CC 05-06-2025 Item No. 9 Interim Urgency Ordinance_Written CommunicationsCC 05-06-2025
Item No. 9
Interim Urgency Ordinance
Imposing a Moratorium on
transition of Multi-Family Use
Housing to Student Housing
Written Communications
From:Liana Crabtree
To:City Council
Cc:City Clerk
Subject:OPPOSE: 5/6/2025 Council Meeting, Agenda Item 9: Approval of an Interim Urgency Ordinance Imposing a
Moratorium on the Transition of Multiple-Family Use Housing to Student Housing….
Date:Monday, May 5, 2025 3:58:00 PM
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Please include this letter as part of
the public record for the 5/6/2025 City Council meeting, Agenda Item 9, “Approval of an
Interim Urgency Ordinance Imposing a Moratorium on the Transition of Multiple-Family Use
Housing to Student Housing….”
Honorable Mayor Chao, Vice Mayor Moore, Council Members Fruen, Mohan, and Wang:
With respect, I am writing to request that Council reject Agenda Item 9, “Approval of an
Interim Urgency Ordinance Imposing a Moratorium on the Transition of Multiple-Family Use
Housing to Student Housing….”
The McClellan Terrace apartments were for sale, and the Foothill De Anza Community
College District has taken steps to buy them for renovation and furnishing for use as student
housing. The FHDA Board has committed to offering affordable housing for students at the
renovated McClellan Terrace apartments, the first proposed housing investment for the
College District.
I urge Council Members to consider the possible unintended consequences of opposing the
sale of the McClellan Terrace apartments to the College District through legislation that would
prevent the conversion of multi-family housing to student housing within a half mile of De
Anza College:
+ efforts to provide affordable housing for FHDA students will be delayed. The College
District has been talking about adding student and staff housing for years. The McClellan
Terrace apartments last sold two (2) years ago. It’s reasonable to expect that the today’s sale
has been in negotiations for at least as long as the current owner has held title to the property.
+ if today’s sale falls apart, the owner of the McClellan Terrace apartments has options that
could still result in the eviction of current residents, but at terms that could be much less
accommodating to residents than those offered under today’s sale to the College District.
+ a decision by the City to limit the addition of student housing within a half mile of a college
would likely attract significant local and outside criticism to the City that would be time-
consuming for City officials to address and justify, distracting from Council’s work program
and other priorities.
Community college students, especially those under the age of 25 who live apart from others
over the age of 25, are among those in the State who are most vulnerable to housing insecurity
and homelessness.
It may be that Council Members would have preferred a different first housing development
for the College District. However, under the laws in place at the time the College District
announced its interest in purchasing the McClellan Terrace apartments, the proposed/pending
purchase appears to be legal and solely within the purview of the College District Board.
Individual Council Members who may oppose the sale of the apartments to the College
District are free to lobby the Board with their concerns, as anyone may do.
Sincerely,
Liana Crabtree
Cupertino resident
References
Foothill De Anza Community College, “Student Housing: Quality, Affordable Foothills-De
Anza Student Housing”: https://www.fhda.edu/_about-us/student-housing.html
“Housing Insecurity Among Community College Students Is More Than Double Rate Of UC,
CSU Students, Audit Finds”, LAist by Julia Barajas on 5/8/2024:
https://laist.com/news/education/california-community-colleges-housing-insecurity-
homelessness-legislative-analyst
From:Hamza Zafer
To:City Clerk
Subject:Support for Student Housing Acquisition Near De Anza College
Date:Monday, May 5, 2025 3:23:45 PM
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City Clerk Kirsten Squarcia,
Dear Foothill-De Anza Board of Trustees, Chancellor Lambert, President Torres, and Cupertino
City Council,
I am a Community Member writing to express my strong support for the Foothill-De Anza
Community College District’s student housing proposal to acquire and repurpose existing
homes, so students have somewhere to live near campus. I am very concerned by the
Cupertino City Council's opposition, including a poorly thought out proposed moratorium on
converting existing homes into student housing. The City should be supporting the District in
housing students and faculty, as they are also members of the Cupertino community.
