Director's ReportCUPERTINO CITY HALL
10300 TORRE AVENUE
CUPERTINO, CA 95014
TELEPHONE (408) 777-3308
FAX (408) 777-3333
CaU~'~RTINC~
DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Subject: Report of the Community Development Director)
Planning Commission Agenda Date: Tuesday, November 24, 2009
The City Council will meet on November 30, 2009 and will not hold its regularly scheduled
meeting of November 17.
Miscellaneous Items:
1. Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance -The Water Conservation in Landscaping Act of 2006
(AB 1881, Laird) requires cities and counties to adopt landscape water conservation ordinances
by Jan. 1, 2010. Please see the attached memo for further information on this state mandated
requirement.
2. Kaiser Permanente Hospital Construction -Kaiser Permanente has given the City a courtesy
notice of construction to begin on Kaiser's property between Calabazas Creek and Swallow
Road. They are building a new 19,000 square foot, single story facility and will be using Forge
Drive as the access and egress gate for construction vehicles. They will be off hauling soil over
the next few days, with construction to continue over the next 9 to 10 months. If you have
questions about the project you can contact:
Lisa Jafferies, Community F~ Government Relations Manager, Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara
19000 Homestaed Rd., Bldg. 1, 2nd Floor, Cupertino, CA 95014
408-366-4181, Lisa.jafferies@kp.org
3. Greg Casteel Retiring -Greg Casteel, our Building Official, will be retiring on December 30~~.
We have begun the recruitment process and will be working on a transition plan until the new
Building Official is hired..
4. Measure B - Of the 13 measures to increase or expand utility users tax on the ballot, Cupertino
was one of 10 that passed and with a 75.5% approval rate. Obviously, this is a huge success for
our City. This ensures that approximately $600;000 in revenue currently received is no longer
at risk and the City can start to move the $1.6 million in our UUT reserve back into the General
Fund over the next tluee years. Congratulations to all who worked so hard to make this
happen.
Upcoming Dates:
Nov. 30 Council meeting as the regular meeting of November is cancelled
Dec 1 Council Swearing in Ceremony
Dec 24 -Jan 1 City offices closed for the Holidays
Enclosures:
Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance attachment
News Article -Cupertino Businesses Get the Go-Ahead to be More Creative ze~it)z Store Signs.
G: ~ Plarrning ~ AartiS ~ Director's Report ~ 2009 ~ pol l -24-09.doc
~~~-- I
CUPERTINO
CUPERTINO CITY HALL
10300 TORRE AVENUE
CUPERTINO, CA 95014
TELEPHONE (408) 777-3308
FAX (408) 777-3333
DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Subject: Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance
Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance
The Water Conservation in Landscaping Act of 2006 (AB 1881, Laird) requires cities
and counties to adopt landscape water conservation ordinances by Jan. 1, 2010.
Pursuant to this law, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) has prepared a
Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance. A local jurisdiction may adopt its own
ordinance as long as it complies with, or is more stringent than, the State ordinance
by January 31, 2010. Permit applications received prior to a city adopting its own
ordinance will be subject to the requirements of the DWR model ordinance starting
January 1, 2010.
DWR's model landscape ordinance will apply to the following projects:
• New construction and rehabilitated landscapes for public agency projects and
private development projects with a landscape area equal to or greater than
2,500 square feet that require a building or landscape permit, plan check or
design review;
• New construction and rehabilitated landscapes which are developer installed
in single-family and multi-family projects with a landscape area equal to or
greater than 2,500 square feet that require a building or landscape permit,
plan check or design review;
• New construction landscapes which are homeowner-provided and/ or
homeowner-hired in single-family and multi-family residential projects with
a total project landscape area equal to or greater than 5,000 square feet that
require a building or landscape permit, plan check or design review; and
• All existing landscapes that were installed before January 1, 2010 and are over
one acre in size.
The ordinance has exemptions for historic properties, irrigation projects and
arboretums.
Cupertino and other cities in the Bay Area are working with two regional agencies,
Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency (BAWSCA) and Santa Clara
Valley Water District (SCVWD), on a draft ordinance that is simpler to comprehend
and implement. The new Water Efficient Landscape ordinance will replace the
D 12-~
PAGE 2
City's existing Xeriscape Landscaping ordinance (Chapter 14.15 of the Cupertino
Municipal Code). Staff anticipates that a model ordinance will be presented for
Council's consideration in January 2010.
The City's draft ordinance will focus on: (1) conformance with State requirements,
(2) streamlining the approval process, and (3) minimizing costs for applicants and
homeowners. This informational piece will be posted on the City's website and
flyers will be handed out at the counter to inform the public of the upcoming
ordinance changes. The draft ordinance, once prepared, will also be posted on the
City's website and hearings will be noticed on the website and newspaper.
~~ ~3
Cupertino businesses get the go-ahead to be snore creative with store signs -San Jose Mer... Page 1 of 1
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MercuryNews.com
Cupertino businesses get
the go-ahead to be more
creative with store signs
By Mats Wilson
Cupertino Courier
Posted: 1 ?;'02;'209 00.06:59 Ptifl PST
Updated: 11/02/2009 06:06:59 PM PST
Cupertino city leaders gave business owners the
green light to be more creative with their store
signs. After months of collecting feedback from the
local business community, the city council voted
unanimously Oct. 20 to update the city's sign
ordinance as part of an effort to boost the city's
commercial sector.
The new ordinance gives businesses more creativity
and flexibility on the types of retail and commercial
signs that can be used in the city.
"Back in the day, everything was required to look
the same and it all had to be harmonious. We're
finding that is not the trend anymore," said Gary
Chao, city planner. "We're looking to strike that
balance between helping them create their own
individuality yet trying to preserve a cenfral theme in
a shopping center."
Chao said that somewhat less restrictive signage
rules could make Cupertino a more appealing place
to do business.
"We want to give [business owners] every chance to
compete and create identity," he said. "It's going to
help them be more competitive relative to other
cities."
City planners met with business owners in recent
months to collect feedback on what they would like
to see in the updated ordinance. Many of the
suggestions are included in the new ordinance,
which now allows a greater choice of sign
dimensions, logos with slight neon embellishment
and portable signs for larger retailers with multiple
entrances, such as Whole Foods.
The ordinance now allows more signs on walls
and more logos on directory signs and "blade signs"
commonly found above businesses along pedestrian
retail centers. Code enforcement also has greater
authority to remove signs illegally placed in the
public right-of-way.
The city also added language to preserve older,
well-designed signs that do not necessarily conform
to current standards. These "landmark" signs, such
as the Vallco Fashion Park sign along Interstate 280,
can receive minor updates as long as the general
character stays the same, according to a city staff
report.
Preston Oka said he was glad that the new
ordinance protected landmark signs such as the
green and yellow one in front of his 61-year-old
business, Yamagami's Nursery at 1361 S. De Anza
Blvd.
"I think [the sign] helps identify us and brand [us],"
he said. "It's an icon that comes to mind for people
when they think of our nursery."
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http://www.mercurynews.com/valley/ci_13697746 11/3/2009