Director's Report
CITY OF CUPERTINO
10300 TORRE AVENUE, CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA 95014
DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Subject: Report of the Community Development Director
Planning Commission Agenda Date: Tuesday, March 27, 2007
The City Council met on March 20, 2007, and discussed the following items of interest to
the Planning Commission:
1. Peel's Coffee appeal: The City Council granted a temporary use permit to open at
5:30 a.m. and will review entire use permit in 6 months regarding parking and
pedestrian access with Whole Foods (see attached staff report).
2. Appeal of a minor residential permit on Grenola Drive: The City Council upheld
the appeal relating to the west balcony and denied the appeal relating to design
and the east balcony. (see attached staff report)
3. Conduct the first of two public hearings regarding the use of fifth program year
(2007-08) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and Human
Service grants, and begin review of the 2007-08 Annual Action Plan. The City
Council conducted the public hearing and continued the item to April 3. (see
attached staff report)
4. Consider a code change regarding construction hours on Sundays. (see attached
staff report) The City Council did not direct any changes to the regulations
regarding construction hours. A complaint was lodged about neighborhood
construction on Sundays. Staff presented data from Code Enforcement that there
were 44 complaints about construction noise in a two-year period, and 14 of them
were related to weekend construction noise. Given the small number of
complaints and the repercussions to construction activities if hours were changed,
no change was recommended.
5. Presentation from VaIlco
Mike Rohde spoke under oral communications regarding progress at Vallco. He
presented several slides on the AMC Theater; opening is scheduled on April 27
(see enclosed slides).
Pt'<? -I
10300 Torre Avenue
Cupertino, CA 95014
(408) 777-3308
FAX (408) 777-3333
CITY OF
CUPERJINO
Community Development Department
SUMMARY
/uGENDA ]\TO,
AGENDA, JDJA TE _JvIarch2:0_L:2:0Q7
SUBJECT:
Consider an appeal of the Planning Commission's decision to modify the use permit for
Peet's Coffee to allow an opening time of 5:30 a.m., Application No. M-2006-07, Laura
Thomas (Peet's Coffee), 20807 Stevens Creek Boulevard, APN 326-32-051. The
appellant is Council member Richard Lowenthal.
RECOMMENDATION:
The City Council may take one of the following actions:
1. Uphold the appeal of M-2007-06 and deny the Planning Commission's decision;
or
2. Uphold the appeal of M-2007-06 and modify the Planning Commission's
decision; or
3. Deny the appeal and uphold the Planning Commission's decision; or
4. Continue the appeal to the April 3, 2007 City Council meeting.
BACKGROUND:
On January 9, 2007, the Planning Commission approved a modification to a use permit
to allow Peet's Coffee to open at 5:30 a.m. Peet's Coffee is located in a building
constructed in 2005 that is shared with Panera Bread. The building is located on a parcel
on the north side of Stevens Creek Boulevard, west of Saich Way, that is part of the
Stevens Creek Office Center. The Stevens Creek Office Center is also adjacent to the
Whole Foods supermarket that is being constructed along Stevens Creek Boulevard to
the west.
On January 16, 2007, Council member Richard Lowenthal appealed M-2006-07 stating
that the pedestrian circulation issue between the Stevens Creek Offi~e Center and
Whole Foods needs to be resolved in conjunction with this application.
DISCUSSION:
When the adjacent Whole Foods project was approved by the City Council in January of
2006, the City Council required Whole Foods to incorporate a pedestrian access along
the northeast corner of the site to accommodate a future pedestrian connection between
the Whole Foods site and the Stevens Creek Office Center.
Printed on Recycled Paper
1) fk:-3
M-2006-07 Appeal
Page 2
March 20, 2007
Whole Foods is currently under construction and has nearly completed its portion of
the pedestrian connection with a concrete pathway that runs along the north side of the
Whole Foods building and steps down to a pad that is adjacent to the west side of the
Stevens Creek Office Center. Whole Foods will also be installing a handicap lift to
accommodate the grade differential between the pathway along the north side of the
building and the pad adjacent to the Stevens Creek Office Center property.
Council member Lowenthal is requesting that the Stevens Creek Office Center complete
the pedestrian connection between these two sites by installing the improvenLents
needed on the Stevens Creek Office Center for the pedestrian pathway in conjunction
with the Peet's Coffee application.
Staff has reviewed the possibility of incorporating these improvements that would
require a pedestrian opening between the two properties, installation of a concrete
pedestrian ramp and walkway connecting from the pad landing on the Whole Foods
site to the west side of the Stevens Creek Office Center, and possibly handrails and a
switch back of the ramp. This would result in the loss of at least one, but possibly two,
parking spaces. If a slope of 1:20 can be achieved, then it appears a straight pedestrian
ramp cart be constructed on the Stevens Creek Office Center side from the Whole Foods
pad landing. If a 1:12 slope is required, then h~drails and a switchback of the ramp
will be required, resulting in the loss of one additional space.
On March 14,2007, staff received comments from the property owner, John Volckmann
stating that he does not agree to the installation of the pedestrian connection arid will be
attending tonight's meeting to speak about his concerns.
Enclosures:
Exhibit A: Appeal submitted by Richard Lowenthal
Exhibit B: Planning Commission Resolution No. 6440 approving Peet's Coffee 5:30
a.m. opening
Exhibit C: Minutes of the January 9, 2007 Planning Commission Meeting
Exhibit D: Planning Commission staff report of January 9, 2007 wi attachments
Exhibit E: Aerial photo
Exhibit F: Whole Foods Plans
::::d ~:2Honda Snellmg, Semor PJann:pproved by:
\
\
Ste ~ e PiaseCKi
Director of Community Development
David W. Knapp
City Manager
;"
l
D/.<:: -L-{
~~
.~~
CITY OF
CUPEI\IINO
10300 Torre Avenue
Cupertino, CA 95014
(408) 777-3308
FAX (408) 777-3333
Community Development Department
SUMMARY
AGENDA NOlo
AGENDA DATE March20-,,2Q07
Property Owner:
Property Location:
Appeal ofR-2006-08 & RM-2006-13
Jessica Rose & John Tracy
Elena Herrera & Subir Sengupta
Mehrdad & Homa Mojgani
21180 Grenola. Avenue
Application:
Appellants:
SUBJECT:
Consider an appeal of the Planning Commission's decision to approve Application Nos.
R-2006-08 and RM-2006-13, regarding a Residential Design Review and Minor
Residential Permit to construct a new, two-story 4,219 square foot residence with two
second-story rear yard balconies.
Continued from the February 6th and March 6th City Council meetings.
RECOMMENDATION:
The City Council may take one of the following actions:
1. Uphold the appeals and deny the Planning Commission's approval of R-2006-08
and RM-2006-13; or
2. Uphold the appeals and modify the Planning Commission's approval of R-2006-
08 and RM-2006-13; or
3. Deny the appeals and uphold the Planning Commission's approval of R-2006-08
and RM-2006-13
4. Continue these appeals to the April 3, 2007 meeting.
BACKGROUND:
At the February 6th meeting, the City Council conducted a hearing on the two appeals
and continued this item (5-0) to the March 6, 2007 meeting. The Council provided the
following directions to the applicants, Mehrdqd and Homa Mojgani:
Modify the plans to meet the City Council's understanding of reasonable
mitigation of the privacy impacts of the master bedroom balcony.
Work with the appellants to reach an agreement.
Printed on Recycled Paper
D(12 - 5
Appeals ofR-2006-08 & RM-2006-13
Page 2
March 20, 2007
On February 27, 2007, the applicants and appellants participated in a mediation process
offered by the City with Project Sentinel as the independent mediator. Although Project
Sentinel explained that the details of the mediation discussion could not be disclosed
due to the confidentiality of the mediation process, Project Sentinel was able to convey
that the parties were still not able to reach agreement.
As a result, the applicants requested a continuance from the March 6th meeting to the
March 20th meeting to allow them time to revise the plans and resubmit them to the City
Council for review. On March 6th, the City Council continued this item on a 5-0 vote to
the March 20th meeting.
On March 9, the applicant submitted revised plans, including a revised first floor plan,
elevations and privacy protection landscape plan. On March 13, the applicants also
submitted the second-story floor plans showing the modified balcony.
On March 14, the City received responses (See Exhibit D) from the appellants, John
Tracy /Jessica Rose and Elena Herrera, on the revised plans. The appellants have
indicated that the plans still do not address privacy impact concerns, particularly with
respect to the revised balcony design and privacy protection landscaping, and request
that both of the balconies be removed.
DISCUSSION:
During the February 6th City Council public hearings, the Council noted the privacy
impact concerns of the appellants and requested that the applicants modify their plans
by providing an adequate privacy protection landscape plan and mitigating the impacts
of the master balcony by eliminating the balcony and providing a faux balcony ;
recessing the balcony or creating a physical barrier that is architecturally compatible
with the residence. The Council also stressed the importance that the applicants work
with the appellants to reach agreement on the plans. Further, the Council stated that
privacy protection landscaping plans alone would not be sufficient to mitigate the
privacy impacts of the balcony.
The Council also heard from several members of the public who expressed concerns
about the privacy impacts of the balcony and supported the appellants.
Revised Plans
The revised plans include first- and second-story floor plans, elevations and a privacy
protection landscape plan (See Exhibit A). Although the plans do not fully provide
dimensions of the modified balcony, staff estimates that the balcony is approximately 13
feet in length and approximately 5 feet in depth. Based on these modified plans, the
balcony has been lengthened from the previously proposed plans, but now includes a
4.5 foot high solid stucco wall along the west side of the balcony that attempts to
address privacy impacts. The applicant also states that the balcony will be unlivable and
unfurnishable. However, staff believes that the balcony will still impact privacy since
,-
('
j) 1/2 -lo
Appeals ofR-2006-08 & RM-2006-13
Page 3
March 20, 2007
-------------------
------------------------
the solid stucco wall is only 4.5 feet high and the balcony still appears wide enough to
allow a person to stand on it and look over the wall.