This proposal represents exactly the kind of practical, community-oriented solution we need in
the midst of a worsening housing crisis. It keeps dozens of existing homes near campus on the
market for students and potentially faculty—preventing them from being sold to bad actors or
repurposed into unaffordable rentals. The project also uses Measure G bond funds
responsibly, leaving room for additional housing projects in the future. And it includes a
relocation plan that provides time, assistance, and dignity to the residents who are affected.
Rather than standing in the way, local leaders should be celebrating this effort, rather than
limiting the district's available tools to house its students and faculty. Cupertino’s Housing
Element (especially Strategy HE-7.3.1) calls for close partnerships with educational institutions
like De Anza to expand housing opportunities, and it also details the need to preserve existing
homes for “all populations” which certainly includes students.
This project brings us closer to a future where De Anza is not just a commuter school, but a
vibrant, integrated part of the community—where students can live, learn, and contribute
locally. It’s a step in the right direction, and I hope to see the District continue exploring and
investing in additional housing opportunities moving forward, including building more homes, in
addition to preserving and repurposing existing ones.
Please move forward with this acquisition and show that our region is serious about housing
students with dignity, urgency, and care.
Hamza Zafer
hamza.zafer.04@gmail.com
5165, Betlo
San Jose, California 95130
From:Mithun Vd
To:City Council; City Clerk
Subject:city council 5/6/2025 agenda item #9 vote yes on moratorium
Date:Monday, May 5, 2025 3:23:33 PM
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Mayor Liang Chao
Vice-Mayor Kitty Moore
Members of the Cupertino City Council
Cupertino City Hall
10300 Torre Avenue
Cupertino, CA 95014
Re: city council 5/6/2025 agenda item #9 vote yes on moratorium
The McClellan Terrace Apartment complex is less than half of a mile from grades K-
12 schools. The Foothill-De Anza Community College District wants to buy the
apartment complex for use by community college students.
Not allowing families to live within a half mile of our K-12 schools is bad for our city.
Presently, over 60 K-12 students live in the 94 homes.
There are hardly any comparable apartments available in the school district (rent,
size, 2br/2ba) and the loss of those students also means losing teacher jobs.
K-12 students should be able to walk to school whenever possible. These 94 homes
should not be removed from our City for use by our K-12 students.
This apartment acts as a pipeline to these K-12 schools. Not only the current tenants
but in future this multifamily apartment will have kids feeding into these schools.
The college district should build on campus so that land in Cupertino can be used for
all sorts of housing. Thanks,
Resident
From:Katia Bravo
To:City Clerk
Subject:Support for Student Housing Acquisition Near De Anza College
Date:Monday, May 5, 2025 3:03:14 PM
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City Clerk Kirsten Squarcia,
Dear Foothill-De Anza Board of Trustees, Chancellor Lambert, President Torres, and Cupertino
City Council,
I am a Community Member writing to express my strong support for the Foothill-De Anza
Community College District’s student housing proposal to acquire and repurpose existing
homes, so students have somewhere to live near campus. I am very concerned by the
Cupertino City Council's opposition, including a poorly thought out proposed moratorium on
converting existing homes into student housing. The City should be supporting the District in
housing students and faculty, as they are also members of the Cupertino community.
This proposal represents exactly the kind of practical, community-oriented solution we need in
the midst of a worsening housing crisis. It keeps dozens of existing homes near campus on the
market for students and potentially faculty—preventing them from being sold to bad actors or
repurposed into unaffordable rentals. The project also uses Measure G bond funds
responsibly, leaving room for additional housing projects in the future. And it includes a
relocation plan that provides time, assistance, and dignity to the residents who are affected.
Rather than standing in the way, local leaders should be celebrating this effort, rather than
limiting the district's available tools to house its students and faculty. Cupertino’s Housing
Element (especially Strategy HE-7.3.1) calls for close partnerships with educational institutions
like De Anza to expand housing opportunities, and it also details the need to preserve existing
homes for “all populations” which certainly includes students.
This project brings us closer to a future where De Anza is not just a commuter school, but a
vibrant, integrated part of the community—where students can live, learn, and contribute
locally. It’s a step in the right direction, and I hope to see the District continue exploring and
investing in additional housing opportunities moving forward, including building more homes, in
addition to preserving and repurposing existing ones.
