CC 02-03-2015 Exhibit, Item No 15 Cupertino Civic Center PlanCC 13 11Y
(Caren B. Guerin � 1
From: Catherine Alexander <
Sent: Monday, February 02, 2015 4:20 PM
To: City Council; Cupertino City Manager's Office; George Schroeder; City of Cupertino
Planning Dept.; Aarti Shrivastava; Angela Tsui
Cc: CD Alexander
Subject: Re: Revised document - Innovative Plan for Cupertino Civic Center and the Vallco site
Sorry, the revised document below has an error now omitted in item 99.
---Catherine
On Mon, Feb 2, 2015 at 3:37 PM, Catherine Alexander < wrote:.
February 2, 2015
Hello Mayor Sinks, City Council Members, City Planners and Staff,
Along with Cupertino resident, Tracy Hurt, I am in favor of completely demolishing all structures at Vallco,
acquiring all Vallco acreage for the City via eminent domain from Sand Hill/ADIA, seeking endowments and
general obligation bonds for new civic construction, then creating acres of a new Cupertino Civic Center
Complex and Park on the old site at Vallco, which would include:
1. An innovative, new, sustainable and green Cupertino City Hall
2. An expanded, high-tech and sustainable Cupertino Public Library
3. A large, new Steve Jobs Memorial Community Hall and Civic Theater, wired and capable of any
type of presentation, using any media device or source
4. A new Woz Museum of Science and Industry, with both local history and rotating exhibits in
° .V"- collaboration with the Computer History Museum and other local groups
5. A.large new Cupertino Civic Amphitheater for outdoor productions
6. Extensive bike and pedestrian paths throughout this new civic site, leading to existing VTA access
points and crossing Wolfe using the old re -purposed Vallco retail bridge
7. The existing Vallco retail bridge would become an outdoor landscaped bike and pedestrian
parkway, like High Line Park in New York City, comiecting the new Cupertino Civic Center Complex
and Park to Main Street and Apple. http://inhabitat.com/the-high-line-the-park-in-the-sky-due-to-open-
in-j une/
8. The land adjacent to Vallco on the east side of Wolfe may be used for a new Teen and Senior
Center complex, freeing up parking at Memorial Park and re -purposing the former senior center
building for rental to civic arts groups
9. The new outdoor Cupertino Civic Amphitheater and Park would include acres of paths, pools,
picnic areas and sustainable green recreation space
How?
1. Apple may endow a new Steve Jobs Community Center and Civic Theater wired for any type of
presentation, program or televised event.
Apple could then use that new, wired, Jobs Civic Center Community Theater as an auxiliary site for
product roll outs and events, since it would be closer to Apple's new HQ on Wolfe Road and employees
could walk to events using the re -purposed retail bridge, which would now be a pedestrian and bike
bridge crossing over Wolfe. It would be a win-win for all.
2. We may find similar endowments for a new high tech Cupertino Public library and other City Hall civic
buildings, perhaps naming them after old and new multicultural faces in our City, like Mariani,
Wozniak, Sunsweet, Mock, Cali and Seagate, to honor our past and present city notables and
stakeholders.
(Norman Mock patented three new Chrysanthemum varieties in hothouses once at the current site of
The Verandas apartments. http•/patents.iustia.com/inventor/norma... )
Apple may also endow a new Wozniak or "Woz" Museum of Science and Industry, which could
showcase local history as well as rotating exhibits from History San Jose and the Computer History
Museum. The new Woz Museum could also have static exhibits on Cupertino's past, including
multicultural early mission explorations, agricultural timelines with vineyards, wineries, orchards, and
chrysanthemums, through our later multicultural contributions to engineering, space exploration and
robotics. How cool that would be?
Why rebuilding at the current site of City Hall, will not work:
The current Cupertino City Hall and Cupertino Public library site is the size of a postage stamp
compared to the Civic centers of other local cities. To rebuild an expensive new City Hall structure on
the same inadequately -sized Torre/Rodriquez Avenue acreage, in my mind, would be like placing a
multi-million dollar band-aid on a broken leg. Our Civic Center needs to be moved to a new, much
larger location, so Cupertino will finally have a real civic center, a real "there," here, if you will.
2. The City could sell the current Cupertino City Hall complex and parking lots, including the Community
Hall (council chambers) and library at Torre and Rodriquez. The entire civic block may either be sold
to private industries for office space, or leased to industries or groups for ongoing City revenue. The
funds from a sale or ongoing lease may be used to invest in new, adequately -sized acreage for a future
civic center complex, using general obligation bonds and endowments. More about general obligation
bonds from Morningstar:
http•//news morningstar com/classroom2/course asp?docid=5384&page=2
Rather than invest more millions of dollars at the current civic center site which was already used far beyond
its capacity many years ago, use those same funds with new endowments to fund a new Cupertino Civic Center
Complex and Park at what is now Vallco. Acquire all Vallco property by eminent domain from Sand
Hill/ADIA due to blight for the public benefit.