Additionally, a revised privacy protection landscape plan has been submitted that
provides pittosporum shrubs around the majority of the property, with the exception of
a portion of the eastern side yard that includes two magnolia trees. The privacy
protection plan does not include the box size of the magnolia trees to be planted and
does not specify the particular species of the magnolia tree proposed. Should the
Council approve this privacy protection landscape plan, stoff recornmends that the tree
be a Southern Magnolia tree that is a minimum 24-inch box, 8-foot high tree at the time
of planting. This is the type and size of magnolia tree that is on the City's approved
privacy screening tree list.
Staff Recommendation
Staff has reviewed the plans and feels that the revised plans do not satisfy the Council's
direction. Therefore, staff recommends that the City Council approve the residential
design review and minor residential permit to allow construction of the two-story
residence, including the balcony on the east side of the rear elevation, but eliminate the
master bedroom balcony on the west side of the rear elevation. This will allow the
applicants to continue with the construction of their residence. The applicants may re-
apply for a ininor residential permit for a master bedroom balcony in the future if they
wish to do so and are able to design a balcony that follows Council's direction.
Enclosures:
Exhibit A: Revised plans submitted March 9, 2007 and March 13,2007
Exhibit B: City Council Report of March 6, 2007 with attachments
Exhibit C: Copy of the originally approved plans by the Director of Community
Development on August 23,2006
Exhibit D: Responses from Jessica RoselJohn Tracy and Elena Herrera, the appellants
Prepared by: Aki Honda Snelling, Senior Planner
SUbmif by: ,
- (
./.
~
Steve Piasecki
Director of Community Development
Approved by:
g~
David W. Knapp
City Manager
G:planningjpdreportjappealsjR-2006-0S, March 20 CC Appeal
Dft< - '1
CITY OF
CUPEI\TINO
Summar;!
City of Cupertino
1 0300 Torre Avenue
Cupertino, CA 95014
(408) 777-3308
FAX (408) 777-3333
Community Development Department
Housing Services
Agenda Date: March 20, 200?"
Agenda Item Noo i "l
Subject:
First of two public hearings regarding the use of fifth program year (2007-08) Community
Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and Human Service grants, and begin review of the
2007 -08 Annual Action Plan.
2, Continue the final approval of the 2007-08 Annual Plan to April 4, 2007 so that a 30-day
review period can be completed.
CDBG Steering Committee Recommendation:
The CDBG Steering Committee recommends that the City Council approve the following
allocations for the use of the 2007-2008 CDBG program funds and Human Service Grants and
begin review of the FY 2007-08 Annual Action Plan as required by the federal department of
Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
2007-08 CDBG Allocation:
Public Service Grants:
CCS - Comprehensive Assistance Program
CCS- Rotating Shelter Program
Live Oak Adult Day Services - Senior Adult Day Care
Second Harvest Food Bank - Operation Brown Bag
Senior Adults Legal Assistance - Legal Assistance
Construction! Acquisition/Rehab
Unallocated
Program Administration:
Administration
Eden Council for Hope and Opportunity - Fair Housing Services
2007-08 Affordable Housing Fund Allocation:
CCS- Affordable Placement Program
TOTAL:
Recommendations:
The following actions are recommended:
1. Open the public hearing for testimony from the non-profit agencies.
$66,024
$16,435
$21,409
$14,720
$3,512
$9,948
$243,404
$243,404
$88,742
$79,919
$8,823
$65,000
$65,000
$463,170
o,,e ~ts
2007-08 Human Service Allocation:
Catholic Charities - Long Term Care Ombudsman
Community Technology Alliance
CCS - Comprehensive Assistance Program
Emergency Housing Consortium
Outreach and Escort - Special Needs Transportation
Support Network for Battered Women -Domestic Violence
United IVay 2~ 1-1 Santa Clara County Tnfo1l11ation and Referral Service
TOTAL:
$3,187
$2,000
$17,601
$3,987
$7,115
$4,202
3;2,000
$40,092
Background:
The City of Cupertino will receive a CDBG entitlement of approximately $400,312 for fiscal
year 2007-08, plus a reallocation of $43,400 in projected program income from rehabilitation
loan payoffs for a total of $443,712. The allocation represents an approximate 1 % increase in the
entitlement from last fiscal year's allocation of $397,635. This is Cupertino's fifth year as an
entitlement jurisdiction receiving the CDBG grant directly from HUD. HUD regulations require
that projects selected for funding benefit very low and low-income households, eliminate a
blight.ed area, or address an urgent (emergency) community need. In addition, only certain types
of activities qualify under the CDBG regulations. Examples of eligible activities are:
. Removal of barriers to the handicapped
. Public improvements
. Public service activities
. Affordable housing developments
. Property acquisition for affordable
housing
. Rehabilitation of affordable units
Of the $443,712 (entitlement plus program income), $88,742 may be used for administration of the
program and fair housing services and $66,567 may be used to fund public service activities. Federal
regulations do not allow the city to use more than 15% of the combined total of the entitlement and
projected program income for public service activities. Federal regulations also prohibit the use of
more than 20% of the entitlement plus projected program income to be used for administration of the
grant. Included in the program administration category are fair housing activities. Public service
activities must benefit very low and low-income households and include activities such as childcare,
placement services, senior legal services, etc.
The remainder of the grant is available for activities such as the purchase of land for affordable
housing, rehabilitation of qualifying units, construction of affordable units and public improvements in
low and very-low income neighborhoods.
Human Service Grant Allocation:
Every year the City Council allocates $40,000 from the General Fund to human service agencies. Three
years ago, the human service grants allocation process was combined with the CDBG allocation
process. Formal agreements and monitoring of the agreements are now required for this program. The
CDBG Steering Committee reviews the allocations at the same time as the CDBG allocations and
makes recommendations to the City Council. These recommendations are usually addressed by the
City Council during the budget cycle in April and May.
D(R - (1
First of two public hearings regarding the use of fourth program year (2007-08) Community Development Block Grant
(CDBG) funds and Human Service grants, and begin review of the 2007-08 Annual Action Plan.
March 20, 2007
Pa2:e 3 of4
This year staff is proposing the Human Service Grant allocations be slightly increased to $40,092 to
cover the cost of adding two programs, Community Technology Alliance and United Way of Silicon
Valley's 2-1-1 Infonnation and RefelTal Service. The United Way of Silicon Valley did not submit a
formal application, but instead sent a letter to the attention of the City Manager requesting $10,000.
Since an application was not submitted, the CDBG Steering Committee did not review the request.
Staff was informed of the letter after the CDBG Steering Committee meeting and felt that with a $92
increase in the Human Service Grants budget. the United \~Tay of Silicon Valley could be funded at the
S;ii11C level :i~; Idsl
Request for Proposals:
In late January, staff distributed a Notice of Funding Administration (NOFA) to approximately 30 non-
profit organizations. Exhibit B is the mailing list used for the NOF A. Out of those organizations, 12
proposals were received. With the exception of Long Tenn Care Ombudsman, Emergency Housing
Consortium, Support Network for Battered Women, Outreach and Escort and Community Technology
Alliance, all of the applicants are recommended to receive funding at the same level as last year. Due to
budget constraints, staff does not recommend funding Community Technology Alliance's Homeless
Management Infonnation System since it is not providing direct services to the homeless population.
Staff is also proposing that Outreach and Escort, Emergency Housing Consortium, Support Network
for Battered Women, Long Term Care Ombudsman and the remainder of the CCS Comprehensive
Assistance Program be considered by the City Council for funding under the General Fund Human
Service Grant Program. A brief descrip60n of each proposal along with staff recommendations is
included in Exhibit A. Detailed information on each request is provided in the applications included
with your packet.
CDBG Steerinl! Committee:
On April 4, 2006, the City Council approved a Citizen Participation Plan as part of its 2006-2009
Consolidated Plan. Prior to expending CDBG dollars, the City is required to have a Citizen
Participation Plan, Consolidated Plan and an Annual Plan in place. As part of the original Citizen
Participation Plan, adopted in February 2003, the City formed a CDBG Steering Committee. The
Steering Committee is comprised of the Cupertino Housing Commission and the four appointed
citizens. The CDBG Steering Committee's responsibility is to evaluate the proposals received and
forward funding recommendations to the City Council.
On March 8, 2007 the CDBG Steering Committee met and conducted a public hearing on the FY 2006-
07 CDBG funding allocation. The Committee heard presentations from all but two of the applicants
and recommended the staff recommendation be forwarded to the City Council. Live Oak Adult Day
Care and Community Technology Alliance were not present for the presentations.
FY 2007-08 Annual Action Plan:
Federal regulations require that each entitlement jurisdiction prepare an Annual Action Plan and submit
the plan no later than May 15th of each year. The Annual Action Plan is a one-year plan which
describes the eligible programs, projects and activities to be undertaken with funds expected during the
program year (Fiscal Year 2007-2008) and their relationship to the priority housing, homeless and
community development needs outlined in the approved Consolidated Plan. Furthermore, Federal
H:\-CDBG\CDBG Funding Cylce Materials\CC Reports\CCCDBG.doc
Ole-It>
First of two public hearings regarding the use of fourth program year (2007-08) Community Development Block Grant
(CDBG) funds and Human Service grants, and begin review of the 2007-08 Annual Action Plan.
