3-25-2025 Written CommunicationsPC 3-25-2025
Oral
Communications
Written
Communications
From:Amy Chan
To:City of Cupertino Planning Commission
Cc:Piu Ghosh (she/her)
Subject:Marina Plaza Redevelopment Project Update
Date:Friday, March 14, 2025 8:50:37 PM
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Dear Mr. Chair, Madam Vice Chair, and Planning Commission Members:
I am the Project Consultant for the Marina Plaza Redevelopment Project. I am writing to give you an
update on the status of the project and also to invite you to attend one of the two Community meetings in
early April to check out the latest conceptual development plans.
As some of you may know, Marina Plaza Redevelopment Project, with 206 for-sale Condos, 36 BMR
units, and 41,589 retails/restaurant space, was approved on 12/6/2022.
At the time the project was going thru the City approval process, many community members, Planning
Commission members and Council members were encouraging the property ownership to consider
adding more housing units to the project.
With due respect, ownership felt the project has already completed it’s plans and ready for the City’s
approval consideration. They didn’t want to go back to the drawing board to re-do the project to add
more housing units.
Now, more than two years have passed since project approval, construction costs have gone up
significantly. They are also hearing discussions on Cupertino’s Housing Element and the need to add
more housing. The ownership decided to re-visit the project to see whether they can deliver a quality
project that meets the needs of Cupertino community and also able to pencil out the project.
They now have a conceptual plan to add 328 for-sale housing units, with 66 moderate BMR units,
35,050 SF of retail/restaurant spaces. It’s a reduction of 6,539 SF of total retails, primarily from
reduction of restaurant SF (18,703 in December 2022 to 10,000 current proposed plan), with
corresponding increase in regular retails.
The footprint is similar, except combing the two larger buildings into one building, retaining the one
level underground parking, and the non-profit community room. Adding more residential amenity
spaces and open space. The building height is slightly less than 75 ft, with 7 stories vs the previous plan
of 5 stories.
We are still doing detailed drawings, using this broad concept. The ownership thought now may be a
good time to introduce the project concept to get community feedbacks and suggestions, BEFORE,
Project Application Submittal. Current thinking is we may be looking at a formal project submittal date
of mid- to late June.
We are inviting community members to come and view the plans, and to provide their thoughts on this
development proposal. We are planning two community meetings in early April, on Wednesday 4/2 at
5:30pm, and on Saturday 4/5 at 9:30am, both at Aloft Cupertino Hotel.
We are very excited about this revised proposal and very much hoping to get more community members
and policy makers’ early reactions to the proposed plans. We of course welcome you all and staff to
come to view what we have come up with and get your thoughts and suggestions.
We are sending this invite to 2,000 sq ft radius of the property site. We are also hoping you can help to
extend our invite to those public members in your circle. Also, I would very much welcome the
opportunity to meet with you one-on-one to share with you the plan details, answer any questions you
have, and of course any ideas and suggestions to make this project the jewel of Cupertino. Please
contact me by email or by phone if you have time to meet. Thanks for your consideration and I look
forward to meeting you in person.
Best,
Amy Chan
408-858-4588 (c)
Sent from my iPad
From:Samir Sharma
To:City of Cupertino Planning Commission; City Council
Cc:Piu Ghosh (she/her); Gian Martire; Luke Connolly; Joe Velasco; Sid Sethi; Jeff Potts
Subject:20865 McClellan Rd- Open House
Date:Friday, March 21, 2025 3:51:14 PM
Attachments:20865 McClellan Rd- Neighborhood Meeting Flyer.pdf
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Good afternoon Planning Commissioners and City Council Members,
Attached please find an invitation to our neighborhood outreach meeting to discuss our
proposed 27 unit development located at 20865 McClellan Rd in Cupertino. This flyer was
mailed out to over 400+ addresses provided by the city.
The meeting will take place on Wednesday, April 2nd at 5pm.
Meeting Location:
10185 North Stelling Road, Cupertino, CA
Room: Social Room
Time: 5:00PM-6:00PM
We look forward to seeing you there.
Thank you
Samir Sharma
Join us for an Open House!
Learn About A Proposed New Development in Your Neighborhood
Project Address: 20865 McClellan Rd, Cupertino, CA
Date: Wednesday, April 2, 2025
Meeting Location: 10185 North Stelling Road, Cupertino, CA
Room: Social Room
Time: 5:00PM-6:00PM
Proposed 27 New Townhome Units:
20865 McClellan, LLC proposes to develop 27 new attached townhome units.
Unit Size: 1156 Sq.ft.-1771 Sq.ft.
