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CC 09-17-2024 Oral_Late CommunicationsCC 09-17-2024 Oral Communications Written Communications From:Rok Sosic To:Luke Connolly; Piu Ghosh (she/her); Pamela Wu; City Council; City Clerk Subject:Urgent Request to Downzone Evulich Ct and Protect Environmental Resources Date:Tuesday, September 17, 2024 10:18:40 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 City Clerk, Please include the below in written communications for items not on agenda for the upcoming city council meeting. Mayor Sheila Mohan Cupertino City Council Members Pamela Wu, City Manager Luke, Planning Director Piu, Senior Planner City of Cupertino 10300 Torre Avenue Cupertino, CA 95014 Dear Mayor Mohan, Council Members, Manager Wu, Director Luke, and Senior Planner Piu, I am writing to express my strong concerns regarding the proposed high-density development on Evulich Ct and to respectfully urge the city to downzone this site to R1. The current designation for high-density housing is not only incompatible with the surrounding residential character, but it also threatens nearby environmental resources and disrupts local ecosystems. Cupertino has the flexibility within its Housing and Community Development (HCD) framework to meet its housing goals without sacrificing the natural and community assets around Evulich Ct. The area surrounding Evulich Ct is ecologically sensitive, with Blackberry Farm, Stevens Creek, Stevens Creek County Park, and a well-established wildlife corridor located in close proximity. The environmental and infrastructural strain from developing 51 townhomes on a 2.48-acre hillside plot would negatively affect these critical green spaces. The Housing Element Site Inventory Guidebook emphasizes the importance of preserving environmental integrity when planning housing developments, particularly in areas with fragile ecosystems​. Evulich Ct, with its adjacency to these natural resources, should be protected, not overburdened. An environmental protection overlay would provide the necessary framework to preserve these vital ecological and recreational areas. By applying this overlay, the city can enforce regulations that limit dense development, protect sensitive wildlife corridors, and ensure that critical habitats are not disrupted. Stevens Creek and Stevens Creek County Park are home to a variety of wildlife, and the corridor is essential for maintaining biodiversity in the region. High-density development in this area could block these natural migration pathways and lead to habitat loss, disrupting local ecosystems that rely on the interconnectedness of these spaces. Furthermore, the area’s existing infrastructure is not designed to support high-density development. The roads leading to Evulich Ct are narrow and unimproved, and the area lacks sufficient water, sewer, and utility capacity to accommodate such an influx of residents​. Additionally, increased traffic and parking demands will degrade the experience for visitors to Blackberry Farm and Stevens Creek County Park, which are key recreational areas for Cupertino residents. As outlined in the Guidebook, environmental impacts, particularly on public green spaces and natural resources, should be carefully weighed before approving any significant changes in land use​. Cupertino also has alternatives for meeting its housing obligations without disrupting the ecological balance of the Evulich Ct area. The HCD’s provisions allow the city to redistribute housing density to other more suitable areas that have better infrastructure and fewer environmental sensitivities. The city can leverage its available buffer units within the Housing Element and transfer the required density away from this environmentally delicate area. This approach ensures Cupertino meets its housing obligations while protecting critical green spaces, natural resources, and wildlife. In alignment with these concerns, I urge the city to take the following actions: Downzone Evulich Ct to R1: This step will maintain compatibility with the surrounding single-family homes, protect local infrastructure, and prevent environmental degradation. Apply an Environmental Protection Overlay: This overlay will safeguard the adjacent wildlife corridor, Stevens Creek, Stevens Creek County Park, and Blackberry Farm, ensuring that dense development does not disrupt these ecosystems and recreational spaces. Utilize Buffer Units in the Housing Element: By reallocating the required housing density to buffer units, Cupertino can meet its housing goals without compromising the environmental and community assets of Evulich Ct. Cupertino has long prided itself on thoughtful, sustainable urban planning, and I am confident that the city can find a balanced solution that meets state housing mandates while prioritizing the long-term well-being of its neighborhoods and natural resources. I look forward to your response and to seeing a plan that reflects the values of sustainability and community preservation. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. Sincerely, Rok Sosic Cupertino Resident From:Rok Sosic To:City Council; City Clerk; Pamela Wu; Luke Connolly; Piu Ghosh (she/her) Subject:Urgent Request to Downzone Evulich Ct and Protect Environmental Resources Date:Tuesday, September 17, 2024 10:15:16 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 City Clerk, Please include the below in written communications for items not on the agenda for the upcoming City Council meeting. Dear Mayor Mohan, Council Members, Manager Wu, Director Luke, and Senior Planner Piu, I am writing to express my concerns about the proposed high-density development on Evulich Ct and urge the city to downzone this site to R1. This development threatens local environmental resources, including Stevens Creek, Blackberry Farm, and wildlife corridors. The city's Housing Element allows flexibility to redistribute housing without disrupting these sensitive areas. I urge the city to: 1. Downzone Evulich Ct to R1. 2. Apply an Environmental Protection Overlay to safeguard nearby ecosystems. 3. Utilize buffer units in the Housing Element to relocate housing density. Thank you for considering this matter. Sincerely, Rok Sosic Cupertino Resident From:Avinash Deshpande To:City Council; City Clerk; Pamela Wu; Luke Connolly; Piu Ghosh (she/her) Subject:Urgent Request to Downzone Evulich Ct and Protect Environmental Resources Date:Tuesday, September 17, 2024 7:31:35 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 City Clerk, Please include the below in written communications for items not on the agenda for the upcoming City Council meeting. Dear Mayor Mohan, Council Members, Manager Wu, Director Luke, and Senior Planner Piu, I am writing to express my concerns about the proposed high-density development on Evulich Ct and urge the city to downzone this site to R1. This development threatens local environmental resources, including Stevens Creek, Blackberry Farm, and wildlife corridors. The city's Housing Element allows flexibility to redistribute housing without disrupting these sensitive areas. I urge the city to: 1. Downzone Evulich Ct to R1. 2. Apply an Environmental Protection Overlay to safeguard nearby ecosystems. 3. Utilize buffer units in the Housing Element to relocate housing density. Thank you for considering this matter. Sincerely, Avinash Deshpande Cupertino Resident From:janepan95014@gmail.com To:City Council; City Clerk; Pamela Wu; Luke Connolly; Piu Ghosh (she/her) Subject:Urgent Request to Downzone Evulich Ct and Protect Environmental Resources Date:Tuesday, September 17, 2024 5:52:36 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 City Clerk, Please include the below in written communications for items not on the agenda for the upcoming City Council meeting. Dear Mayor Mohan, Council Members, Manager Wu, Director Luke, and Senior Planner Piu, I am writing to express my concerns about the proposed high-density development on Evulich Ct and urge the city to downzone this site to R1. This development threatens local environmental resources, including Stevens Creek, Blackberry Farm, and wildlife corridors. The city's Housing Element allows flexibility to redistribute housing without disrupting these sensitive areas. I urge the city to: 1. Downzone Evulich Ct to R1. 2. Apply an Environmental Protection Overlay to safeguard nearby ecosystems. 3. Utilize buffer units in the Housing Element to relocate housing density. Thank you for considering this matter. Sincerely, Cupertino Resident Sent from my iPhone From:Lee Pan, 95014 To:City Council; City Clerk; Pamela Wu; Luke Connolly; Piu Ghosh (she/her) Subject:Urgent Request to Downzone Evulich Ct and Protect Environmental Resources Date:Tuesday, September 17, 2024 4:58:07 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 City Clerk, Please include the below in written communications for items not on the agenda for the upcoming City Council meeting. Dear Mayor Mohan, Council Members, Manager Wu, Director Luke, and Senior Planner Piu, I am writing to express my concerns about the proposed high-density development on Evulich Ct and urge the city to downzone this site to R1. This development threatens local environmental resources, including Stevens Creek, Blackberry Farm, and wildlife corridors. The city's Housing Element allows flexibility to redistribute housing without disrupting these sensitive areas. I urge the city to: 1. Downzone Evulich Ct to R1. 2. Apply an Environmental Protection Overlay to safeguard nearby ecosystems. 3. Utilize buffer units in the Housing Element to relocate housing density. Thank you for considering this matter. Sincerely, Cupertino Resident Sent from my iPhone From:Sam K To:City Council; City Clerk; Pamela Wu; Luke Connolly; Piu Ghosh (she/her) Subject:Urgent Request to Downzone Evulich Ct and Protect Environmental Resources Date:Tuesday, September 17, 2024 4:57:24 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 City Clerk, Please include the below in written communications for items not on the agenda for the upcoming City Council meeting. Dear Mayor Mohan, Council Members, Manager Wu, Director Luke, and Senior Planner Piu, I am writing to express my concerns about the proposed high-density development on Evulich Ct and urge the city to downzone this site to R1. This development threatens local environmental resources, including Stevens Creek, Blackberry Farm, and wildlife corridors. The city's Housing Element allows flexibility to redistribute housing without disrupting these sensitive areas. I urge the city to: 1. Downzone Evulich Ct to R1. 