March 20, 2007
Pa2e 4 of 4
regulations require the plan be made available for 30 days for public review and comment. The FY
2007-2008 Annual Action Plan was released for public review on March 3, 2007 for the 30-day review
period. A notice was placed in the local paper informing the public of its availability. On April 3,
2007, the City Council will hold a final public hearing to approve the Annual Action Plan for submittal
to HUD. In addition, the CDBG Steering Committee reviewed the Annual Plan on March 8, 2007.
PREPARED BY:
APPROVED FOR SUBMITTAL:
~
Ste e Piasecki, Director of
Community Development
David W. Knapp
City Manager
Attachments:
Exhibit A: Summary of Applications
Exhibit B: CDBG Mailing List
2007-08 CDBG and Human Service Grant Applications
Fiscal Year 2007-08 Annual Action Plan
Applications for CDBG/Human Service funding
United Way of Silicon Valley letter
H:\-CDBG\CDBG Funding CyJce Materials\CC Reports\CCCDBG.doc
DtQ-11
City of Cupertino
10300 Torre Avenue
Cupertino, CA 95014
(408) 777-3308
Fax: (408) 777.,.3333
CITY
CUPERJINO
Community Development
Department
Summary
Agenda Item No. _
Agenda Date: March 20, 2007
APPLICATION SUMMARY:
Consider a code change regarding construction hours on Sundays.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council retain the existing construction hours and not
initiate a municipal code amendment.
BACKGROUND:
A resident contacted a City Council member, Richard Lowenthal, with concerns about
construction noise from adjacent residential construction, related to noise impacts from
construction on Sundays and the length of time being taken to complete the project.
Mayor Wang agreed to include this as an agenda item for City Council discussion.
DISCUSSION:
Construction Noise
The current Community Noise Control ordinance, which governs construction noise, is
enclosed (Exhibit A). The key provisions related to construction noise in the
neighborhoods are:
. 10.48.010 Definitions: Daytime
Defines daytime as the period from seven a.m. to eight p.m. on weekdays, nine
a.m. to six p.m. on weekends.
. 10.48.029 Homeowner or Resident-Conducted Construction Work Exception
Allows homeowner lresident construction on a single dwelling on holidays.
. 10.48.040 Daytime and Nighttime Maximum Noise Levels
Establishes maximum allowed noise levels (dBA).
. 10.48.050 Brief Daytime Incidents
Allows the maximum allowed noise levels to be exceeded for brief periods.
PIt< -IQ
Application: Construction Noise
Page 2
The Building Department provides a handout that defines construction hours, based on
the noise ordinance (Exhibit B). Construction activity is confined to the daytime hours
(7 a.m. to 8 p.m.), although there could be homeowner/resident construction or brief
daytime incidents as described above. Construction on Sundays is allowed, within a
shorter time period than weekdays (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.).
Length of Building Construction
The length of time a building can be under construction is based on the Uniform
Building Code (DBC). The DBC requires a building inspection every 180 days or the
building permit expires. While this requires maintaining a certain level of building
activity, it does not limit the length of building construction. Staff requested
information from other cities regarding any additional limitations they might impose,
and received responses as shown in Exhibit C. Three cities, La Canada Flintridge,
Claremont and Ross have regulations that limit the duration of a building permit. In
contrast, a Sunnyvale report is referenced that states: "Staff did not recommend
imposing any additional limits on the overall duration of construction or restricting
construction hours for projects with a long duration. This is based on the minimal
number of complaints received, low percentage of projects that are not complete within
two years, and the additional staff time required to implement, administer and monitor
projects.
Cupertino's Code Enforcement Department responds to calls about construction noise.
They report that for the two-year period between 1-1-05 to 1-1-07, they investigated 44
construction noise complaints. Of those 44 complaints, most of them relate to abuse of
construction hours, of which 14 were for violations concerning appropriate weekend
construction hours.
Further limits on construction times could have significant repercussions to
construction activity in Cupertino. Both homeowners who undertake construction
projects on their homes and commercial construction projects could be affected. For
example, Vallco has major projects under construction that could be adversely affected
by modified construction hours. Given the relatively limited number of complaints,
staff does not recommend that the City initiate changes at this time.
DI12;/ ~
Office Space
Property Avail. SF Rate/SF Terms Leasing Company Contact Phone
300 Orchard City Drive 20,728 $1.90 Full Service South Bay Development Paula Parisi (408) 796-0028
1901 S Bascom Ave 24,058 $2.85 Full Service Colliers International Carla Lindorff (408) 282-3908
910 Campisi Way 24,295 $2.65 Full Service South Bay Development Paula Parisi (408) 796-0028
900 E Hamilton Ave 44,143 $1.65 Net Cornish & Carey Commercial Todd Shaffer (408) 987-4144
2105 S Bascom Ave 53,425 N/A N/A Colliers International Susan Gregory (408) 282-3940
CUPERTINO
20450 Stevens Creek Blvd 12,790 $2.50 Net Cornish & Carey Commercial Todd Shaffer (408) 987-4144
10061 Bubb Road 14,500 N/A N/A Ritchie Commercial Gary Seiden (408) 282-8511
10050 N Wolfe Road 14,764 $2.75 Full Service CPS Corfac International Erik Hallgrimson (408) 615-3435
1340 De Anza Blvd 18,578 N/A N/A Borelli Investment Company Buddy Parsons (408) 453-4700
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
Property Avail. SF Rate/SF Terms leasing Company Contact Phone
CAMPBELL
695 Campbell Technology Pky 2nd FI 10,412 $1.65 Net CPS Corfac International Steve Pace (408) 615-3400
603 Campbell Technology Pky 10,890 N/A N/A Colliers International Michael Rosendin (408) 282-3900
1359 Dell Ave 12,100 N/A N/A CPS Corfac International Steve Horton (408) 615-3400
1355 Dell Ave 12,758 N/A N/A CPS Corfac International Steve Horton (408) 615-3412
511 Division Street 17,210 $0.85 Net South Bay Development Paula Parisi (408) 796-0028
655 Campbell Technology Pky 21,562 $1.10 Net Cushman & Wakefield Roger Gage (408)572-4112
1300 White Oaks Road 30,000 $1.50 Net Cornish & Carey Commercial Samuel Wright (408) 987-4139
250 E Hacienda Ave 36,148 N/A N/A CPS Corfac International Steve Horton (408) 615-3400
Mcglincy Lane 64,232 N/A N/A CB Richard Ellis Scott Prosser (408) 453-7454
CUPERTINO
10440B Bubb Road 10,573 N/A N/A Mission West Properties Ray Marino (408) 725-0700
10670 N Tantau Ave 10,790 $1.75 Net Cornish & Carey Commercial Philip Mahoney (408) 982-8430
10381 Bandley Drive 12,748 $1.85 Net CB Richard Ellis Robert Steinbock (408) 453-7424
18922 Forge Drive 29,598 $1.75 Full Service Colliers International Jeff Rogers (408) 282-3919
10460 Bubb Road 31,403 N/A N/A Mission West Properties Ray Marino (408) 725-7632
10400 N Tantau Ave 45,600 $1.00 Net Cushman & Wakefield Scott Ennis (408) 572-4125
10200 N Tantau Ave 57,000 $1.85 Net CPS Corfac International Brandon Bain (408) 615-3416
10300 N Tantau Ave 100,650 $1.00 Net Cushman & Wakefield Scott Ennis (408) 572-4125
18880 Homestead Road 101,300 $2.25 Net Colliers International Gregg Von Thaden (408) 282-3915
FOSTER CITY
0 1125 E Hillsdale Blvd 11,640 N/A N/A Kaboli Real Estate Soroush Kaboli (650) 325-7891
- 384 Foster City Blvd 15,012 $0.99 Net CB Richard Ellis Crai9 McGahey (650) 494-5133
7'V
\
J)
~~ "';flY I'~'" ,~: l ~ .. ~ ,.~~ .. " " - ,~. " r". " ~ ~" ~ 'I~ r.r,;~. . ".. '" "~ ... _ ~ '
COMMERCIAL SPACE".
Cupertino's mall getting makeover along with. expansion
BY BRAD BERTON
sanjose@bizjournals.com
A couple years from now, shoppers returning
to Cupertino's Valko Fashion Park for the fIrst
time may hardly recognize the place after some
$200 million worth of multifaceted expansion
and improvement projects. Construction types
ranging from entertainment and eateries, to res-
idential and even hospitality, underlie the long-
struggling property's transformation from a
traditional enclosed mall to more of a new-wave
"lifestyle" center.
More specifically, as Valko morphs into its
new moniker Cupertino Square, visitors will be
able to hit up a 12-merchant food court before or
after catching a movie at the 16-screen cineplex.
Residents of the repositioned development's
coming condominium units, and guests of its
two planned hotels, will also be able to grab a
bite and a beer q.t the new-wave bowling center
or any of several other new and future culinary
offerings.
Not counting the condos and hotels, the team,
headed by Cupertino developers Alan Wong and
Emily Chen, is in the process of expanding the
64-acre property's retail floor space (or gross
leasable area) by roughly 30 percent, to well
over 1.4 million square feet. More importantly,
the magnetic new elements aim to inject some
much-needed "wow factor" into the 30-year-old
shopping center bisected by Wolfe Road just
south of the Junipero Serra (1-280) Freeway,
says Valko's longtime general manager Mike
Rohde.
Reflecting the general movement away from
the traditional enclosed mall filled with stores
and a few mundane restaurants, most ofthe na-
tion's newer developments designed as lifestyle
centers follow the "open-air" configuration,
emulating downtown streetscapes. In addition
to retail shops, they tend to go heavy on enter-
tainment elements, including upscale themed
restaurants and nightclubs.
