CC 3-3-20 Oral Communications1
Kirsten Squarcia
Subject:Oral Communications; Cupertino Annual Housing Element Progress Report to State
From: Connie Cunningham <cunninghamconniel@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, March 3, 2020 6:29 PM
To: City Council <CityCouncil@cupertino.org>
Subject: Oral Communications; Cupertino Annual Housing Element Progress Report to State
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the
sender and know the content is safe.
March 3,2020 Cupertino City Council, Oral Communications:
Good evening Mayor, Vice‐Mayor, and Council Members,
Topic: 2019 Progress Report to the State of California. It is about progress on our Cupertino Annual Housing
Element. You will hear it at your March 17, 2020 meeting.
Our progress is this: In 2019, zero applications for homes were issued in Cupertino; and zero building permits were
issued. That is not progress. Zero homes will be built from those zero building permits. Zero homes will not help people
in our community: seniors seeking to downsize, young people seeking to buy or rent a home, and people who are afraid
rising rents will force them out of their long time homes.
That lack of progress does not honor the intent of the Housing Element in our General Plan. It does not honor our
commitment to each other and to our neighbors.
Nor will the State be impressed with “Zero”.
New draft housing targets will be coming out in June. We should get ahead of those new targets by taking it on
ourselves to find a way to build in this expensive market. We must begin a new effort to get ahead of our housing
needs.
We must look beyond the numbers. Safe housing is a human right. Cupertino does have a Below Market Rate Housing
program with some rentals and some for sale homes. However, the number of homes in that program has not increased
in decades, except for the Veranda. Plans for the Veranda started several years ago and opened last year. Obviously,
with no new starts in 2019 we will see no new homes soon.
Cupertino has a few homes in the “missing middle”. We have many more homes for high paid tech company
employees. Yet, it is known that for every high paid tech employee, there are four or more other workers in our City –
teachers, hospitality, retail, teachers and, also, students at De Anza College.
Question : Where do the workers at the new Hyatt Hotel live? Revenue to the City is around $1M a year from the
hotel. Where will that money be spent?
For a sustainable city, we need housing for all incomes and abilities.
2
There will be a RHNA study session in the next fiscal year. However, we already know many things:
1. Need multi‐family housing
2. We know where some properties are already.
a. Some are listed in the General Plan that you are reviewing tonight under LU.26. They are limited to
1 or 2, maybe 3 stories.
b. LU 27.6 discusses multi‐family residential design.
Techniques are also listed:
1. ADU
2. Lot consolidation (LU22 parcel assembly)
3. Flexible development standards
4. Surplus properties
5. Financial support
6. Density bonus
7. Fair Housing Services
8. Outside agencies ie Apple gave $150M to developers through a non‐profit loan agency.
If we plan ahead, we can minimize the unknown, and minimize the fear caused by the unknown.
Things we need:
1) Info – we have it
2) Money – State and Tech have stepped up
3) Contractors‐Affordable housing builders are building in our region‐ Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Santa Clara,
San Jose. But not here—yet
4) Housing friendly rules. That is what we can offer here.
Sincerely,
Connie Cunningham
Quote from: Jennifer Loving, of Destination Home:
“In Silicon Valley,
3
We have all the problem and
All of the solution
In the same 20 mile radius.
We have people
Who can solve homelessness,
And companies that can help solve homelessness
Along with thousands of people
Who slept outdoors last night.”
1
Kirsten Squarcia
Subject:FW: re. get Cupertino residents inputs on Vallco plan
From: Yan Yu <yanyu2005@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, March 2, 2020 10:28 PM
To: City Council <CityCouncil@cupertino.org>; Cupertino City Manager's Office <manager@cupertino.org>
Subject: Re: re. get Cupertino residents inputs on Vallco plan
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the
sender and know the content is safe.
Hello, Dear City council members and city management team:
re. my previous email, I am mostly concerned about the traffic jam by the high density plan proposed by Sand Hill and its
significant negative impact on our quality of life and our school system, and safety to the community, especially children
to elderly.
Btw, Please put both of emails in public record.
Thanks!
Best,
yan
On Mon, Mar 2, 2020 at 9:55 PM Yan Yu <yanyu2005@gmail.com> wrote:
Hello, Dear City council members and city management team:
I have been a Cupertino resident since 2014. I am very concerned about the Vallco development issue from
2014. I would like to see Vallco remain a vibrant shopping and community center that we can hang out and
relax and that Cupertino residents can feel proud of talking about. We lack such places in our city.
I heard our city council clarified the Vallco zoning last year. I am wondering when the Vallco specific plan can
be put on agenda? Moreover, I really hope our city can start community outreach program on Vallco ASAP.
The Vallco developer has finished almost all the demolishment job at Vallco, however, there's no discussion
in our city council meeting regarding Vallco specific plan. Could our city start the community outreach and
give our residents a chance to share our opinion on Vallco? We hope our city can listen to residents voice,
instead of one-side story from the developer. An email survey would be great to get the voice from our busy
Cupertino residents.
From my understanding, Saratoga Council has recently put the SB35 plan submitted by developer Sand Hill
on council meeting agenda. Though Saratoga City Council can't vote on SB35 plan, their council are giving
guidance to city staff on this development project. I am wondering whether Cupertino Council will do the
same? I hope our residents inputs can be collected by our city. My friends and I are really concerned. We hope
our city can do community outreach on Vallco before making any decision. I have a toddler, which makes it hard to
attend city council meetings at night, However, I would love to be able to get my voice heard via emails or
online surveys.
Thanks!
yan