2. Apply an Environmental Protection Overlay to safeguard nearby ecosystems. 3. Utilize buffer units in the Housing Element to relocate housing density. Thank you for considering this matter. Sincerely, Cupertino Resident From:Dennis Tsao To:City Council; City Clerk; Pamela Wu; Luke Connolly; Piu Ghosh (she/her) Subject:Urgent Request to Downzone Evulich Ct and Protect Environmental Resources Date:Tuesday, September 17, 2024 4:46:35 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 City Clerk, Please include the below in written communications for items not on the agenda for the upcoming City Council meeting. Dear Mayor Mohan, Council Members, Manager Wu, Director Luke, and Senior Planner Piu, I am writing to express my concerns about the proposed high-density development on Evulich Ct and urge the city to downzone this site to R1. This development threatens local environmental resources, including Stevens Creek, Blackberry Farm, and wildlife corridors. The city's Housing Element allows flexibility to redistribute housing without disrupting these sensitive areas. I urge the city to: 1. Downzone Evulich Ct to R1. 2. Apply an Environmental Protection Overlay to safeguard nearby ecosystems. 3. Utilize buffer units in the Housing Element to relocate housing density. Thank you for considering this matter. Sincerely, Cupertino Resident Dennis Tsao call/text 650-880-3084 From:DerChang Kau To:City Council; City Clerk; Pamela Wu; Luke Connolly; Piu Ghosh (she/her) Subject:Urgent Request to Downzone Evulich Ct and Protect Environmental Resources Date:Tuesday, September 17, 2024 4:43:27 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 City Clerk, Please include the below in written communications for items not on the agenda for the upcoming City Council meeting. Dear Mayor Mohan, Council Members, Manager Wu, Director Luke, and Senior Planner Piu, I am writing to express my concerns about the proposed high-density development on Evulich Ct and urge the city to downzone this site to R1. This development threatens local environmental resources, including Stevens Creek, Blackberry Farm, and wildlife corridors. The city's Housing Element allows flexibility to redistribute housing without disrupting these sensitive areas. I urge the city to: 1. Downzone Evulich Ct to R1. 2. Apply an Environmental Protection Overlay to safeguard nearby ecosystems. 3. Utilize buffer units in the Housing Element to relocate housing density. Thank you for considering this matter. Sincerely, Cupertino Resident /DerChang From:Lloyd McKee To:City Council; City Clerk; ccsto@comcast.net Subject:Used up parking at 10315 Ann Arbor, See photos Date:Tuesday, September 17, 2024 4:28:48 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, City Clerk and City Council Members, The enclosed photos show. 1) Parking all used up at 10315 Ann Arbor 2) The Rivian used to park on Lauretta Drive, now, parks on Ann Arbor. This is common for cars to show up on Lauretta Drive and vice versa. I know this email is after the 4 PM cut to enter into the Record for Item 11 on the agenda. If possible, to enter after the City Council meeting this evening? Thank you, Lloyd McKee 21185 Lauretta Drive Cupertino, CA 95014 From:Jie Tang To:City Council; City Clerk; Pamela Wu; Luke Connolly; Piu Ghosh (she/her) Subject:Urgent Request to Downzone Evulich Ct and Protect Environmental Resources Date:Tuesday, September 17, 2024 4:24:08 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 City Clerk, Please include the below in written communications for items not on the agenda for the upcoming City Council meeting. Dear Mayor Mohan, Council Members, Manager Wu, Director Luke, and Senior Planner Piu, I am writing to express my concerns about the proposed high-density development on Evulich Ct and urge the city to downzone this site to R1. This development threatens local environmental resources, including Stevens Creek, Blackberry Farm, and wildlife corridors. The city's Housing Element allows flexibility to redistribute housing without disrupting these sensitive areas. I urge the city to: 1. Downzone Evulich Ct to R1. 2. Apply an Environmental Protection Overlay to safeguard nearby ecosystems. 