The Cupertino Square team is transforming
Valko into something of a hybrid, retaining the
roof over the L-shaped focal structure while in-
tegrating peripheral buildings housing restau-
rants and specialty merchants, and eventually
housing in this case. Central to the transforma-
tion - both literally and figuratively - is the
long-anticipated 3,500-seat AMC Theatres mul-
tiplex scheduled to open in late ApriL
To house the cinema, crews from DPR
Construction Inc. are adding an 80,500-square-
foot, escalator-accessed third floor, essentially
carved from of a portion of the two-level center's
existing retail space. The new level also incor-
porates the expanded central atrium, creating
an entry to both the theaters and shopping area
that Rohde describes as downright "spectacu-
lar."
Among all the Valko improvements and addi-
tions, the AMC project is clearly the most chal-
lenging from design, engineering and construc-
tion perspectives. "It's an engineering marvel,"
Rohde says.
Adding the theater level entails extending
more than 100 structural columns about four
feet vertically into the existing roof, explains
DPR project manager Mark Whiley. Crews have
also substantially expanded and reinforced the
column footings on the main floor, and at the
second level as well, to help support the cinema-
level "podium," Whiley adds.
That has meant temporarily digging into
walls to expose the columns, with much of that
work taking place in spaces still occupied by
GOUR:',', INNOVATlV[ OESIGNARGHITEGTURE
MALL EXPANSION: An artist drawing shows a food eouTt redesign under way at Cupertino's Valleo Fashion Park.
tenants. Hence coordinating the activities with
safety concerns in mind presents no shortage of
logistical challenges, Whiley and Rhode stress.
"There are a lot of moving parts," says Rohde,
who's quick to also acknowledge the contribu-
tions of Perkowitz+ Ruth Architects and KPFF
Consulting Engineers.
As the cineplex opening approaches, efforts to
"re-brand" the property as Cupertino Square
will intensify, continues Rohde, who had been
general manager for four years or so before the
current owners bought Vallco out of receiver-
ship in 2003 for a reported $80 million. Wong
and Chen headed the local group that bought
the property from a former mortgage lender
in 2003. They've since revised the ownership
entity and capitalization occasionally, with the
owner group currently known as Cupertino
Square LLC as of the last major refinancing in
late August.
Next up after the AMC addition, the upscale
Strike Cupertino bowling center is scheduled to
open in mid-July. The 32-lane facility next to the
mall's ice-skating rink can accommodate birth-
day parties and the like for younger bunches
during daylight hours, as well as nightclub/res-
taurant-type entertainment for adults, Rohde
explains.
Also under construction on the second level is
the mall's striking new.wave food court featur.
ing a dozen vendor stalls and 600-some seats.
The court and several other new and planned
eateries should bring in more shoppers, Rohde
expects. The latest additions are the Islands and
adjacent California Pizza Kitchen at Wolfe Road
and Stevens Creek Boulevard, along the south-
ern peri!)hery.
While Cupertino citizens voted down the
Vallco group's plan for 137 condos north of the
primary structure, the owners have develop-
ment entitlements in place to transform an east.
ern parking lot into a mixed-use facility wjtb
204 residences and another 105,000 square feet
of retail space along with another nearly 1,200
parking spaces, Rohde notes. Plans have the
groundbreaking taking place within the next
year.
Meanwhile. the approximately five-acre tri-
angular site slated for the nixed condo p] an
can alternatively accommodate a new hotel
under the property owners' development
agreement with the city, Rohde explains. The
expectation is that the freeway-front site will
soon see a hotel with 200 or more rooms and a
smallish conference facility.
And just to the east of that site, the owners
have entitlements to develop another hotel,
likely to be an upscale property with 150 to
175 rooms, Rohde says. The group is in discus.
sions with potential operators but hasn't set a
construction timetable.
Meanwhile, all three anchor department stores
(Sears, Macy's, J.C. Penney) have also commit-
ted to what Rohde characterizes as "multi.mil-
lion-dollar" remodeling efforts, either recently
completed or currently under way.
To help accommodate the additional patron-
age the cinema and other improvements will
predictably generate, the developers are also
erecting multiple multi-level parking structures
as the site's surface lots disappear. They've just
fInished up a pair of garages providing another
1,500-some stalls.
. BRAD BERTON is a freelance writer specializ,,',)
in real estate. He is based in Portland, Ore.
O/f2;lq
PAGE 33
MARCH 2, 2007
SILICON VALLEY I SAN JOSE
BUSINESS JOURNAL
sanjose.bizjournals.com
Covering San Benito, Santa Cruz and Monterey counties
Rancor growing around Monterey initiative
BY MARY DUAN
sanjose@bizjoumals.com
Just months before voters encounter
what likely will be one of the most
confusing ballot measures in Mon-
terey County history, proponents of the
growth blueprint developed by the coun-
ty's Board of Supervisors have come out
swinging against authors of the compet-
I ing, slow-growth initiative.
As the Board of Supervisors met Feb.
27 to haggle over the ballot language
voters will face when they go to the
polls in June, the group "Plan for the
People" re-launched a campaign it be-
gan one year ago.
Aimed at exposing what it calls threats
to the county's economy and livability
by the Community Plan Initiative writ-
ten by LandWatch, Plan for the People
includes representatives from the agri-
culture industry and labor unions, as
well as affordable housing developers
and advocates for farmworker rights.
In a scene reminiscent of a Hollywood
film set, Plan for the People supporters
gathered in the parking lot outside of
the National Steinbeck Center in Sali-
nas, holding signs in Spanish and Eng-
lish with slogans such as "Who's Watch-
ing LandWatch," "Our Ancestors Didn't
Come Here to Rent," and "We Deserve a
Plan for Everyone."
Speakers stood on a flatbed truck
trailer decorated with hay bales, wood-
en barrels, fresh produce and bottles of
wine and, one after another, denounced
the initiative. LandWatch has sued the
county in an effort to force its plan be-
fore voters.
The initiative "is a terrible mistake
for our county's future," said Butch
Lindley, a rancher, partner in Lock-
wood Winery and former Monterey
County supervisor.
Asked why opponents of the Land-
Watch had waited until seemingly the
last minute to aggressively campaign
against the initiative, Lindley said:
"Many of us thought it would never get
to this point.
"When outside influences could come
to bear to this extent, I began to real-
ize the importance of this kind of push
back from LandWatch," he said. "You
can't have a better education in lessons
you didn't want to learn than by being
on the Board of Supervisors."
Chris Fitz, executive director of
LandWatch, could not be immediately
reached for comment.
Plan for the People supporters said
that, ifpassed, the initiative would force
special elections to be held before virtu-
ally every development in the unincor-
porated county could go forward. This,
they said, would lead to approval only
of projects by rich developers who could
afford "slick advertising campaigns"
and the resulting expensive political
races.
The countywide vote requirement
also wrenches control from local com-
munities and places it in the hands of
people who have no emotional or eco-
nomic investment in such decisions,
they said.
"Initiative backers claim it will give
people a voice in land decisions, but
the opposite is true," said Juan Ura-
nga, executive director ofthe Center for
Community Advocacy, which teaches
farmworkers to organize and lobby for
improved housing conditions. Uranga,
an attorney, is the husband of former
Salinas mayor and current state Assem-
blywOl)1an Anna Caballero.
"The initiative increases the dispar-
ity between rich and poor in our coun-
try. The initiative says that wealthy
people on the peninsula will be able to
vote on how the valley grows, but work-
ing families in the valley cannot decide
on how the peninsula grows," he said.
"That gets under my skin."
Meanwhile, the Board of Supervisors
agreed at its Feb. 27 meeting to place
three separate referendums to decide
the fate of the General Plan on the June
ballot.
The first is a referendum that would
overturn the board's approval of the
General Plan; the second asks voters
whether or not the board's approval
of the latest incarnation of the Gen-
eral Plan, known as GPU 4, should be
repealed; and the third asks voters
whether or not they want to approve the
General Plan Initiative.
Monterey County has been struggling
for more than seven years, at a cost of
more than $7 million in taxpayer funds,
to pass a General Plan, the blueprint for
how growth will take place in the unin-
corporated county for the next 20 years.
The process has become so mired in
controversy that the editor of one local
paper likened it to civil war.
Last year, LandWatch sued to prevent
GPU 4 from going forward without vot-
ers also being able to consider its rival
General Plan Initiative. But that initia-
tive also has been tied up in litigation,
the subject of a suit filed by several La-
tino activists who claimed the Initiative
violated the Voters Rights Act because
petition materials weren't circulated in
Spanish.
Most recently, LandWatch and six
other public advocacy groups sued Mon-
terey County in early February,alleg-
ing the county violated provisions of
the California Environmental Quality
Act when it certified an Environmental
Impact Report and adopted the General
Plan in January. The groups are ask-
ing a judge to issue a writ ordering the
county to set aside the General Plan
until it is brought into compliance with
CEQA and state zoning and planning
laws.
MARY DUAN is a freelance writer based in Salinas.
PfR-Qo
In Depth
14 THE BUSINESS JOURNAL
:,:q~llHQ",~t:<Half~centuty ats
";'~'~9@NQ-_~~. ~R,~"P~~'~"~3"-.:'::~_";';; ".' ,-' ;' :i-' .:. 'J_': -. ., :,,~~~~~ati~R.~,,-
, ','" " ",,'" " ,monitoring
areas of eXpertise. This was refleded;of theses,,:!'
at least in part, in a Bank of America as part, of a
study that found by 1966 that fully 70 called "system
percel,1t of sales in the, area resulted vides greater
: fromgovetnineritcpntracts.. :", "and an a .
