t need another vanity project. And we need to fix our infrastructure that is broken rather than start more new projects. I thought we had seismic issues at City Hall that have been in need of repair since 2005. Is that not true anymore? Let’s get our priorities straight. For now, please do nothing with this project. Thanks, Rhoda Fry Virus-free.www.avg.com From:Barry Whall To:City Clerk Subject:Input for the 4/3/24 City Council Meeting Date:Wednesday, April 3, 2024 3:43:37 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, Was hoping to attend the meeting tonight, but we will likely still be awaiting discharge by the time of the meeting so not able to attend. Do want offer a note regarding item #9, the Memorial Park Specific Plan, on the agenda tonight. Specifically, the plans for pickleball courts near the residential homes next to the park. We are one of the residents on Congress place. I am torn on the pickleball question. I have played a few times with friends and enjoyed it and plan to play more now that I am retired. I have even walked to the courts in memorial park rackets in hand and left because the line was so long. Our house backs up to Memorial Park (10115 Congress Place) on the far side from the tennis courts, facing the Gazebo. At night we can hear the pickleball noise from the current courts, but it is pretty faint so not an issue. But as we walk around and get closer to the courts it is pretty loud. I have not walked off the distance from our house to the proposed courts, but the folks close to the proposed site will get the noise for sure. We back-up to the park and some of the events get a bit loud, but that is only for a few hours on about a dozen weekends and a dozen Thursday nights a year. So having the park with events and some noise is a fine trade-off. The issue with pickleball for the folks who live near the courts is that they get noise, both from the ball and the players. Assuming folks play from 8am to 10pm anytime the weather is good that is 14 hours a day 7 days a week any time it is not raining. Quick math indicates that is around 30,000 hours a year of noise. I think that is too much to ask of homeowners for a community benefit. My suggestion would be for the city to reach agreement on an acceptable distance between the public courts and housing to manage court placement. I googled the question as preparation for our talk and saw estimates of 1000 feet. I would err on the side of a longer distance, even well beyond 1000-feet, given that we are asking folks to tolerate it as a constant noise irritant and not an occasional issue. Can we use the current set-up in the park as a testing area for placing a few markers at 500 feet, 1000 feet, 1500 feet, and 2000 feet for people to experience the exact distances. Also, not sure if other cities have found non-ugly fencing or plantings to help mitigate the noise. Might help. Not sure if placing courts parallel to Steven Creek near the sidewalk is an option vs along Anton Way, that would open some distance to the houses. Not great for the Senior Center, but that is not a residential building so less of a burden. Seems like the city has a decent amount of room between Anton Way and the patch of trees near the Senior Center. Given that once the courts are built, we will not likely change course, would suggest waiting to close out the plan until any open questions are addressed. Assume whatever plan we develop for Memorial Park can apply to other requests in Cupertino. So net/net I am in favor of adding courts with a long distance and good sound proofing to residential housing, erring on the side of having a good deal of extra distance given they will get used 14 hours a day (or 10 to 12 hours w/o lights). Also saw as a part of the proposal to allow parking on Anton Way. Currently that street is too narrow for traffic when vehicles are parked. Hopefully not planning to pave more of the park for parking with De Anza collage parking right across the street and Mary Avenue typically not full. -Barry Whall and Carol Ozaki From:Skyler Berry To:City Clerk Subject:Opposition to Proposed Pickleball Courts in Memorial Park Date:Wednesday, April 3, 2024 2:38:25 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 Cupertino City Council/City Clerk, I am writing to you as the grandson of a concerned resident who lives across the street from Memorial Park. My grandmother has recently brought to my attention the proposed plan to install pickleball courts and parking along Anton Way in the park. As someone who hopes to one day inherit my grandmother's home and continue to be a part of this wonderful community, I must express my strong opposition to this proposal. The installation of pickleball courts in such close proximity to residential homes would create a significant amount of noise pollution, with studies showing that the high-decibel, persistent noise generated by pickleball can reach up to 85 decibels, which is comparable to the noise levels of leaf blowers or power tools. This level of noise would not only be a nuisance to nearby residents but could also pose serious health risks, particularly to older individuals like my grandmother. Moreover, the increased traffic and congestion brought about by the pickleball courts would further diminish the quality of life for those living in the area. As a young person who values the importance of green spaces and natural environments, I am deeply concerned about the potential removal of greenery and its replacement with concrete courts. The City of Cupertino has invested significant resources in recent years to enhance the natural beauty of Memorial Park, creating a space where people can relax, study, and enjoy the outdoors. It would be a shame to see this progress undone, especially when the city's own surveys have shown that the majority of residents want the park to remain a place of nature, with a focus