3. Utilize buffer units in the Housing Element to relocate housing density. Thank you for considering this matter. Sincerely, Cupertino Resident Jie Tang Sent from my iPhone From:Chris Lynn To:City Council; City Clerk; Pamela Wu; Luke Connolly; Piu Ghosh (she/her) Subject:Urgent Request to Downzone Evulich Ct and Protect Environmental Resources Date:Tuesday, September 17, 2024 4:23:18 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 City Clerk, Please include the below in written communications for items not on the agenda for the upcoming City Council meeting. Dear Mayor Mohan, Council Members, Manager Wu, Director Luke, and Senior Planner Piu, I am writing to express my concerns about the proposed high-density development on Evulich Ct and urge the city to downzone this site to R1. This development threatens local environmental resources, including Stevens Creek, Blackberry Farm, and wildlife corridors. The city's Housing Element allows flexibility to redistribute housing without disrupting these sensitive areas. I urge the city to: 1. Downzone Evulich Ct to R1. 2. Apply an Environmental Protection Overlay to safeguard nearby ecosystems. 3. Utilize buffer units in the Housing Element to relocate housing density. Thank you for considering this matter. Sincerely, Cupertino Resident From:uniquejoe@gmail.com To:City Council; City Clerk; Pamela Wu; Luke Connolly; Piu Ghosh (she/her) Subject:Urgent Request to Downzone Evulich Ct and Protect Environmental Resources Date:Tuesday, September 17, 2024 4:19:24 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 City Clerk, Please include the below in written communications for items not on the agenda for the upcoming City Council meeting. Dear Mayor Mohan, Council Members, Manager Wu, Director Luke, and Senior Planner Piu, I am writing to express my concerns about the proposed high-density development on Evulich Ct and urge the city to downzone this site to R1. This development threatens local environmental resources, including Stevens Creek, Blackberry Farm, and wildlife corridors. The city's Housing Element allows flexibility to redistribute housing without disrupting these sensitive areas. I urge the city to: 1. Downzone Evulich Ct to R1. 2. Apply an Environmental Protection Overlay to safeguard nearby ecosystems. 3. Utilize buffer units in the Housing Element to relocate housing density. Thank you for considering this matter. Sincerely, Jyothsna Cupertino Resident From:Ram Sripathi To:City Council; City Clerk; Pamela Wu; Luke Connolly; Piu Ghosh (she/her) Subject:Urgent Request to Downzone Evulich Ct and Protect Environmental Resources Date:Tuesday, September 17, 2024 4:01:50 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 City Clerk, Please include the below in written communications for items not on the agenda for the upcoming City Council meeting. Dear Mayor Mohan, Council Members, Manager Wu, Director Luke, and Senior Planner Piu, I am writing to express my concerns about the proposed high-density development on Evulich Ct and urge the city to downzone this site to R1. This development threatens local environmental resources, including Stevens Creek, Blackberry Farm, and wildlife corridors. The city's Housing Element allows flexibility to redistribute housing without disrupting these sensitive areas. I urge the city to: 1. Downzone Evulich Ct to R1. 2. Apply an Environmental Protection Overlay to safeguard nearby ecosystems. 3. Utilize buffer units in the Housing Element to relocate housing density. Thank you for considering this matter. Sincerely, Cupertino Resident Sent from my iPhone From:Ram Sripathi To:City Council; City Clerk Subject:Request to Allow Full Oral Public Comments Up Front at City Council Meetings Date:Tuesday, September 17, 2024 4:01:07 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 City Clerk, Please include the below as written communications for items not on the agenda for the 09/17/24 City Council meeting. Dear Mayor Sheila Mohan and Cupertino City Council Members, I am writing to respectfully urge you, Mayor Mohan, to use your discretion to allow all public oral comments to be heard upfront during City Council meetings, without the current limitation of 30 minutes and deferring the remainder to the end of the meeting. Limiting public comments to 30 minutes before pushing the rest to the end of often lengthy sessions creates a significant inconvenience for residents who have taken the time to attend. Many are forced to wait late into the night or, worse, abandon their opportunity to be heard altogether. This practice disproportionately affects working families, seniors, and those with other obligations, sending the message that their input is not as valued as the convenience of the meeting structure. Allowing all oral comments to be made at the start of the meeting fosters transparency, inclusivity, and demonstrates a genuine commitment to hearing the voices of Cupertino's residents. If you choose not to exercise your discretion on this matter, I urge the City Council members to call for a formal vote on this procedure. Let the public see whether each council member prioritizes the convenience of residents or whether they choose to inconvenience those they represent by making them wait until the end of the meeting or give up their opportunity for input altogether. Thank you for considering this request, and I look forward to your decision to better serve the people of Cupertino. Sincerely, Cupertino Resident Sent from my iPhone