Please move forward with this acquisition and show that our region is serious about housing
students with dignity, urgency, and care.
Katia Bravo
katia.a.bravo@gmail.com
596 La Conner Dr
Sunnyvale, California 94087
From:Deepa Mahendraker
To:City Council; City Clerk
Subject:city council 5/6/2025 agenda item #9 vote yes on moratorium
Date:Monday, May 5, 2025 2:15:58 PM
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Dear City clerk,
Please put this message in written comments for agenda #9
Dear City council.
The problem:
The McClellan Terrace Apartment complex is less than half of a mile from grades K-12 schools. The
Foothill-De Anza Community College District wants to buy the apartment complex for use by community
college students. Not allowing families to live within a half mile of our K-12 schools is bad for our city.
Presently, over 60 K-12 students live in the 94 homes. There are hardly any comparable apartments
available in the school district (rent, size, 2br/2ba) and the loss of those students also means losing
teacher jobs.
The Solution:
On Tuesday, City Council will be considering a moratorium on multi-family conversions. It requires a 4
out of 5 vote.
I urge you to vote yes on moratorium for Agenda #9
K-12 students should be able to walk to school whenever possible. These 94 homes should not be
removed from our City for use by our K-12 students.
The college district should build on campus so that land in Cupertino can be used for all sorts of housing.
If the college district buys the property, it won't be paying property taxes. Taxes raised by other city
residents will have to cover the cost of public safety for these 94 homes.
Other community colleges have built housing on campus.
Spending over $700K per unit and another $28M of our public money, raised from our property tax bill, is
too much money. Spending about $1M for each unit makes no sense, especially when a comparable
complex in Cupertino, The Villages, just sold for $430K per unit.
Evicting Cupertino residents does not solve the housing-affordability problem. The college district should
create housing with our public money, not evict our residents.
The McClellan Terrace Apartment complex is less than half of a mile from grades K-12 schools. The
Foothill-De Anza Community College District wants to buy the apartment complex for use by community
college students. Not allowing families to live within a half mile of our K-12 schools is bad for our city.
Please vote YES for the moratorium.
Best
Deepa M
Cupertino Resident and homeowner
From:Y Thorstenson
To:City Council
Cc:Cupertino City Manager"s Office; City Clerk
Subject:City council meeting May 6, item #9, Emergency Ordinance
Date:Monday, May 5, 2025 1:51:08 PM
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Please include in written communications for agenda item #9, Emergency Ordinance
Dear Mayor Chao, Vice Mayor Moore, and Councilmembers,
What is happening here? The emergency ordinance being considered this week is ill-conceived, and filled with
inaccurate and misleading information. Does this initiative truly represent the kind of inclusive, thoughtful
leadership we deserve in Cupertino?
The housing crisis is real for everyone and solutions are difficult. Five years ago, this reality was recognized by
voters who approved Measure G to provide housing for FHDA students. There are no perfect solutions, but purchase
of the McClellan Terrace property is both cost-effective and time-effective. The city should not be an obstacle to
addressing very real housing needs.
Discrimination in any form does not belong in our City. Students are important to the fabric of our community and
they deserve to be recognized as such. I urge you to reject this emergency ordinance immediately.
Respectfully,
Yvonne Thorstenson
Resident, Mom, and Taxpayer
From:Debbie Timmers
To:City Council
Cc:City Clerk
Subject:Item 9 on Agenda, Approval of an Interim Urgency Ordinance Imposing a Moratorium on the Transition of
Multiple-Family Use Housing.....
Date:Monday, May 5, 2025 12:13:43 PM
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Dear City Clerk, Please include the following in written communications for Item 9 for the
May 6 city council meeting:
Dear Mayor Chao, Vice Mayor Moore, and Councilmembers Fruen, Mohan, and Wang,
I urge you to adopt Option #4 – “Do nothing” on this agenda item. This ordinance unfairly
targets students—who are disproportionately younger, lower-income, and from minority
communities—and may violate anti-discrimination laws. It also appears inconsistent with the
2024 Housing Element (Goal HE 7.3.2), which calls for partnerships to create affordable
housing for students and school employees.