on trails and natural open spaces. Furthermore, I believe that the city should prioritize the utilization of existing resources, such as the pickleball courts already present within Memorial Park and the underutilized tennis courts that could be repurposed for pickleball, before considering the construction of new courts. The Cupertino Sports Center also offers both tennis and pickleball facilities, which could be better promoted to meet the demand for these sports without infringing upon the peace and well-being of nearby residents. As a future homeowner and taxpayer in Cupertino, I urge the City Council to reject this proposal and instead focus on maintaining and enhancing the natural beauty of Memorial Park. By preserving this green space and prioritizing the wishes of the community, you will be ensuring that Cupertino remains a desirable place to live for generations to come. Thank you for your consideration of this important matter. Sincerely, Skyler Berry Concerned Future Resident of Cupertino From:Rajvi Shah To:City Clerk; Hung Wei; Sheila Mohan; J.R. Fruen; Liang Chao; Kitty Moore; Rachelle Sander Subject:Memorial Park Redevelopment Plan and Pickle Ball Court Placements Date:Wednesday, April 3, 2024 1:43:12 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. Hello all, I am a resident of Commons of Cupertino and writing to put on record my serious concerns about the several elements of the Memorial Park Specific Plan Design and the lack of community outreach to the residents that are directly impacted as a result of this plan. As part of the final plan, there is a proposal to relocate 8 Pickleball courts and new parking stalls parallel to the Anton Drive. Here are some of our concerns - (1) An extremely high noise level from Pickle Ball courts that may directly impact the residents of Commons of Cupertino for almost 14 hours a day, 7 days a week. (2) Traffic congestion at Anton Dr - This is an already narrow street without any side walks. Installing more parking stalls and creating more traffic flow where the street barely allows for a two way traffic creates significant risks of traffic accidents. (3) We understand the popularity of Pickleball and need for the courts - there can be a better location for the court within the park. Court alignment parallel to the Stevens Creek Blvd - and away from any residences would be a better design. There has been no outreach from the city with respect to the relocation of the Pickleball court to the residents who will be directly impacted by these courts. Please reconsider the MPSP design as proposed. This will negatively impact daily quality of life of residents of our neighborhood. Regards, Rajvi Shah Resident - 10125 Congress Pl, Cupertino CA From:Avinash Padmanabhan To:City Council; Pamela Wu; Matt Morley Subject:NO on Memorial Park updates Date:Wednesday, April 3, 2024 6:30:49 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. Hi, I am writing in to voice my opposition to the use of city funds to the tune of $84 million for Memorial Park upgrades. The city is already running a deficit and it would not be prudent to spend this much amount for the park. And to top it off, there are plans to reduce the tree cover which is ill advised Best, Avinash Padmanabhan From:Amit Barave To:City Council; Pamela Wu; Matt Morley; City Clerk Subject:Concerns around Memorial Park renovation spend Date:Tuesday, April 2, 2024 6:04:09 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. Respected Office bearers, I am writing as a grateful Cupertino resident who loves the city and respects the effort and consideration city council members and staff put in. I got to know about Memorial Park renovation agenda item from a post on Nextdoor and immediately got concerned and thought of sharing those with you all. While a face-lift to memorial park will be amazing, the spend projected in the document totalks up to $84M. Should we be signing up to spend such an amount while the city may be staring at a debt? Not too long ago, there was a proposal to re-purpose CSC (sports center) since the city might be short of funds; there are active concerns within the residents on school closures or lack of funds for schools. We should be able to provide a face lift to the memorial park with a much smaller spend based on what has been done to some of the other parks. If we are going to spend such an amount can we first put in place some guardrails so we won't go back to putting CSC in jeopardy or cut school funding or support moves that result in public school closures while private schools pop up? Thank you for your kind consideration. Best regards, Amit Barave From:Caryl Gorska To:Sheila Mohan; Hung Wei; Kitty Moore; Liang Chao; J.R. Fruen Cc:City Clerk; City Attorney"s Office Subject:No pickleball courts in Memorial Park! Date:Wednesday, April 3, 2024 1:27:29 PM Dear Mayor Mohan and esteemed City Council members, I live in the Commons of Cupertino, a community of 60 homes bordered on two sides by Memorial Park. I understand you are planning to put eight pickleball courts directly across the street from us. Please don’t do it. Pickleball courts have no business being near people’s homes. If you google "pickleball noise" you get a deluge of articles, like this one from the NY Times: Shattered Nerves, Sleepless Nights: Pickleball Noise Is Driving Everyone Nuts The incessant pop-pop-pop of the fast-growing sport has brought on a nationwide scourge of unneighborly clashes, petitions, calls to the police and lawsuits, with no solution in sight. 