CC 04-16-19 Study Session #1 Economic Development Strategic Plan Written CommunicationsCyrah Caburian
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Peggy Griffin <griffin@compuserve.cu,11 >
Tuesday, April 16, 2019 11:42 AM
City Council
City Clerk
cc 4/16/19
Study Session Item #1
Subject: Comments on Economic Development Strategic Plan (EDSP)
Dear Mayor Scharf and Council Members,
ISSUE #1
I am STRONGLY OPPOSED to changing the General Plan and Municipal Code to allow office of any kind to
take over retail space! Already, some c01mnercial use is allowed such as insurance, brokerage firms , tutoring.
In this EDSP document, it states that part of a successful retail space is having a cluster of retail. If one by one
you allow office to take over ( office of any kind!), you make it more and more likely that the remaining retail
business will fail in the future! Also, the parking in a retail center was calculated and built based on the
knowledge that the businesses in the center would be retail. If you allow office workers , they park ALL DAY as
opposed to shoppers that come and go.
Often what we see as the cause of retail businesses failing is a new developer or owner increasing the rent
substantially to the point that the business can no longer afford it. This is a common mode of operation for
some ... buy the property, up the rent intentionally to force businesses out then calling it a failed center. Sound
familiar?
DO NOT ALLOW ANY OFFICE TOT AKE OVER RETAIL SPACE!
ISSUE #2
Please preserve what little light industrial space we have in our city. We, residents , workers and visitors need
garages and businesses like these. They may not be shined bio-this or techie-that but they are needed just the
same .
ISSUE #3
Innovative space ... the report mentions Main Street as an example of how well the City did getting the developer
to agree to this.
Ql: How did it tum out?
Q2: Has it been able to attract a variety of small new innovative companies, or is it gobbled up by the same old
businesses?
ISSUE #4
I see nothing suggesting how to protect our small retailers .
-I think a small retailers association should be sponsored by the City to be a way for them to have a collective
voice without the big companies and property owners from dominating the discussion.
-Find ways to protect them from property owners coming in and forcing them out by upping the rent. What
about a small business coop area kind oflike a condo for businesses? What about subsidies for improvements
(some are mentioned)?
-PLEASE spend as much time on how to help retail as they have done trying to destroy it!
ISSUE #5
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Nothing is mentioned about ente1iainment. It doesn't bring much sales tax but some kind of tax could be used
and Cupertino could become an ente1iainment area. We have the kids. We have the wealth. They just don't have
anywhere to go!
Thank you,
Peggy Griffin
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Cyrah Caburian
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Anne Ezzat <aezzat95014@gmail.com >
Tuesday, April 16, 2019 12 :17 PM
City Council; City Clerk
Subject: Cooments on Economic Developement Stragetic Plan and BMR Housing
Dear Mayor Scharf and Council Members ,
Please do not replace retail space with more office space ; we do not need more office space. Healthy
communities are not comprised entirely office space, and while special interests may have hoodwinked some
on the staff and commissioners with this "truth," it is not a truth but a myth. Los Gatos and Palo Alto have
healthy retail cmmnunities , why can't Cupertino emulate those cmmnunities? Instead of becoming a retail
desert?
And on another topic , can Cupertino do something about housing allocations and BMR housing? It seems as if
a developer had a sincere effort to build, permits would be pulled as soon as possible and building would
commence. Instead, it appears as if certain groups are banking the housing allocations to achieve a certain set
of goals that are concealed from the council. Can council impose a deadline on pulling permits and the start of
construction, so if the goals are not met, the housing allocations can go back into a pool to be picked up a
business that is more able to meet their commitments? And as to the BMR housing, does the council have the
authority to abolish the "in lieu of" fees that enable builders to trade cash for BMR units? If Cupertino is able
to encourage building by demanding certain parties meet their obligations , we maybe able to have more housing
stock without paving over the entire city.
Thank you for time and consideration.
Best regards ,
Brooke Ezzat
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