The Foothill-De Anza District is preserving market-rate housing by converting it to
permanently affordable units—something any private buyer could sidestep by evicting tenants
and redeveloping the property. Unlike the private sector, the District is offering residents
extended notice through June 2026, relocation support, and moving expense coverage.
New construction would cost $157 million and wouldn’t be ready until 2028. In contrast, the
McClellan Terrace acquisition costs $67 million, with $28 million planned for immediate
renovations. This is a responsible, cost-effective, and urgently needed step to reduce housing
insecurity.
We don’t want to obstruct affordable housing efforts. We made promises in our housing
Element. Let’s not back out of those promises now.
Sincerely,
Debbie Timmers
From:Riki Alvarez
To:City Clerk
Subject:STUDENT LETTER OF SUPPORT FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Date:Monday, May 5, 2025 10:21:41 AM
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Foothill-De Anza Community College District
To the City Council of Cupertino and the Mayor of Cupertino,
As a student of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District, I am writing to express
my strong support for the District’s effort to acquire McClellan Terrace Apartments and
convert them into affordable housing for students.
Affordable housing is not a luxury – it is a necessity. For students like me, living in one of
the most expensive regions in the country makes pursuing higher education incredibly
difficult. Many of us are forced to make impossible choices: between paying rent or
paying tuition, between staying enrolled or dropping out. This acquisition directly
addresses those challenges by offering a real solution to one of the most pressing issues
facing students today – housing insecurity.
This effort is not about profit. It’s about equitable access to a higher education. It’s
about giving more students, especially those from our own community, a chance to
thrive in college, contribute to the local workforce, and give back to the region that
raised us.
This potential purchase was made possible thanks to Measure G, a voter-approved
initiative demonstrating our community’s belief in investing in education and student
success. This is that investment in action. The McClellan Terrace property meets all of
the District’s requirements for safe, accessible, and well-located student housing, and
is within walking distance of the De Anza campus.
I urge you to support the District’s effort to proceed with this acquisition. By doing so,
you will help students succeed and build a stronger, more inclusive future for our entire
community.
Sincerely,
Ricardo Alvarez
De Anza College
Political Science for Transfer
Expected Graduation Year, 2026
From:chuckmhse@aol.com
To:City Council; City Clerk
Cc:chuckmhse@aol.com
Subject:McClellan Terrace plan for student housing - VOTE NO
Date:Sunday, May 4, 2025 5:46:14 PM
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Dear Cupertino City Council,
The plan to convert the McClellan Terrace housing to De Anza student housing is a terrible idea.
Given the City Council recent actions to try to include a handful of affordable housing units in various
infill projects, the idea of displacing 94 families from affordable housing is preposterous! Just
because De Anva found a way to grab a chuck of student housing money from the state Community
College administration is not a good reason to allow the plan to go forward. De Anza College is well-
served by public transportation and students enrolled there have an enormous area from which to
select housing. This is a very different situation from the usual justification of building Community
College student housing in rural areas, where most of the current Community College student
housing is located.
Displacing 94 families and over 60 K-12 students from their homes withing easy walking distance
from their schools is a terrible idea. It will only make the attempts to satisfy the State of California
requirements for family housing now included in the Cupertino Housing Element even more difficult.
How the City Council could even consider not voting this plan down is inconceivable to me.
Charles Morehouse
Cupertino resident
From:Michael Laitila
To:City Clerk
Subject:McClellan Terrace
Date:Sunday, May 4, 2025 5:42:08 PM
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Please vote YES for a moratorium not to displace Cupertino residents at McClellan Terrace
apartments. It’s not right to push out Cupertino residents paying taxes and children living
close to the elementary schools and high school and have students from DeAnza (which are
mostly non residents) to take their place at the apartment complex.