1. Pickeball is LOUD. In fact, within a 100-foot radius the volume is 70 db, against Cupertino law: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/cupertino/latest/cupertino_ca/0-0-0-85999 ) Land Use at Point of Origin Maximum Noise Level at Complaint Site of Receiving Property Nighttime Daytime Residential 50 dBA 60 dBA Nonresidential 55 dBA 65 dBA *Frequent pickleball sounds are typically about 70 dBa at about 100 feet away from the strike of the ball. Residents in homes located in a quiet residential area, that are within 100 feet from pickleball courts areused to noise levels of 40 dBa, therefore the level of pickleball noise is 30 decibels louder. And, remember,each time you increase a sound level by 10 decibels, it will sound twice as loud. So, an increase of 30decibels is (10dB+10dB+10dB) or 2x as loud x 2x as loud x 2x as loud, or 8 times as loud. That’s asignificant increase in loudness. https://crazypickleballlady.com/2021/07/13/the-sound-of-pickleball-a-detailed- explanation-and-what-you-need-to-consider-before-building-courts/ 2. But it’s not just the volume. It’s the pitch. Professor Kausik Sarkar at George Washington University, who studies complex sonic problems,says,""Most of the noise made by hitting a tennis ball is in the low frequencies, below the zone towhich we are most sensitive. A pickleball strike has a higher pitch, meaning our ears catch moreof the noise it makes. It’s that higher frequency that makes the clamor of pickleball clearer fromfarther away compared to tennis.” https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/verify/pickleball-neighborhood-noise-science-behind-the-sound/65-ba57280d-a46f-4de3-b51d-f6e630192f7c "We're not equally sensitive to all frequencies, so we have a very nonlinear frequency response,"said American University audio technology professor Braxton Boren. Put simply, our ears arereally good at picking up mid-frequency noises, even when they’re relatively quiet. “A certainamount of sound pressure at those frequencies will actually sound louder than the same amountof sound pressure at a very low frequency or at a very high frequency," Boren said.https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/verify/pickleball-neighborhood-noise-science-behind-the-sound/65-ba57280d-a46f-4de3-b51d-f6e630192f7c 3. And the irregularity of the sound. Like dripping water. Some sounds are scientifically more annoying, like dripping water compared to flowing water. It’sthe irregularity of the sound. (same source as #2). 4. And it will be like this Al. Day. Long (and as late as 10 pm?) for our residents I don’t see how you won’t be sued about this because we have children, families, people who work from home, and quiet retirees living at The Commons who won’t have any peace to live. Pickleball courts tend to be in constant use. perpetual pickleball pops constant repetitive (but irregular) noise the clatter is clearer from far away 5. And we can afford this, but not Shakespeare in the Park? And a complete overhaul of Memorial Park nobody asked for that will cost tens of $millions when we just are now getting to enjoy our grass? Your priorities and financial prudence are what seem in need of an overhaul. Caryl Gorska 10103 Senate Way From: Carol So <carolso.lsv@gmail.com> Sent: Wednesday, April 3, 2024 3:18 PM To: Carol So <carolso.lsv@gmail.com> Subject: Fwd: Save Memorial Park 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 All, I'm sure you have already received many emails from our neighbors about not installing new pickleball courts. I have recorded some footage for you to experience our concerns. Please help to save our memorial park by not building any pickleball courts in it. https://youtu.be/5IUGQNPXrP0 -- Blessings, Carol So Freedom Drive, Cupertino From: Michael Hsu <michael.ta.hsu@gmail.com> Sent: Wednesday, April 3, 2024 3:22 PM To: Susan Michael <susanm@cupertino.org> Subject: Program Manager Susan Michael | Cupertino City Council Meeting April 3, 2024 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 Susan, I have a lot of respect and appreciation for you and your team - it's not easy making decisions knowing not everyone can be happy. Yesterday, out of curiosity, I put myself in the shoes of someone who lives next to these pickleball courts. I stood outside at 10:30am - Very Loud. Walked 30 ft away - Loud. Walked 60 ft away - Clearly Audible. Walked 90 ft away - Finally Silence. (video of start of walk, video of full walk, map of walk attached). I respectfully request that we all stay curious. Imagine ourselves in their shoes. Better yet, go, and experience it. Sit there, and listen. Imagine being at home, forced to listen to that sound every day from morning till 10pm. How would you feel, and how would you vote? Thank you, Michael Hsu 21125 Freedom Dr. Cupertino, CA 95014 408.896.3393 From:Kitty Moore To:City Clerk; Pamela Wu Subject:April 3, 2024 Agenda Item 9 Written Communications and Questions Date:Wednesday, April 3, 2024 4:11:46 PM Dear City Clerk and City Manager, Good afternoon, the following is for agenda item 9: The Memorial Park Specific Plan Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment by Cornerstone Earth Group in Appendix E indicates there was a business with a name which sounded like an historic cleaners at 21269 Stevens Creek Blvd. which first shows up as “Oaks Hygena Dry Clg.” in 1985, then “Astoria Cleaners” in 1992, 1995, and 2000. This would be the location of the current Westport project. The Westport DEIR did not appear to reference this business or show the businesses at each address which the Cornerstone Earth Group assessment did include (se PDF 743/1277 through PDF 756/1277). This could of course have been a laundromat or some other business. Questions: 1. Was there an historic dry cleaners at 21269 Stevens Creek Blvd.? 2. I noticed some soil borings from about 9-10 years ago were included in the “Limited Site Characterization” of the Oaks site: https://www.cupertino.org/home/showpublisheddocument/25500/637085631433500000 3. Was soil vapor testing conducted near this location, or deemed unnecessary? 4. What is the potential impact, if any, to Memorial Park? Thank you, Kitty Moore Kitty Moore​​​​ Councilmember City Council KMoore@cupertino.gov (408) 777-1389