Bedroom&Baths: 3&2 Bedroom Units with 2.5 Baths
Garages: 1 car and 2 car garage options
If you are interested in learning more about this proposal and seeing the
conceptual plans, we invite you to drop in for this open house informational
session.
Thank you!
From:Dusan Vuksanovic
To:City Council; Luke Connolly; City of Cupertino Planning Commission
Subject:Objection to application MTC-2024-004 and removal of theoak tree
Date:Saturday, March 22, 2025 1:22:29 PM
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Dear city council members and planning commissioners,
I refer to the application by a developer to subdivide the subject property and application for an
exemption to remove a protected oak tree in front of their house.
I live across the street from the subject property and i have no objection to the subdivision as
Cupertino is required by state law to provide more housing. However like all of my neighbors in the
same block i object the removal of a protected /heritage oak tree. We all enjoys this oak tree as it
has full foliage , very healthy and has been there for a long time. Cupertino recognizes the
importance of oak and redwood trees and inscribed these trees are protected from development by
ordinance.
I want to think that sub division without oak tree exemption can still be implemented.
Please consider the relevance of that tree in our neighborhood vs. potential gains of the developers
(most probably do not live in cupertino).
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Dusan Vuksanovic
10200 Carmen rd
Cupertino
From:Dennis Park
To:City of Cupertino Planning Commission
Subject:Strong Neighborhood Opposition to Sound Wall Opening
Date:Monday, March 24, 2025 8:41:36 PM
Attachments:PETITION package-N Portal Sound Wall_stamped received.pdf
Screenshot 2025-03-24 at 8.37.34 PM.png
Presentation_Petition on Preserving Wall.pdf
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Dear Cupertino Planning Department,
I’m writing on behalf of many residents in the North Portal neighborhood to inform the strong
opposition to any proposal that would create an opening in our sound wall.
In just two weekends, 525 handwritten signatures were collected from residents representing
279 homes. This petition was presented to the City Council during Oral Communications on
March 18, and again at the Bike-Pedestrian Commission meeting on March 19.
We ask that the Planning Commission take this strong neighborhood feedback into account
when reviewing Eden Housing’s application. Preserving the sound wall and using Wolfe Road
for emergency access is a safer and more practical solution that respects both incoming and
existing residents.
For your reference, we’ve included links to the petition, a map of supporting homes, the
presentation slides, and a video of the public comments. Thank you for your time and for
considering solutions that prioritize neighborhood safety and community well-being.
Video of Council meeting @ 3/18
Best regards,
March 18, 2025
Cupertino City Council
10300 Torre Ave.
Cupertino, CA 95014
Subject: Submission of Petition Opposing the Opening of the N. Portal Sound Wall
Dear Mayor Chao, Vice Mayor Moore, and Councilmembers Fruen, Mohan, and Wang,
We are writing on behalf of the residents of the Portal neighborhood to formally submit the
attached petition, signed by over 500 community members, opposing any proposal to open the
Sound Wall separating N. Portal from Wolfe Road Housing development and The Rise.
As detailed in the petition, the opening of the sound wall would significantly impact the
character, safety, and livability of our neighborhood. The scale of the adjacent
development—introducing over 3,000 residential units, nearly 2 million square feet of office
space, and hundreds of thousands of square feet of retail—necessitates careful planning to
mitigate adverse effects on surrounding residential areas. The Sound Wall has long served as a
critical buffer, preserving the integrity of our R-1 zoned neighborhood by preventing excessive
traffic, noise pollution, parking overflow, and security concerns.
The strong community response reflected in this petition underscores the deep concerns shared
by our residents. We urge the City Council to uphold existing zoning protections, honor the
long-standing covenant maintaining the sound wall, and conduct thorough environmental and
traffic impact assessments before considering any changes that could fundamentally alter our
neighborhood.
We appreciate your time and attention to this matter and welcome the opportunity to engage in
an open dialogue to explore alternative solutions that support urban connectivity without
compromising community welfare. Please feel free to reach out if further discussion is needed.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely ,
North Portal Neighborhood
Each RED DOT represents ONE OR MORE signatures.
Petition for Preserving the
Sound Wall
North Portal Neighborhood
Goal of this presentation
●Supplement “Petition for Preserving the Sound Wall”.
○Petition Statistics
○Background of the petition
○Supporting facts not detailed in the Petition.