Thank you,
Michael Laitila
From:Jean Bedord
To:City Council; Cupertino City Manager"s Office; City Clerk; City Attorney"s Office
Cc:chancellor@fhda.edu; TorresOmar@fhda.edu; casasfrierlaura@fhda.edu; gvatuaalexander@fhda.edu;
landsbergerpeter@fhda.edu; pearl cheng; godfreyterry@fhda.edu; casaslaura@fhda.edu; zaraainge@fhda.edu;
maitlandcarla@fhda.edu; dastudenttrustee@fhda.edu; kameiellen@fhda.edu
Subject:Agenda #9: Interim Emergency Ordinance, regarding student housing, City Council, May 6, 2025
Date:Sunday, May 4, 2025 4:55:02 PM
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Please include in written communications for this agenda item
Mayor Chao, Vice Mayor Moore, and Councilmembers Fruen, Mohan and Wang,
I urge you to adopt Option #4 = “Do nothing” on this agenda item. Council should stop
blocking forward thinking housing options for our residents, and yes, that includes faculty,
families, and students at De Anza College, all of whom desperately need and deserve
housing. This ordinance is discriminatory by solely targeting students who are
disproportionately lower income, younger, and from racial and ethnic minority groups, and
as such, may be subject to legal action. How does it comply with the approved 2024
Housing Element Goal HE 7.3.2 which states “The City will discuss potential
partnerships for affordable housing developments for school district employees and
college students, including on school district properties? Would HCD consider this
ordinance a violation of the Housing Element approval? The college district is converting
market rate housing to permanent affordable housing–a normal feature of affordable
housing preservation programs in many cities. Any other private entity could acquire
the property without these restrictions, evict all the tenants on a 30-60 day notice, and
convert to an alternate use, such as congregate caregiver housing or condominiums or
even teardown for townhomes.
Frankly, I am appalled by the shoddy staff report written by unknown attorneys: Vrunda
Shah, Deputy City Attorney (who is this?), John Fox, Assistant City Attorney (who is this?)
and Floy Andrews, Interim City Attorney. When did Cupertino suddenly acquire more
attorneys? When and how was direction even given to produce this ordinance? How will
this impact our legal bills, which are paid out of the General Fund, money that should
benefit residents, rather than paying legal fees.
Why is this so shoddy and misleading? There is no reference to the district’s information
on Measure G and the process of the decision to acquire McClellan Terrace Apartments,
particularly the April 7 update which significantly extended the length of time for residents to
make a housing decision to June 30, 2026–the end of the next school year. Essentially,
renters have nearly a year and a half notice through the natural expiration of leases, unlike
typical private sector 30-90 day evictions. The District will also provide extensive
housing relocation assistance AND cover moving expenses.
The Foothill-De Anza Community College district did consider new construction for
housing. However, the only option which met the criteria would cost $157 million to build,
would NOT include ownership of the land, and would become available no earlier than
2028, three years and many unknowns away. By contrast, the McClellan property will cost
$67 million, with a commitment to spend approximately $28 million in renovating the
property, with immediate availability, including furnishing the apartments, a key to reducing
homelessness and housing insecurity. It’s an aging property, and the current owner,
Prometheus, obviously decided to divest rather than continue its usual practice of slow,
unit-by-unit upgrades, resulting in much more expensive homes upon completion of
renovation. Why should the District be forced to spend an additional $62 million from
limited Measure G funds, just to please the Cupertino City Council? There are SEVEN
cities included in the District, plus Stanford.
Contrary to the mayor’s and council’s perceptions, the McClellan Terrace apartments
are MARKET rate, not affordable housing. The average rent per unit at McClellan Terrace
is $3,481. Comparable properties rent are $3,554. The current property owner,
Prometheus, regularly increased rents by 9% per year, which some tenants consider
gouging. Moreover, their common practice with other older properties, such as Sonter
(formerly Fountainbleau on Miller Avenue) has been to renovate units as leases expire and
charge considerably higher rates after units are returned to the market. Separately, the
research team for the District identified 109 comparable properties within a 10 Mile radius
of McClellan Terrace with 22,107 units in total with 8,842 total 2-bedroom units. There is a
7.9% annual vacancy in all these properties so based on 8% vacancy, there are 707 vacant
2 bedroom units.
The staff report and the recitals in the draft urgency ordinance cherry pick California state-
level data, not Cupertino. Likewise, the Zillow data is inaccurate and misleading. It’s a
point in time, April 4, 2025. Moreover, families are more likely to move in June and July. In
addition, potential rentals are not limited to the City of Cupertino–both CUSD and
FUHSD include Sunnyvale and parts of Santa Clara, Los Altos, Saratoga, and San Jose.