Through the1970s and '80s, while the · ture as n
companY-was stilldevelopiIlniulfiple, able; , The,
generations of stEMs ari.d " ,,' oth- ,was bolste
ersystemsvitalJo natiblj' 't of,Lockhe
was :aJ.SQ involved in hUil' er both co
j:>rojed~ that posed iinpress~ve ,al,- and com
lenies that wouldbeovetcome the new c
a passion for. in11Qva,uol1 '" , ' Today,
. ent toe ' , " teIrl,s Co
Ie s ernployee
~ll day in Su
has gro
yeats. In
'last half-c
, :efited 'fro
. '. global ce .
aIld some
. .seatch fac
it haS bro
of good jo
wisdom of
. and sets a'stan stry':by
. sOlving its. customers'.. toughest chal-
lenges. Lockheed Martin is at home in
Sunnyvale. . . ". . .... .
Author's niJte: Sunnyvale population
figures, additional. details about the
Bayshore . Freeway . and Lockheed's
choice of site(culledfroni reminiscenc-
es of early Lockheed employees) and
the cited finding of a Bank of America
study were foundmthe book: "Slihny-
vale: From the City of Destiny to the
Heart of Silicon Valley" by' Mary Jo
Ignoffo, published in 1994 py the. Cali-
fornia History Center Foundation.
sanjose.bizjournals.com
FEBRUARY 23, 2007
/
I
ret~1,itfYol}:i~i5Wi~~~ . ... > ..< .:.'
....., .fh~.;r..o~kI1~e~, weir ..,......o.e....<......m....in.............th........s....'e..unn.......'.....,..-............................,.....'..yd......~.....;.......
y<l:l~p/:jaK~ctat ~ .. .L...... .
. W$Os, QPt witl\ .pf the.1??yi~~
IJi1ioL\and::3.. OL\ding,deplii:iein,
def~ns.e "'Qudgets, . e1l11?lo:\'1l1efltplliit"
bers b~gaIl. to CiepliIie.For:unatelY, the
boon1ingec()nOlnyin Silicol1Vapey~
WhichrnallY attribute t()tl:1efalentand
eXpertisedr~wn to the.. in'e~ 1))': Lo~k-
heed, ~. was able. t~ abs()rlpnanywho
lost thew jObsdronically, thecQDlPanY
Whose strategicsysteDls lielpeliWil11:he
Cold War Mdtorealignto genetatenew
busineSS.
'i'liattealignment was aided, in la,rge
part,by ~trtnning .. advances;. in semi.
conductor tecpnologiesd~velo];)ed.in
Sunnyva1e ..and the surrounding; area.
Large-scale . processing Gapability e1,1-
abled the design and construction of
advanced space-based military satel~
lites, airborne assets and gr01U1d sys-
tems that individually perform specific
functions ~ such as communications,
I\IiV!.ES D. CRANDALLis vice president, Strategic
Development, and Site Executive, San Francisco
Bay Area, ~t Lockheed Martin Space Systems
Gomp~ny in Sunnyvale. He can be reached at ssc.
communications@IItlCil.cilm.
DtlZ -:) I
In Depth
14 THE BUSINESS JOURNAL
sanjose.bizjournals.com
FEBRUARY 23, 2007
New stadium a
Sa:l1ta Clafa<b:oost
Football is a powerful sport. On the field, .it em.
bodies the spirit of teanlWbrk to cOllectively accom-
plish a shared goal. Inthestands, it isa sport that
transcends barriers in soCiety to galvanize people
of all ages, nationalities, religions and income-
levels. Fans from across tlie country and beyond
enter stadiums as strangers, and become united
as a community as they cheer for
their team.
As owner of the San Francisco
4gers, I am committed to deliver-
ing a new stadium in the Bay
Area for the team's fans in time
for the 2012 NFL season. The pri-
mary focus of our effort is the
City of Santa Clara, which has
been home to our practice facility
and headquarters for nearly two
decades. It's an exCiting opportu-
nity, and we are working closely
with elected leaders, citizens and
the business community as we
study the feasibility of building II John York
a new stadium without raising
taxes or negatively impacting the
city's general fUnd.
Football stadiums can take from the best of a
city's image and the collective attributes of its citi-
zens. Together with our architects, we are design-
ing a state-of-the.art stadium that represents the
first of a new generation in stadium design. Our
goal is to develop a venue that reflects the innova-
tion, creativity and ingenuity that make Silicon
Valley such a dynamic area.
The 4gers see the site near the Great America
amusement park as an ideal location for a new sta-
dium. Thanks to Silicon Valley's supportive busi-
ness community with many hotels, restaurants
and shops, a new stadium would be a terrific boost
to the local economy. The synergistic opportuni-
ties with existing businesses and entertainment
options in the. area are endless. One of our main
design concepts is a central pedestrian plaza that
would link the new stadium to the Great America
amusement park on one end,. and the Santa Clara
Convention Center on the other, creating a vibrant
Insider
,
View
See YORK, Page 14
YOR.K:Santa Clara a destination for 4gers fans during training camp at team's headquarters
CONTINUEO FROM PAGE 13
Santa Clara and Silicon Valley has to offer with the en"
tire nation. In addition to the 68,000 fans Jrom through-
out the Bay Area and beyond who would attend 4gers
games on Sundays, the team and the NFL brings tre"
mendous television exposure. Nationwide, more than
195 million Americans watched the 2005 NFL regular
season ~ that's 7 out of every 10 people in the United
States. During the NFL season, 4gers games regularly
receive the highest rating of any television program in
the Bay Area. All this adds up to tremendous exposure
to the community and businesses in the city of Santa
Clara and the entire Silicon Valley region,
entertainment district for the city. On game days, we
imagine mobile food stations, bands, games and fam-
ily activities lining the plaza, creating a street festival
that would be open to both game day patrons and the
general public.
Santa Clara is already a popular destination for
4gers fans during training camp, which has been held
at the team's headquarters for the past three seasons.
A new stadiuni would be a great way to share all that
Beyond the increased visibility, a neW stadiUm would
bring many construction jobs created by the project and
satellite .business opportunities. Anew stadium would
also become a hub of activity and source of community
pride. A new venue could host diverse events'ranging
from college and high school football.games, concerts,
soccer and motor sports events, andcomll1.inityevents.
Finally, we see a new stadium as a: venue capable of
hosting the Super Bowl, generating hundt'edsofmil-
lions of dollars in economic activity tothe regiOn.
JOHN VORK is owner of the San Francisco 4gersfoutbalUeam.
DI,e -J~
In Depth
14 THE BUSINESS JOURNAL
. Mountaihd'Vi:uw's
. '. -0. ','
downtownthrives
The successofto(iay's (iowntown MountainYiew
was a studied and precise result of innovative plan-
ning beginning over 20 years ago. The city demon-
strated "smart growth" principles before the now
popular term was ever conceived. The revitaliza-
tion started in the late 198013 with three catalysts:
a mixed USe devc:llopment on the 11 acre former
Mountain View High School site
and the city's large investments
in both the street improvements
along Castro Street and a new
City Hall.
The magnitude of these invest-
ments was considered extraordi-
nary at the time, and as such
received criticism. They are now
looked back on as visionary, set-
ting the stage for further innova- Hnsid
tion which has characterized the B' er
city ever.. since. Six factors con"
tributed to the success Mountain vievv
View:
II Jackie
Safier
Applying a mixed-use (housing,
office, retail) strategy
Built on 11 acres, the MoUntain
View City Center development (located on the 600
block of Castro, the former. Mountain View High
School site) includes 370 apartment units (Park
Place), and a 5-story class A commercial building
consiSting of 112,146. square feet of office and retail
space. The city was influential in requiring the in-
corporation of stoops in the residential component,
similar to. the brownstones in New York, in order
to help relate the buildings to the street level. The
property, deVeloped in 1989 by Prometheus and de"
signed by Fisher"Friedman AssoCiates of San Fran-
cisco, . received numerous design awards and was
selected as a ease study for the Harvard Gratiuate
School of Design. The City turned the neighboring
six: a,cre site located onFraIlklin Street (the former
athletic fields of the Mountain View High School)
into the popular Eagle Park.
In 2002, another iconic mixed-use pr?perty Was
completed at the'4001:Jlocko( Castro~tr(!et. pevel-
oped by Tishnian-Speyer and designed by the SaIl
" SeeSARER, ~age 14
sanjose.bizjournals.com
FEBRUARY 23, 2007
I
i
/
!
!rl_~ll;r
CONTINUEIJFROM;~KGfi3 '
Fral"l(}i!li;oatc9At~iJttit~tfITlll.;.'t)f:Esli~r-
ick Honw;sy DOQ~et~, pavis,tQe; 13~,!382
sqtiar~ (oot s~storie<fbllildi:tlgi11cllldes
grOun<f.floor r~tailwith..$!gew"8Jk..!;efl.t"
ing, T'Yo sc11lpt\ttes'GTeatedby~ritis~
artist G.aryHyrrte, are a focalP?i1;ttof
the r>laza thate~tends .alQng''Castro and
Californiastr~ts,.. .... ....... ....... ..... ...... ......
1\pda.r, MOUl)f1inYi~~'sPastrO street
is a place to live, w?r~ aIi<f!ll1op.Tliere'
tail is. a fille biend.o,f patipl1al and lpGal
tl:mants" adding to tliecity's vibrancy
aIld character. .
BoIsteringpulilicJnf~iI~trur:tUrt!. . . ."