Petition Statistics
●Number of signatures: 525
●Number of households
with at least one signature: 297
●100% in-person, handwritten signatures
●Most collected in 2 weekends.
●Only 18-years or older
Household with at least one signature
The Sound Wall
●Built at the start of development of Vallco
Mall in 1974, mandated by the
development agreement.
●Separating N Portal residential district
from commercial district
●Historically, there were attempts to open it
multiple times.
New development: Wolfe Road Housing & The Rise
●Unprecedented density
○3,000+ residential units
■~10X of N Portal households
■16% ~ 21% of Cupertino population
○1.95M+ sqft. office space
○200K+ sqft. retail space
Wolfe Road Housing
The Rise
wikipedia
(2023)
Our petition
●We are not opposed to these projects themselves.
○The housing crisis is real.
■Home price & rent is skyrocketing.
○Diversity is our core value.
○Our teachers deserve better housing.
○We must find solutions together.
●Given the unprecedented scale of the projects and the current plan of
projects, what may seem like a small change can have a significant impact on our
neighborhood.
Summary of Petition
Due to the massive scale of the combined projects, maintaining the sound
wall serves as a basic safeguard against significant changes to the
character, safety, and livability of the N Portal neighborhood.
Key Concerns
1.Traffic & Safety
Increased cut-through traffic—whether by vehicles, bicycles, or pedestrians—poses a
significant safety risk, particularly to children and seniors. The surrounding streets
were not designed to absorb additional volume of traffic, and an open sound wall
would exacerbate these hazards.
Key Concerns
2.Existing Alternative Connectivity Options
The Tamien Innu Trailhead and Class IV
Bike Lane along Stevens Creek Boulevard
already provide safer, designated routes for
pedestrians and cyclists.
One of the Tamien Innu Trailheads is on the
Wolfe Rd Housing property, making it very
convenient.
Class IV Bike Lane on Stevens Creek Blvd
Opening being considered
(Auburn)
Tamien Innu Trailhead (planned)
Class IV Bike Lane (planned)
Key Concerns
3.Parking & Overflow Concerns
Wolfe Road Housing and The Rise projects lack sufficient parking to
accommodate their own residents, workers, and visitors. Without proper enforcement of
Cupertino’s municipal code regarding zoning buffers, our neighborhood will face
unmanageable parking overflow.
○Less than 1 parking stall per household. (source: planning documents of projects)
○Project leaders expect tenants to use public transportation.
Other Key Concerns
4.Preservation of Neighborhood Character & R1 Zoning
Our community is zoned R-1 to ensure privacy, compatibility, and a low-intensity
residential setting.
5.Security & Privacy
Unlike enclosed apartment complexes, our neighborhood relies on limited access
points for safety and privacy.
6.Sound Wall Protection & Established Covenant
The sound wall exists due to a long-standing covenant designed to mitigate noise and
traffic impacts from adjacent high-density developments.
Our requests
1.We ask the City to reject any proposal to open the sound wall and instead explore
alternative solutions that support connectivity without compromising
neighborhood safety and character.
2.We request formal documentation and enforcement of the long-standing covenant
preserving the sound wall, as recognized during the site’s earlier development.
Thank you for your service and consideration.
From:Gia Pham
To:Housing; HousingCommission
Subject:Request for Full BMR Funds Towards Mary Avenue Villas
Date:Tuesday, March 25, 2025 4:40:03 PM
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Dear Cupertino Housing Commission,
I’m writing to express my strong support for the Mary Avenue Villas project and to thank you
for the $1 million in funding that’s been recommended in the current staff report. This is an
important step in addressing the deep shortage of affordable housing for individuals with
intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in Cupertino. However, we believe that more
funding is needed to make this project a reality and ensure it continues to serve Cupertino for
years to come.
As someone who works closely with people with IDD, I see the struggles firsthand. Many of
our clients are just trying to find a stable, affordable place to live—and it’s incredibly difficult.
In Cupertino alone, there are 325 individuals with developmental disabilities, including 122
adults. Almost 70% of these adults are still living with their aging parents—not by choice, but
because there’s simply nowhere for them to go. Without projects like Mary Avenue Villas,
many of them will face even more instability as their caregivers get older.
We’re in a crisis. More than half of our IDD clients in Santa Clara County earn 30% or less of
the area’s median income—meaning they fall into the extremely low-income category. They
can’t afford housing in the Bay Area, and that’s where this project becomes critical. Mary
Avenue Villas will provide affordable housing for people who have been excluded from other
housing options because of their income. With Mary Avenue Villas, we'll get affordability and
inclusivity. IDD and non-IDD residents will live side by side, creating a sense of belonging
and fostering meaningful social connections—something that’s desperately needed.