Students can live on the Sunnyvale side of Homestead and have the same access to
schools as living on the Cupertino side. Students can remain in their current schools as
long as they stay within the entire district boundaries as the school districts set policy on
enrollment.
The impact on students is overstated. There are only about 35 students from CUSD and
the same number from FUHSD impacted. This is the equivalent of one class per district.
Half of the high school kids will graduate by June 2026, and the 7th and 8th graders from
Kennedy will have to change schools as they transition to high school.
Voters approved Measure G five years ago. Costs have escalated. The process to
consider all available options has taken much too long. There are no perfect solutions, but
purchase of the McClellan Terrace property is both cost-effective and time-effective. The
city should not be an obstacle to addressing very real housing needs.
I urge the council to (1) reject this ordinance and (2) replace the legal team. Cupertino
deserves better.
Frustrated voter,
Jean Bedord
Cupertino Matters, Publisher and Editor
From:Deepak Kakar
To:City Council
Cc:City Clerk
Subject:city council 5/6/2025 agenda item #9 vote yes on moratorium
Date:Sunday, May 4, 2025 12:42:28 PM
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K-12 students should be able to walk to school whenever possible. These 94 homes should not be removed from our
City for use by our K-12 students.
The college district should build on campus so that land in Cupertino can be used for all sorts of housing.
If the college district buys the property, it won't be paying property taxes. Taxes raised by other city residents will
have to cover the cost of public safety for these 94 homes.
Other community colleges have built housing on campus.
Spending over $700K per unit and another $28M of our public money, raised from our property tax bill, is too much
money. Spending about $1M for each unit makes no sense, especially when a comparable complex in Cupertino,
The Villages, just sold for $430K per unit.
Evicting Cupertino residents does not solve the housing-affordability problem. The college district should create
housing with our public money, not evict our residents.
There are many more reasons....
From:Venkat Ranganathan
To:City Council; City Clerk; Cupertino City Manager"s Office
Subject:Subject: Agenda Item #9 – Vote YES on Moratorium on Multi-Family Conversions
Date:Sunday, May 4, 2025 11:57:46 AM
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Dear Mayor Chao, Vice Mayor Moore and council members
I am Venkat Ranganathan, a longtime resident of the city of Cupertino.
I urge you to support the moratorium on multi-family housing conversions (Agenda Item #9) and prevent the
Foothill-De Anza Community College District from acquiring the McClellan Terrace Apartments for exclusive student
housing.
This 94-unit complex is home to over 60 K-12 students who walk to nearby schools. Displacing these families would
harm our community, reduce school enrollment, and potentially lead to teacher layoffs. There is no equivalent
housing nearby for these families to relocate affordably.
The District should prioritize building student housing on its own campuses—like many other community colleges—
instead of displacing residents. Purchasing this property would also remove it from the property tax roll, burdening
other Cupertino taxpayers with the cost of services like police and fire for the site.
Spending nearly $1 million per unit of public funds—when similar units like The Villages sold for under half that—is
fiscally irresponsible. This move neither solves the housing affordability crisis nor serves Cupertino families.
Please preserve this essential family housing stock and vote YES on the moratorium.
Thanks
Venkat
From:Waley Chang
To:City Council; City Clerk
Subject:city council 5/6/2025 agenda item #9 vote yes on moratorium
Date:Sunday, May 4, 2025 10:16:39 AM
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Dear City Council,
We are writing you to support yes vote on agenda Item #9 to stop evicting Cupertino residents
and put more than 60 students who live in the complex out of their current K-12 schools.
Here are the reasons why City should not allow conversion of this property to community
college student housing.
1. It will evict current complex residents at 94 homes and over 60 students are currently
enrolled at nearby 3 K-12 schools which are within walking distance. Cupertino has few
similar rental appartment like McClellan Terrace with reasonable rent and within walking
distance of 3 K-12 schools.
2. Lost of property tax revenue to the City and funding to the City as college district does not
pay property tax.
3. Lost of more than 60 students attending nearby 3 K-12 schools can lead to reduce shcool
funding and teach layoffs.