ThE!. Gity . has . tIlad~subst~.tiN . in-
vestment in the' tiOWrttQWll,: inGlildin.g
civic facilities, .pa,r]{!l andstreetsGape
improvements,. totaIiJ;1~oyer$100mil.
lion, The 1\1ountain"iewPlty Ha.lland
Performing Arts Center;. (:ompleted.in
April 1991, caused' Clstit Witli its total
price tag of $44.5Wi1lion, Ii!. whopping
$15.5 million over the city's budg~tat
the time. The. City Hall develoPl11ent,
designed by esteemed S@ FranCisco
architect William Turnball, included
a 77,000-square-foot city . hall and a
46,000"square"foot commuIlity theater
that arched around a 30,000-square-
foot courtyard opening into the 500
block of Castro Street. Mountain View
also built a new public library in 1997,
completing the centrally located Civic
Center.
Inilovative street improvements
At the time of the City Hall redevelop-
ment, the city alSo spent $12 million to
redesign the traffic patterns by narrow-
ing Castro Street, widening the side-
walk from the typical width of 3 feet to 4
feet to a width of12 feet to 18 feet, adding
:t:acataIY$(fphinOhvativa-" -.
,::"',.,';,,' ',_.:' ,', .'.i':i,::.)i :",.::::-:.: ,; ':",;: :':;;""'.': ;,::;:,' :.';,'.:,_:--;.;'_..',':,"i,.,'." -..
nj-in',,-Niduntain:.\tiewi}'.:
FlIclI$ing!lJn Jl~~I.i~~~$P9gil~lilt . .... .
MOtm~. "iew'stI'~~ltstati()ri, de-
sign~dbY liawley getej?spII & Snyder,
wascompletedin1.~9~.Tli~tnulti-Wpti-
al tr~sit (:enterdevelq].Jw~nt:in.Glllde.s
arepliy~9ftiJ.~... prigip.~.!I"~in,~taJ~()p',
the ''f~sll1.an. COrri(ior '. ~igllt .~~il 'liIie,
CaITraiP;,b~stt.~sfer ~nd11l.y.over
facility; . expap.ded p~kingfacilities,
.. platform'. ill1pI"PY(!m~I1ts iandJl.ed~stfi.
~.'access improvemeIlts''rhePt.9iect
contributeti.tptiJ.e city's. ~e~l;}ctioI1by
the Alll(!rican .plaJll1in~ . Associ~tiQn
fol'. tiJ.e"(jlltgtand41trPl3.llI1ingA.-ward
for:~!m:I)lel11ep'tati()n" . for ,]ntegraied
TraiisitDevelopm(!nt in 2002.
~iU~"qUa!iJY! design
Underlyin.g alloftheGity's dec~sions
was arl unrelenting long-teTlllfo9us. on
quality of deSign, often at a time when
the immediate' economics and return
may have not yet justified it.
The innovation and qUality of de-
velopment that started over 20. years
ago in downtown Mountain View has
spurred continued thoughtful and
well-planned development iri following
years. It is only fitting, in keeping With
the spirit of innovation, that in August
2006, MOuIltain View b~calUe thefltst
cityin the UnitedState~ entirelY cov-
ered by a free wireless Internet access
network provided by Google.
JACL VN B. s,mER is a principal with Prometheus Real
Estate Group, Inc., a San-Mateo based real estate developer,
owner and manager of over 16,000 apartments thruughuut the
Western United States.
DrR..-.;23
~n Ueptn
18 THE BUSINESS JOURNAL
sanjose.bizjournals.com
FEBRUARY 23, 2007
Sunnyvale uses rezoning to encourage building more housing
BY DANEK S. ItAUS
sanjose@bizjournals.com
The city of Smmyvale is encourag-
ing the building of more housing, much
of it through rezoning changes to the
General Plan and redevelopment in the
downtown area, and a large part of the
rezoning is changing industrial to resi-
dential (ITR).
Planning Officer Trudi Ryan says that
Ihr rrwninl!, is part of rt regional efforl
lu crea18 Inure housing, as well as irJl-
prove traffic flow and quality oflife.
The vast majority of the new hous-
ing units that will possibly come on
line in the next couple of years will be
townhouses, condominiums and apart-
ments, according to city spokesperson
John Pilger.
"Sunnyvale, like a lot of cities in the
valley, doesn't have a lot of places to
build housing," Pilger says. "The only
thing we can do is rezone to allow more
PlIC
housing, more density, so when we go
through the ITR process, we recognize
that while we are giving up some indus-
trial land for housing, at the same time
we don't want to decimate what is zoned
industrial."
From July 2005 to June 2006, the city
approved the construction of about 950
residential units. From July 1 to Feb. 15,
the city has approved 297 new housing
units, most of them town houses, and a
few single family homes.
"Maybe all of them won't get built,"
Ryan says, citing changes in the hous-
ing market.
Multiple projects:
. As part of a change to the General
Plan, the city is considering an ITR for
a l30-are site bordered by East Duane
Avenue, Stewart Drive. Wolfe Road
and Xavior Drive. Potentially, it could
add 2,842 dwellings if the city council
approves rezoning, a decision that will
be made in the near future, according
to Ryan.
'Littllegt.ellipillyet~: ,
{OllicDevif:1! Inc.lsemiconiluctors & l1iIaled ileviceS)
PharmacyClics Inc, (pharmacillil\cal,pfBparatlolis')
Vei'ity ine. \DE\ (servicBS'comp\lter processing .
1\ om, prejJaraliiln) .
SUNNYVALE CHANGES: The Tewn & Ceuntry shepping center in downtown Sunnyvale will be demolished and replaced with residential housing over retail.
OrNNISG. HrNORICKS
Applications had initially been made
to rezone two sections of the site, one
for 242 residential units, by The Riding
Group in San Jose, and the other for 304,
by Taylor Woodrow in San Ramon,
The council asked the planning divi-
sion to study the site as a whole.
"Rather than do it piecemeal, the
council decided to do a review of ev-
erything," Ryan says.
City staff and the planning commis-
sion have recommended a configu-
ration that would create up to 2,612
dwellings, fewer than the land could
actually have. In the recommendation,
50 acres would be developed for low
medium density residential, for the
construction of 12 to 14 single family
homes per acre. Forty acres would be
used for medium density residential,
20 for high density residential, 10 for
commercial and 10 for parks.
. Another significant project is the
... .- . ~:,',.. '-J'
tti~trll1u\~nitJltSlitiD6j;1J~l!ibt':_
103rilT~~fa~~~~i,\ilQ(2!i2{3DOD
Superinlendet1l:phil,Quim
. - ,.
F.remontiUriflii1:HJilhi'Srlholil,Oistrict .,.
50g,Wesi Frimiiiif^v~,;'4D8'5m2200'
'Supeiit1tendelil:iI!ohY:llilve
Four Points Sheraton, on Lakeside
Drive, which the owners have torn down
to make room for a smaller, 250 room
hotel with about 244 residehtial units
on the site. The developer is Millen-
nium Group. out of Singapore.
The time line for its development is
now uncertain. "It's all driven by the
economy," Ryan says.
. The Downtown Specific Plan, a set
of zoning ordinances that apply spe-
cifically to the downtown area, lays
out plans for additional housing, in-
cluding two major projects.
In the Sunnyvale Town Center Rede-
velopment Project. the existing shop-
ping mall will be torn down to make
room for a combination of commercial
space. retail stores and a maximum
of 292 ownership units that will prob-
ably be a combination of townhouses
and residential over retail, according to
Pilger. The developer is RREEF, a global
50
financial organization, and Sand Hill
Properties, in San Mateo ..'" ,.'..:;.,.\-."
According to thedeveloPl11ertt:agl1JEi,'.
ment, demolition must be completed by
the end of this year, with :delivery of
retail shells by March. 2009. . Housing
units are expected to be otTered soon
after that.
. Nearby Town and Country shopping
center will be demolished and rebuilt as
residential over retail, though no specif-
ic proposal had been sent to the council
by the developer. Sand Hill Properties in
San Mateo.
Pilger says that new housing will be
an important addition to the city.
"We need to have places for people
who work in our community to live. It
is an important part of a viable commu.
nity, " Pilger says.
.::b;f:~:r
IIlANE!( S. I{AUS is , Ireelance writer based in Mountain
View.
i"dllstrieS)ptli.~idingelllpl~~i\iIUlt:: .
_' >~--': - .. :.:5- .:~~:~":' ,....'-;; " ':". "!:..
~~~ClJ~~~I~le~i~~~'~0.~':: .
15 20 25 30 35
D/R -/14-
FEBRUARY 23, 2007
sanjose.bizjournals.com
In Depth
THE BUSINESS JOURNAL 19
Community opinion sought on Onizuka Station reuse plans
BY JEe A. BALLOU
sanjose@bizjournals.com
v
~
\
R:>
())
As the city of Sunnyvale marches towards its
fall deadline with the Department of Defense, local
groups have been invited to give input on the future
life of Onizuka Air Force Station as the range of
possible reuses gets trimmed to a shorter list this...
spring.
Onizuka will close in 2011 as part of the Depart-
ment of Defense's Base Realignment and Closure
(BRAC) measures. Operational staff will transfer to
Santa Barbara county or other assignments and the
current 23-acre property at the intersection of Route
237 and Highway 101 will most likely be developed to
serve the local community.
The exact nature of that development will be deter-
mined over the next two months, according to Adam
Levermore-Rich, deputy communications officer for
Sunnyvale. By fall, the city council must present a
single proposal to the Department of Defense, out-
lining the most feasible development option. The
military then has one year to either accept or reject
the plan.
"We're trying to make this as much of a public
process as possible," says Levermore-Rich, dispel-
ling allegations surrounding other base closure sites
around California that reuse-activities neglect com-
munity interests.