As someone who works in this field, I’ve seen the unmet need for affordable housing for IDD
residents in Cupertino for years. We’ve had projects that were planned but ultimately shut
down, leaving a gap that’s only growing. That’s why I’m urging you to allocate more than the
recommended $1 million to ensure this project can succeed and truly meet the needs of our
community because the BMR funds are the project main source of funding pool.
Mary Avenue Villas aligns with Cupertino’s commitment to inclusion, with its focus on
affordable housing and providing assistance to individuals with developmental disabilities. It
complements other efforts like the special education programs, group homes, and the new all-
inclusive playground at Jollyman Park. The project also supports Cupertino’s Housing
Element commitments (HE 2.3.4, HE 2.3.10, and HE 2.3.11), which focus on developing
affordable housing for very low- and low-income households, reducing the risk of
displacement, and helping special-needs groups like IDD residents.
We really believe Mary Avenue Villas can set a new standard for affordable, inclusive
housing in Cupertino and benefit the entire community by not being exclusive and instead
fostering a real home for its residents so no one is displaced. Please help make that happen by
ensuring this project gets the funding it needs.
Thank you again for your time and for all that you do to support our community.
Warm Regards,
Gia Pham
From:valerie
To:City of Cupertino Planning Commission
Subject:withdraw previous submission of land use from state
Date:Tuesday, March 25, 2025 4:57:39 PM
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Dear City of Cupertino Planning Commissioners,
I am writing to express my concerns regarding the proposed development at 20865 McClellan.
While I understand that there are state laws you must follow, I believe the City is partly to
blame for allowing this issue to arise, particularly in permitting the upzoning and high-density
development on this land. Through this letter, I am requesting that the City take responsibility
and formally submit a request to withdraw the previous proposal for land use at 20865
McClellan. This land is not suitable for medium- or high-density housing.
I have reviewed the California State official website and found no section that states a city
cannot withdraw its submission.
Have you visited the lot? Or have you only reviewed the numbers on paper or listened to
development and government regulations?
The realistic capacity will paint a very different picture:
1. Number of Residents: With 27 homes, how many residents will there be per house? 2,
4, 6, or even more? Potential buyers in this area are likely to have children who will
attend our prestigious schools. Many buyers may also be immigrants who could bring
their elderly parents to live with them. In fact, there are single-family homes in the area
with as many as 8 people living in them.
The city seems to be only considering the 27 homes without factoring in the realistic capacity,
which will likely create a dangerous living environment for both current neighbors and future
residents.
Imagine a fire breaks out, and all the residents, young and old, are trying to evacuate. There is
only one access road for fire trucks, which may become blocked on McClellan or have
difficulty entering. There is also only one 5-foot-wide walkway for everyone to exit in one
direction. People in such a situation would likely panic. At a minimum, 27 homes × 4 people =
108 people trying to evacuate quickly. I am sure injuries will occur during such an evacuation.
We hope the fire truck will be able to reach the site via the bike lane in time to stop the fire.
But are the police being called in to control the evacuation? What direction should people go
once they exit onto McClellan?
2. Number of Cars: Most homeowners or renters in this area own two cars, and some
families have even more. 27 homes × 2 cars = at least 54 cars coming in and out every
day. Additionally, 20860 McClellan is also constructing 6 more single-family homes.
Moreover, the current St. Jude Church may be converted into apartments. How many
cars is the City adding to this small block on McClellan?
This will seriously impact traffic flow.
Not only that, but drivers tend to get impatient when they are in a hurry. McClellan is a two-
lane street meant for residential use, but the City is making it work as a commercial main
street. Accidents, including involving pedestrians and bikers, are bound to happen.
Who will take responsibility for this?
3. The Neighbors' View: The neighbors of 20865 McClellan understand the need for
more housing. However, this particular piece of land is not suitable for dense housing.
Personally, I would not have a major issue if it were developed with 6-10 homes, some
yards, and more parking.
But 27 homes, 3 stories high, with one access point and limited parking on the lot, is
dangerous!
In addition to supporting the development, the City should have engaged in open
communication with the community about the best possible use of the land. We are reasonable
residents. Now, the City should withdraw the submission for this land use to the state and
reconsider how best to utilize this lot.
Would be great to hear back from you!
vj