4. Spening $1M per unit for student housing for a commuting community college is a waste of
public financial resource. The nearby Vilages just sold for $430K per unit.
5.Why a commuting community college spends $1M per unit for student housing at the cost of
local residents eviction and stop over 60 kids attending nearby 3 K-12 schools? Why a
communting local college spending so much money for student housing? DeAnza College is a
2 year commuting school, not a 4-year full college!
6. Putting student housing for a commuting community college in a residential area will create
nosie and traffic for the local residents.
7. De Anza College has large campus, why not build student housing on its campus, similar to
other community colleges building on campus housing which should cost less and more
convienent for the students.
Thanks for the consideration.
Waley Chang
Jessica Wang
Long time Cupertino residents on Clarkston Ave.
From:James Nguyen
To:City Clerk; City Council; Public Comments
Subject:STUDENT LETTER OF SUPPORT FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING (Foothill-De Anza Community College District)
Date:Saturday, May 3, 2025 5:26:14 PM
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STUDENT LETTER OF SUPPORT FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Foothill-De Anza Community College District
To the City Council of Cupertino and the Mayor of Cupertino,
As a student of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District, I am writing to express my
strong support for the District’s effort to acquire McClellan Terrace Apartments and convert
them into affordable housing for students.
Affordable housing is not a luxury – it is a necessity. For students like me, living in one of
the most expensive regions in the country makes pursuing higher education incredibly
difficult. Many of us are forced to make impossible choices: between paying rent or paying
tuition, between staying enrolled or dropping out. This acquisition directly addresses those
challenges by offering a real solution to one of the most pressing issues facing students
today – housing insecurity.
This effort is not about profit. It’s about equitable access to a higher education. It’s about
giving more students – especially those from our own community, a chance to thrive in
college, contribute to the local workforce and give back to the region that raised us.
This potential purchase was made possible thanks to Measure G, a voter-approved
initiative that demonstrated our community’s belief in investing in education and student
success. This is that investment in action. The McClellan Terrace property meets all of the
District’s requirements for safe, accessible, and well-located student housing – and is within
walking distance of the De Anza campus.
I urge you to support the District’s effort to move forward with this acquisition. By doing so,
you will not only help students succeed – you will help build a stronger, more inclusive
future for our entire community.
Sincerely,
James Nguyen
De Anza College
Electrical Engineering
2024-2027
From:Gillian Grubb
To:City Clerk
Subject:Support for Student Housing Acquisition Near De Anza College
Date:Saturday, May 3, 2025 12:53:31 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.
City Clerk Kirsten Squarcia,
Dear Foothill-De Anza Board of Trustees, Chancellor Lambert, President Torres, and Cupertino
City Council,
I am a Community Member writing to express my strong support for the Foothill-De Anza
Community College District’s student housing proposal to acquire and repurpose existing
homes, so students have somewhere to live near campus. I am very concerned by the
Cupertino City Council's opposition, including a poorly thought out proposed moratorium on
converting existing homes into student housing. The City should be supporting the District in
housing students and faculty, as they are also members of the Cupertino community.
This proposal represents exactly the kind of practical, community-oriented solution we need in
the midst of a worsening housing crisis. It keeps dozens of existing homes near campus on the
market for students and potentially faculty—preventing them from being sold to bad actors or
repurposed into unaffordable rentals. The project also uses Measure G bond funds
responsibly, leaving room for additional housing projects in the future. And it includes a
relocation plan that provides time, assistance, and dignity to the residents who are affected.
Rather than standing in the way, local leaders should be celebrating this effort, rather than
limiting the district's available tools to house its students and faculty. Cupertino’s Housing
Element (especially Strategy HE-7.3.1) calls for close partnerships with educational institutions
like De Anza to expand housing opportunities, and it also details the need to preserve existing
homes for “all populations” which certainly includes students.
This project brings us closer to a future where De Anza is not just a commuter school, but a
vibrant, integrated part of the community—where students can live, learn, and contribute
locally. It’s a step in the right direction, and I hope to see the District continue exploring and
investing in additional housing opportunities moving forward, including building more homes, in
addition to preserving and repurposing existing ones.