After being named by the Department of Defense
last year to head up the Onizuka reuse process,
Sunnyvale city council's first action has been to
form a Community Advisory Committee (CAC). The
group includes representatives from Mountain View
city council, business leaders, school and education
officials, and at-large community members. It is
responsible for representing community interests
to the city council and advising on the most suitable
reuse plan.
Levermore-Rich says a series of spring meetings
will narrow the list of all reuse possibilities to a
shorter list of likely candidates.
"We're right in the middle of that process right
now," he reported. "There's a lot of analysis that has
to go into this based on feasibility."
A call for interests in the property went out last
summer and several local groups submitted a writ-
ten interest in development options. In particular,
homeless service providers have eyed Onizuka for a
'We're trying to make this as
much of a public process as possible.'
Adam Levermore-Rich
Deputy Communications Officer, Sunnyvale
while.
The CAC and city council, though, will need to
weigh those needs against other potential develop-
ments at the site.
"The difficulty is that this isn't a real big facility,"
says Levermore-Rich, noting that Onizuka, a military
intelligence and satellite control center, has no bar-
racks or existing housing on-site. The council will
need to consider how far-fetched of an endeavor it
might be to transition the station into an affordable
living complex or other housing development.
No general reuse scenario exists for base closures
nationwide, but the most popular reuse activity has
been mixed-use development, with a blend of retail
and housing, according to Tim Ford, executive direc-
tor of the Association of Defense Communities in
Washington, D.C. These varied developments are de-
pendent on what the local community envisions.
"But with smaller sites, like Onizuka, you do tend
to see a more focused re-development of a single use,"
says Ford. Local real estate needs dictate the priority
of that development, Ford says, and in areas like Sili-
con Valley where housing is tight, most communities
push for reusing bases for housing developments.
According to Onizuka Chief of Public Affairs, Val-
erie Joseph, the site currently has 11 buildings total-
ing of 507,000 square feet, and an on-site power plant.
The station is operated by the 21st Space Operations
Squadron and maintains an array of satellite dish an-
tennas in addition to the five-story windowless main
building known locally as the "blue cube."
Joseph has given tours of the station to Sunnyvale's
council to help inform its reuse plans.
"What we've done is show them around the station, ..
so they have an understanding of what's there," says
Joseph.
Military offiCIals originally recommended realign-
ing Onizuka vnth other stations in 1995. Since then, it
has remained flJlly active, although most of its activi-
ties remain classified. In 2005, Secretary of Defense
Donald Rumsfeld recommended closing the station
entirely as part of the military's fifth round of base
closures and resizing nationwide.
Once the Air Force vacates the property in 2011,
Onizuka gets tU"ned over to the Air Force Real Prop-
erty agency, 1,V11 ich becomes caretaker in the interim
until ownersh1p is eventually transferred through a
sale to develope"" or in a negotiated deal between the
Air Force and lecal municipalities.
JEe ARISTOTLE BAUJ.lU is a freelance writer based in Aptos.
lm UepUl
16 THE BUSINESS JOURNAL
sanjose.bizjournals.com
FEBRUARY 23, 2007
GOURnSYGIIYOFSANIA~Lm
REVITALIZING DOWNTOWN: The city of Sanla Clara plans 10 recreate a new ami vibrant downlown area al Franklin and Washington slreets that will .Uracllocat residenls, lourists and nearby_university 'acully and studenls.
Stadium not seen as threat to downtown Santa Clara plans
BY BECKY BERGMAN
sanjose@bizjoumals.com
Santa Clara city leaders say a football stadium with accompanying retail
development won't compete for business with a new downtown.
The San Francisco 4gers want to build a 68,OOO-seat football stadi-
lUll adjacent to the Paramount Great America Theme Park in Santa
Clara.
In a letter dated January 4, team co-owner John York said the
complex would also serve other events, including concerts,
PlIC~mI~~~~1l
...~'b_,","""l
international soccer games and even the Suo
per Bowl.
City officials say the area would best sup.
port destination restaurants, specialty shops
and trendy boutiques that appeal to tourists
and local visitors.
Real estate leaders believe the stadium deal
would be a real coup for the city and help Santa
Clara attract trendy restaurants, high-endretailel's
and sales tax revenue to the region.
"It would be phenomenal for Santa Clara and a huge plus
SANTA CLARA
Sanla Clara County
City Han, 1500 Warburton Ave. 95050
40B"615.2200
Mayor: Patricia M. Mayhan
City Manager: Jennifer Sparacino
Land Area: 18.4 square miles
Zip Code;; 95050, 95051, 95054
POPULATION:
Estimated, July 2005: 105,402
(State Department of Finance)
2000 census: 102,361 (+2.97% change)
Median resident age
33.4 years - year 2000
Median household income
$69,466 - year 2000
Median household value
$396.500 - year 2000
See DOWNTOWN, Page 17
SCHOOL DISTRICTS:
Santa Clara Unified School Oistiict
18B9 Lawrence Road, 40B-423-2000
Superintendent: Rod Adams
LARGEST EMPLOYERS:
Transmela Corp. (semlcondlJl:tolS & !elated devices)
PorlalPlayer, Inc. (semiconduclors & mlaled
demes)
lIetgear Inc. (telephone & le!egrnph apparalus)
Hyperion Solutions Corp. (servlt;es-prepackaged
sollware)
Riverstone Networks Inc. (computer
communicatlors e~uipment)
SUN Microsystems Inc. (e\et;tronic computelS)
loran Corp. IDEI (semiconductors & mialed
devlces)
Affymetrix Inc. (Iaboralory analytical instlUments)
Cily of Sanla Clara
NOTABLE:
Paramount's Great America
COUR1[SYOF SANFRANG~i:049[RS
FOOTBAll IN SANTA CLARA? An artisl's rendering depicts the 4gers' 6B,000 seal football stadium proposed lor Santa Clara.
Education level
Population 25 years and over
Bachelor'stlegree or
higher ',;-"
Graduate or professional degree
Ethnic groups: (greater than 10%)
100
60
80
Mearitravel.tlri;~'to work~~1i~;:TjM1~~':; "', '.
, I I' .Hispanic
10
20
30
40
50
industries providin!l employment:
Construction building permits 21106:
.f" ,:1.
;.~.;._..,,;.\~;.,,:\'~
Professional manaljement
" "jl scientific, adminiStnllive. and
, . -.' . waste management.ervices
New commercial bldgs. - 10
Commercial tenant
. improvements
200 400 600 000
Educational. health and social services
1000
10
15
20
25
30 35
SOURGE, r.11~' 0, SAN" CLARA. U~. r:H~U, BUREAU IINCLUOING 10Db [STlM!IE)
t/lt< r:J&
FEBRUARY 23, 2007
sanjose.bizjournals.com
In Depth
THE BUSINESS JOURNAL 17
DOWNTOWN: Heart of Santa Clara project will be a plaza at franklin and Washington streets
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16
for the overall valley," says Erik Doyle,
senior vice president for CB Richard
Ellis in San Jose. "With the stadium
near all the great amenities, like the
convention center and the golf course,
the city will be able to draw from an
entire retail spectrum."
Meanwhile, the town is trying to
bring back downtown.
"[ don't think the stadium is going (I)
I'lJange all.\'lhing abUUi t]H-~ downtown
project or take away from it," says
assistant city manager Ron Garratt.
"Both areas work with different demo-
graphics."
The potential stadium will attract
fans and tourists attending events or
visiting nearby retail and restaurant
businesses, compared to the downtown
region, which willlil.ely appeal more
to local residents who shop, live and
work there, says Garratt.
A six-month feasibility study, ap-
proved by council members in early
January, is currently under way to
determirie if a new stadium in Santa
Clara is viable for both the team and
the city.
Meanwhile, the city is moving for-
ward on its plans to recreate a new and
vibrant downtown area that will at-
tract local residents, tourists and near-
by university faculty and students.
But Santa Clara is at least four
months behind schedule in selecting a
master developer to oversee the city's
downtown revitalization plans.
City leaders, who received six pro-
posals in December, said they would
choose a master developer by summer.
Four of the submissions came from
joint venture teams: Hopkins Real Es-
tate Group and ROEM Corp., JPI West
and Robertson Properties Group, Wil-
son Meany Sullivan and Stockbridge
Real Estate Funds, and Highlands
Development Group and Summerhill
Homes.
CIM Group and Republic Properties
Corporation also submitted proposals.
The city also plans to select a devel-
oper to construct a mixed-use project
on seven acres around the Franklin
Square area within Homestead, Wash-
ington, Lafayette and Benton streets.
"The city used to have a lively down-
town back in the 1950s, but over the
past several decades, the area has re-
ally languished," says Garratt. "We
want to bring'it back and help peopie
get away from the whole mall concept
which they don't like anyway."
The city will construct a mixed-use.
development that will include up to.
150,000 square feet of retail and restau-'
[-ants, 50,000 square feet of convertible
loft space, more than 400 residential
units, a new parking structure as well
as office space.
At least 10 percent of the residential
units will be aITordable housing.
The city anticipates the project could
run as high as $250 million and be-
cause it lacks the deep pockets to fund
a deal this size, it will rely heavily on
the master developer and the public
sector.
The city'does plan to pony up any'
where between $50,000 and $80,000 for
each unit designated affordable.
At the heart of the project will be a
plaza at the intersection of Franklin
and Washington streets surrounded
by a variety of retail, eating and enter-
tainment options that will help form an
urban village setting.
"We want to create a pedestrian-
friendly downtown filled with boutique
shops and a stronger restaurant pres-
ence," says Garratt. "This is a remark-
able time for the city and its economic
development."
While Santa Clara hasn't conducted
any studies so far that would illustrate
the potential financial impact of rede-
veloping the"uowntown area, city offi-
cials say re(ilil and housing are key to
the area's prosperity and tax base.