Demolishing the entire Vallco site and eliminating plans for future mixed use development at Vallco would
provide adequate space for the City to create the city center Cupertino has lacked since its incorporation many
years ago. This innovative new plan would be a dream come true for our City.
Let's embrace true innovation in our vision for best use of land facing redevelopment in the City. This plan to
demolish and re -purpose Vallco entirely for City/civic use, would put Cupertino on the map for sustainable
architecture, civic collaboration and green space, and provide a unique and iconic City Civic Center Complex
and Park for business investors, residents and families to enjoy, for many, many years to come.
With the design resources, industry and entrepreneurial spirit we have in Cupertino, this plan is both possible
and doable, and would be an example of internationally award -wining urban planning at its finest.
Respectfully submitted,
Catherine Alexander
PO Box 2819
Cupertino, CA 95015
htti)://www.siliconvallevlibrarian.com/
Karen B. Guerin
From: Liang C <Ifchao@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, February 02, 2015 9:38 AM
To: City Council
Subject: Check the videos - The residents did not want a new City Hall
I checked the videos; I looked at documents from past meetings. I found that the residents never wanted a new
City Hall, but they are somehow force fed by the MIG consultants with only proposals containing a new City
Hall.
Then, the previous Council rushed to vote on a motion on Oct. 21 when there are many unanswered questions
raised by Councilmembers themselves.
At least 5 people who attended the July 30 Community Workshop for the Civic Center Master Plan told me that
they do not want a new City Hall, but there is no such option at the workshop.
They said every table group said they don't want a new City Hall.
I looked at the video and I looked at the staff summary. The majority of residents want an underground garage.
They prefer underground garage under the current parking lot or the meadow area. But if a new City Hall is
built, they then would like the garage to be under the City Hall.
I found it very interesting that all 3 proposals by the consultants from MIG include a new City Hall.
All three proposals focused on adding more features to the Civic Center plaza to make it more crowded, which
might in turn need more parking spaces.
Yet, not much attention at all is paid to look at different options to extend the Library Story Room.
The option to use the Atrium area was never considered or studied.
The data provided by the library on the size of story room is in adequate, as pointed out by Mark.
But Gilbert said, just give me a number so that we can have a motion. (not a quote word by word)
The size of City Hall would expand from 24,000 s.f. to 40,000 s.f. when it is not clear what to do with these
extra space or how many parking spaces is needed by the extra capacity. No estimation is done by the
consultant.
Would the demand on parking spaces double since the size of the City Hall has almost doubled?
The consultants was not able to answer this question.
During the workshop, the residents questioned the need for a teen center when the current teen center at the
Sports Center is not underutilized. Yet, one Council asked "Do we need a teen center?' Another just added,
"Let's just add it." (sorry, not transcribed word for word.)
It seems the previous Council rushed to make a motion and vote on this Civic Center Master Plan when it still
requires further study on the size of the story room, the number of parking spaces needed from expanded story
room or expanded City Hall. And the presentation by the consultant focused mainly on the new City Hall and
not on other alternatives for seismic retrofit.
And the financing options were never discussed at all.
I urge the new Council to review this vote and its conditions. Watch the videos of the Community Workshop
and the Council meetings.
It's better not spend any more money on the EIR of a Preferred Plan, which does not meet the need of our
community.
Sincerely,
Liang
Karen B. Guerin
From:
Darrel Lum <drlum@pacbell.net>
Sent:
Tuesday, February 03, 2015 10:40 AM
To:
Rod Sinks; Barry Chang; Gilbert Wong; Savita Vaidhyanathan; Darcy Paul; City Council;
City Clerk
Cc:
David Brandt
Subject:
Agenda Item #15 City of Cupertino City Council Meeting February.3, 2015
Concerned Citizens of Cupertino (CCC) has been asked to comment on the Civic Center
Master Plan Consultant Contracts.
Based on the City Council Staff Report dated February 3, 2015,
What is the Preferred Project?
"In order to complete the documentation for the Council -directed plan, additional services
will be required of consultants. There are currently four CIP project budgets appropriated for the
Civic Centersite that are available to fund the required services, as listed below:"
What is the actual amount of spent funds of the $5,100,000 allocated funds for consultants?
Comment: Too big to fail? Is the City reaching the point at which it has spent funds at a level
which precludes any alternatives to the Preferred Project(?)?
Please confirm that the range of cost of the Civic Center project is $24 million to $51 million,
which is separate from the $5,100,000 consultant fees.
What is the current debt for the City? Debt service is 3% or $3,171,838
Source: City of Cupertino Budget at a Glance, Fiscal Year July 1, 2014 -June 30, 2015.