Please move forward with this acquisition and show that our region is serious about housing
students with dignity, urgency, and care.
Gillian Grubb
gilllian.grubb@Gmail.com
1016 Byerley Avenue
San Jose, California 95125
From:Rami Abukhater
To:City Clerk
Subject:Support for Student Housing Acquisition Near De Anza College
Date:Saturday, May 3, 2025 6:36:33 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.
City Clerk Kirsten Squarcia,
Dear Foothill-De Anza Board of Trustees, Chancellor Lambert, President Torres, and Cupertino
City Council,
I am a Community Member writing to express my strong support for the Foothill-De Anza
Community College District’s student housing proposal to acquire and repurpose existing
homes, so students have somewhere to live near campus. I am very concerned by the
Cupertino City Council's opposition, including a poorly thought out proposed moratorium on
converting existing homes into student housing. The City should be supporting the District in
housing students and faculty, as they are also members of the Cupertino community.
This proposal represents exactly the kind of practical, community-oriented solution we need in
the midst of a worsening housing crisis. It keeps dozens of existing homes near campus on the
market for students and potentially faculty—preventing them from being sold to bad actors or
repurposed into unaffordable rentals. The project also uses Measure G bond funds
responsibly, leaving room for additional housing projects in the future. And it includes a
relocation plan that provides time, assistance, and dignity to the residents who are affected.
Rather than standing in the way, local leaders should be celebrating this effort, rather than
limiting the district's available tools to house its students and faculty. Cupertino’s Housing
Element (especially Strategy HE-7.3.1) calls for close partnerships with educational institutions
like De Anza to expand housing opportunities, and it also details the need to preserve existing
homes for “all populations” which certainly includes students.
This project brings us closer to a future where De Anza is not just a commuter school, but a
vibrant, integrated part of the community—where students can live, learn, and contribute
locally. It’s a step in the right direction, and I hope to see the District continue exploring and
investing in additional housing opportunities moving forward, including building more homes, in
addition to preserving and repurposing existing ones.
Please move forward with this acquisition and show that our region is serious about housing
students with dignity, urgency, and care.
Rami Abukhater
Rami.Abukhaters@gmail.com
22066 Hibiscus Drive
Cupertino, California 95014
From:Neil Park-McClintick
To:City Clerk
Subject:Support for Student Housing Acquisition Near De Anza College
Date:Saturday, May 3, 2025 1:32:21 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.
City Clerk Kirsten Squarcia,
Dear Foothill-De Anza Board of Trustees, Chancellor Lambert, President Torres, and Cupertino
City Council,
I am a Community Member writing to express my strong support for the Foothill-De Anza
Community College District’s student housing proposal to acquire and repurpose existing
homes, so students have somewhere to live near campus. I am very concerned by the
Cupertino City Council's opposition, including a poorly thought out proposed moratorium on
converting existing homes into student housing. The City should be supporting the District in
housing students and faculty, as they are also members of the Cupertino community.
This proposal represents exactly the kind of practical, community-oriented solution we need in
the midst of a worsening housing crisis. It keeps dozens of existing homes near campus on the
market for students and potentially faculty—preventing them from being sold to bad actors or
repurposed into unaffordable rentals. The project also uses Measure G bond funds
responsibly, leaving room for additional housing projects in the future. And it includes a
relocation plan that provides time, assistance, and dignity to the residents who are affected.
Rather than standing in the way, local leaders should be celebrating this effort, rather than
limiting the district's available tools to house its students and faculty. Cupertino’s Housing
Element (especially Strategy HE-7.3.1) calls for close partnerships with educational institutions
like De Anza to expand housing opportunities, and it also details the need to preserve existing
homes for “all populations” which certainly includes students.
This project brings us closer to a future where De Anza is not just a commuter school, but a
vibrant, integrated part of the community—where students can live, learn, and contribute
locally. It’s a step in the right direction, and I hope to see the District continue exploring and
investing in additional housing opportunities moving forward, including building more homes, in
addition to preserving and repurposing existing ones.
Please move forward with this acquisition and show that our region is serious about housing
students with dignity, urgency, and care.
Neil Park-McClintick
cupertinoforall@gmail.com
801 Miller Avenue
Cupertino, California 95014