I3v replacing run-duwn facilities.
strip. malls and square glass office
buildings with upscale shopping, pe-
destrian-friendly sidewalks, housing
and eateries, the city can keep tax dol-
lars from flowing out to neighboring
communities.
But such lofty goals are still years
- if not decades - away, warn city
leaders. The city of Santa Clara owns
three of the four parcels totaling 6.5
acres, which have two 50-year lease
deals that don't expire until 2023.
The county of Santa Clara owns a
parking lot adjacent to the courthouse
and Santa Clara University currently
holds the a.B-acre portion along Wash-
ington iJne! Benlon. Both have expressed
a willingness to work with the city.
"The city won't use eminent domain
to acquire the properties," says Gar-
ratt. "It's going to be up to the master
developer to negotiate with the lessees
and work out a deal that everyone is
happy with."
"During the eatly 60s, the city used
eminent domain to create the blocks
that exist in the downtown today and
it was such a bad experience," says
Garratt. "Every council since then has
avoided it."
The parcels include a seven-story of-
fice building, a strip mall with several
s,'ne!wich shops, " Laundromat. insur-
;-i]-ICt: br()j{t~rage nJHl rl1ughly HHi
parking space,.
IlECltV BERGMAN is a Ireelance writer based in North
Carolina.
Dlr2 -.;) '1
~n Uepth
~O THE BUSINESS JOURNAL
sanjose.bizjournals.com
FEBRUARY 23, 2007
Mountain View searching for diversity, balance in economy
BV BECKV BERGMAN
sanjose@bizjournals.com
Council members rejected a plan
<'eb. 13 that would have restricted resi.
lential development and temporarily
lalted large. scale projects in Moun.
ain View.
Mayor Laura Macias proposed a six-
110nth moratorium so the city could
'l'vie".;' 8.nd update Mountain Vievv"s
:r'neral Plan before it appl'Uvecl all)'
Jew projects.
The city wants to diversify its rev-
mue base so it can be less dependent
m the high-tech industry while strik-
ng a healthy balance between its com-
nercial, residential and retail mix.
Driven in part by the growing in-
erest to convert industrial space to
'esidential development, concerned
:ity officials say they are looking for
vays to bring more retail to Mountain
fiew.
~lIC
Jessica von Borck, a business de-
'elopment specialist for the city, says
v'lountain View suffered after the dot-
;om bust wiped out many companies.
"Mountain View was hit hard after
:he bubble burst," says von Borck.
'While the lower rents enabled small-
~r companies to move up without the
:ntense competition, it was still a fi-
lancial nightmare for the city.
"The council is a visionary group
,f people with some great ideas," says
'on BorelL "The city wants to focus
end grow the industrial product in
he North Bayshore area, add retail
o its downtown district and enhance
he transit system. By working on all
of that, we can embrace and withstand
.ny marl.et condition."
Mountain View is on the right track,
ays Marilyn Hansen, vice president
If Grubb & Ellis in San Jose.
"Like every city in the valley, Moun-
ain View is taldng a serious look
MOUNTAIN VIEW
Santa Clara County
City Hal. 500 Caslro Sl, Mountain View 94039
650-903-6300
Mayor: Laura Macias
City Manager: Kevin Duggan
Populalien:
71.995 - Jon I, 2006 (State Department 01 Anam:e)
70,708 - 2000 census (+1.82% change)
Land area: U.1 square miles
Zip codes: 94040, 94041, 94043
lJIedi8l1 resident age: (3-4.6 years - year 2000)
Mediall household income: ($69,362 - year 2000)
Median housevolue: ($546,900 - year 2000)
Largest employers:
Synopsis Inc. (services - prepackaged software)
SHiclll1 Graphics 1m:. (electronic computers)
Actel Corp. (semiconductors & related devices)
Rita Medical Systems Inc. (eleclromedical &
elcclrotherapeutic epparatus)
hrtuillnc. (services - prepackoged software)
Inlrnhiutics PhannaceuticaJ Inc. /1lE! (phormaceutical
mr",mrnllrlns:)
OENlilSC.HENORICKS
GOOGLE PROPERTY: The rapidly expanding search engine, Google, boughlland and buildings in Mountain View's Shoreline Technology Park last year for $319 million.
at its General Plan and seeking op-
portunities to improve its retail and
residential mix," says Hansen. "So far,
the city has done a great job with its
downtown core, its housing projects
and commercial development."
Now Mountain View leaders will
begin conducting study sessions later
this year to help guide them in devel-
oping the city's future over the next
several years.
"Mountain View is such a great city
and it has the fastest growing com-
pany in the U.S., Google, in its back-
yard," says Erik Doyle, vice president
for CB Richard Ellis in San Jose. "I
don't think slowing down to figure oul
what it needs to do is such a bad idea
for the city. I think Mountain View
has to wrap its arms around what it
wants to be 15 or 20 years from now
and figure out how to plan for that."
And Google's expansion is as ram-
pant as ever, says Kevin Duggan, city
manager for Mountain View.
Last year, the giant search engine
gobbled up another portion of land
See BALANCE, Page 21
VlVUS 1m:. (surgical & medical instruments & apparatus)
Actara Biosclences 1m:. (measuring &
controlling devices, NEC)
City of Mountein View
EI Camino Hospital
Education level:
Population 25 years and older
School Districts:
Mountein View/Los Altos Union High School Districl
1299 Bryant Ave, 656-940-4650
Superintendent: Or. Barry Groves
Mountaill V'lBWlWhisman School District
750-A San Pienre Way, 656-526-3500
Superintendent: Or. Maurice GhyseIs
LOi Altos Elementary School District
201 Covington Road, 656-947-1150
Superintendent: Tim Justus
Palo Alto Unilied School District
25 ChurchiO Avenue, 656-329-3700
Superintendent: Mary Frances CaDan
Ravenswood City School District (East Palo Alto)
2120 EucRd Ave, 650-329-2800
Superintendent: lIIaria Mem-Oe La VBJj1I
Etbnic groupS: (greater than 10%)
20
40
60
80
100
Mean travel time,toworlc 21.9,minute$'.
60
40
50
30
20
10
industries providing employment:
Construction building permits 20116:
10
15
20
25
I\\litable:
Mountain View Cenler lor the Perforniing Arts
Deer Ilollow Farm
50
100
150
200
250
SOURm CITY OF MOUHlAIN VIEW: U S cmu; e!:c[^u (INClIIOING 1005 ESTIMATE)
DI~/c2rc
FEBRUARY 23, 2007
sanjose.bizjournals.com
BALANCE: Intuit's search for expansion space lead it to Men~o Park
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20
and buildings in the city's Shoreline
Technology Park for a whopping $319
million and now it wants to build
a one-million-square-foot campus at
Moffett Field.
Google's expansion has contributed
to the shortage of commercial space
jn Mountain Vi('\v
A heavyweight tenant in Mountain
View recently announced its plans to
expand its headquarters to a neigh-
boring city that could accommodate
the company's growth.
Intuit Inc., a financial software
maker, inked a $15 million deal with
. Bohannon Development Co. to lease
two 70,000-square-feet buildings
with an option for the third in Menlo
Park. .
out of business altogether - in 2000,
Mountain View faced a $14 million
tax revenue shortfall.
"It's certainly a different envi-
ronment now," says Hansen. "Five
years ago we saw developers and ten-
ants trying to get out as fast as they
could."
Mountain View last updated its
state-mandated General Plan in 1992
and revised its housing component in
2002. The city plans to spend the next
two to four yep.rs hashing out ideas.
If staff had7'supported the mayor's
short-term slow-growth proposal, it
would not have affected developers
with projects in the pipeline.
But the moratorium would have
threatened several large-scale proj-
e.cts, including the 129,000.square-foot
Home Depot slated to take over the
Sears site on San Antonio Road when
the department store closes.
It could have also jeopardized plans
by Summerhill Homes to build 50-plus
residential units at the Grant Road
Farm p\!ll1pJ\in patr,h sii,:
BEen I8IERGMAN is a freelance writer based in North
Carolina.
COURTESY Of MV CENTER FOR PERfORMING ARTS
NOTABLE ATTRACTION IN MOUNTAIN
VIEW: Center for the Performing Arts.
The Mountain View-based compa-
ny will expand into a three-build-
ing campus at 180 and 190 Jefferson
Drive, formerly occupied by Sun Mi-
era systems Inc. this summer.
Intuit will keep its headquarters in
Shoreline Park, according to Howie
DaHmar of Cornish & Carey Commer-
cial, who along with Kevin Cunning-
ham, represented Bohannon Develop-
ment Co. in the lease.
Bohannon constructed the build-
ings located near the western ap-
pro~ch to the Dumbarton Bridge, in
1997. They have been vacant for sev-
eral years, according to Dallmar. .
"Intuit looked for the expansIOn
room it needed in the Shoreline mar-
ket," says Dallmar. "But the compa.11Y
wanted a campus environment wlth
more than 100,000 square feet and
that's not really an option in Moun-
tain View, especially with Google's
appetite for space there."
"Class A inventory is dropping sub-
stantially in Mountain View," says
Doyle. "We expect a 5 to 6 percent
vacancy rate by mid-summer across
the valley, so Mountain View could be
even tighter."
With more than 4.5 million square
feet of commercial real estate in Moun-
tain View during the fourth quarter
of 2006, an estimated 411,000 square
feet of availilble space accounted for a
9 percent vacancy rate.
"A few years ago, no one would have
predicted it would be this favorable
for Mountain View," says Duggan.
"After the high tech fall-out, we didn't
thinlt we would see any construction
for new office space for 20 years."
When the dot bomb period drove
many companies out of the city - or
p/12. <)0