For reference,
There was a community advisory vote, Measure A in March 2000, the City would build
a new library for between $18 million and $22 million. A 71 % yes vote by the
community.
An independent library consultant concluded that any new library building should be
69,000 square feet; the City reduced that plan to 63,000 square feet.
The plan called for construction of a new library at a cost not to exceed $22 million;
...the project will result in no taxes.
The Town Center project by Hunter Storm Properties would create a complex with the
Library at the end of the development; the Town Center project could provide as a
community benefit some of the library's parking.
The Community steering committee chose a location beween the existing library and
City Hall for the new building with space in front for a civic courtyard.
In April 2002 the City adopted budget of $22 million for the library and $3.5 million
for the Council Chamber/Community Center ? and Civic Plaza. Plans are for a 54,000
square foot library and 3,000 square foot Council Chamber/Community Center.
Of the $22 million, total municipal funding would be $20.8 million and $1.2 million
would be provided by fundraising within the Community.
Karen B. Guerin
From:
Darrel Lum <drlum@pacbell.net>
Sent:
Tuesday, February 03, 2015 12:44 PM
To:
Rod Sinks; Barry Chang; Gilbert Wong; Savita Vaidhyanathan; Darcy Paul; City Council;
City Clerk
Cc:
David Brandt
Subject:
Re: Agenda Item #15 City of Cupertino City Council Meeting February 3, 2015
There have been some questions regarding our reference to the previous Library project and
Elm Court.
To clarify the Community advised that it approved a new Library; the Community did not advise
that it wanted a CC/PC Chamber/Community Hall in lieu of a smaller Library.
Elm Court has been flooding for over 10+ years; only recently has its project been advanced to
a higher priority.
On Tuesday, February 3, 2015 10:40 AM, Darrel Lum <drlum@pacbell.net> wrote:
Concerned Citizens of Cupertino (CCC) has been asked to comment on the Civic Center
Master Plan Consultant Contracts.
Based on the City Council Staff Report dated February 3, 2015,
What is the Preferred Project?
"In order to complete the documentation for the Council -directed plan, additional services
will be required of consultants. There are currently four CIP project budgets appropriated for the
Civic Centersite that are available to fund the required services, as listed below:"
What is the actual amount of spent funds of the $5,100,000 allocated funds for consultants?
Comment: Too big to fail? Is the City reaching the point at which it has spent funds at a level
which precludes any alternatives to the Preferred Project(?)?
Please confirm that the range of cost of the Civic Center project is $24 million to $51 million,
which is separate from the $5,100,000 consultant fees.
What is the current debt for the City? Debt service is 3% or $3,171,838
Source: City of Cupertino Budget at a Glance, Fiscal Year July 1, 2014 -June 30, 2015.
For reference,
There was a community advisory vote,'Measure A in March 2000, the City would build
a new library for between $18 million and $22 million. A 71 % yes vote by the
community.
An independent library consultant concluded that any new library building should be
69,000 square feet; the City reduced that plan to 63,000 square feet.
The plan called for construction of a new library at a cost not to exceed $22 million;
...the project will result in no taxes.
The Town Center project by Hunter Storm Properties would create a complex with the
Library at the end of the development; the Town Center project could provide as a
community benefit some of the library's parking.
The Community steering committee chose a location beween the existing library and
City Hall for the new building with space in front for a civic courtyard.
In April 2002 the City adopted budget of $22 million for the library and $3.5 million
for the Council Chamber/Community Center ? and Civic Plaza. Plans are for a 54,000
square foot library and 3,000 square foot Council Chamber/Community Center.
Of the $22 million, total municipal funding would be $20.8 million and $1.2 million
would be provided by fundraising within the Community.
Elm Court is still experiencing flooding in December 2014, since at least 2002.
Karen B. Guerin
From: Poonam Pandey <pandey.poonam@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2015 3:53 PM
To: City Council
Subject: Ref: Master Plan for the New Civic Center
Hi,
I am a Cupertino resident for > 10 years and I saw the New Civic center being constructed less than 10 years
ago. I am opposed to building a WHOLE NEW CIVIC CENTER WHETHER IN THE EXISTING SPACE OR
IN THE VALLCO MALL AREA. I am unable to understand why we need a New Civic Center ?
What I read about on the various forums were :
1) Additional parking spaces required for the Library and the Civic center - this is like rebuilding the house to
remodel a bathroom.
2) Apparently there are issues with the seismic structure of the building - Since we live in an earthquake prone
area and the building is so new, how come this issue was not taken care of then ? Shouldn't we penalize the
builders instead for this issue ?
3) Since the New Library came only a few years ago, it looks like there just wasn't enough foresight in the -
planning of the size and parking lot etc. This could also mean that in the next 10 years, we will again need New
Library and Civic center.
Thanks,
Poonam