PC 01-28-02 Study sessionCITY OF CUPERTINO
10300 Torre Avenue
Cupertino, CA 95014
(408) 777-3308
AMENDED MINUTES OF THE STUDY SESSION OF THE
PLANNING COMMISSION HELD ON JANUARY 28, 2002
Chair Corr called the study session to order at 5 p.rn. in Conference Room C/D.
ROLL CALL
Commissioners present:
Commissioners absent:
Auerbach, Chen, Saadati, Chairperson Corr
Patnoe
Staff present:
Steve Piasecki, Director of Community Development; Ciddy Wordclk
City Planner; Ralph Quails, Director of Public Works. Bob I larrison
from Planning Resource Associates was also present.
GENERAL PLAN STUDY SESSION
1. General Plan study session regarding the Circulation Element
Ms. Ciddy Wordell, City Planner, presented an overview of the work study session, which
included the main topics of the existing General Plan, existing traffic conditions and proposed
amendments.
Ms. Wordell said that when addressing the existing policies, discussion was bold about thc
development allocation of how the existing General Plan is heavily traffic driven and thc square
footage allocated because of the traffic that it generated, which is the focus of the current policies.
Mr. Ralph Quails, Public Works Director, presented an overview of the Cougestion Management
Agencies and Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) which is a combination o1' all county
transportation planning agencies into one authority, including the county bus line, light.rail
systems, operations and planning development and design of those as well as the development and
planning of major road extensions under the Measure AB program. He said the VTA is now the
single regional transportation agency and is the only one of its kind in tile state. It is now
embarking on a massive rail and highway improvement program from the sales tax dollars I?om
Measure AB and from the new measure adopted a year ago, primarily for I'unding ol'thc BAP, T to
San Jose corridor. He illustrated rapid transit corridors. He explained that LOS was graded l?om
A to E and said the current policy provides for LOS D throughout the city, and noted there wcrc
no intersections in Cupertino wo~%'e than LOS E, and only 2 operating as LOS E. I tc discussed tile
signal timing standard during off peak hours, and traffic congestion at peak times in thc school
areas. He pointed out that there was not prospective work in light rail planned for the Cupertino
area, the plan shows eventually a light rail corridor that would have its terminus at DeAnza
College, and one going north to Sunnyvale on DeAnza Boulevard, but not lbr many years: and
were not part of the active design developments for environmental review because ol' thc activity
around the corridors that are now under development, such as Tasman, Capitol, crc. primarily
Planning Commission Study Session 2 .lanuary 28, 2002
hooking up to the Guadalupe corridor. Mr. Quails briefly discussed the expressway system in thc
county; and noted that Santa Clara County was tile only county with a I'ormally adopted
expressway system.
Com. Auerbach said that Cupertino has a suburban geometry rather than a grid system; and tile
feeder collector road system is designed to put traffic onto DeAnza and Stevens Creek and major
arteries, while also trying to keep people off the neighborhood streets and not trying to usc thc
total surface area to move traffic. He questioned where they were headed in terms o1' tral'fic
strategy or philosophy in Cupertino relative to using its total surface area to move traffic or
continuing to have the feeder collector system.
Mr. Quails said that Cupertino would continue to use the feeder collector systems to draw traffic
from the local streets into the major areas and to move people out of the fi'eeways and out ol'town
or move people through town. He said that much of the traffic on DeAnza Boulevard is through
traffic, not Cupertino bound or origin traffic, which differs from Stevens Creek since it actually
dead ends in Cupertino at Foothill; therefore there will be more local traffic on Stevens Creek. I Ic
said it was a philosophy, not a step by step approach to protecting tile neighborhoods, with
approximately 25 locations in the city with some form of traffic diversion device, either spccd
bmnp or roundabout. He explained the process for installing speed bumps or diversions, and
discussed street signs/light standards, traffic cahning measures, level o1' service, and signal
operation.
Mr. Steve Piasecki, Community Development Director, reviewed the Preliminary Circulation
Table of Contents as outlined in the staff report.
Mr. Quails addressed #5 relative to roadways. He cited the Rancho Rinconada area where thcrc is
a series of standards that have been there a lengthy time and since most home owners do not want
to change them, the city needs to develop a type of special overlay district or something that
allows those standards to remain. He said when new homes are built in that area and they arc
larger than the present homes, the whole package of curbs, gutters, sidewalks, street lights to thc
city standards are put in, which may not be appropriate. He said they have accommodated some
of those neighborhoods by saying they will take a bond for those improvements until there is a
decision on what to do. He said that there are some neighborhoods that want to remain as they
are, and if so, a proper hearing would be held and the neighborhoods might have to accept some
flooding, less lighting, etc.
There was a brief discussion about pedestrian signals, wherein Coin. Auerbach expresscd concern
for the need to have more pedestrian crossings at closer intervals. Mr. Quails clarified the timing
of the pedestrian crossing signals at intersections and the cost of the signals.
Com. Auerbach said he would like to see Cupertino's Plan emphasize maintaining Stevens Creek
as part of Cupertino more, not merely an access to a freeway; and look at available traffic calming
measures, in particular parking permitted in sensible areas, not barren areas. Cum. Aucrbach
recommended three levels of roadway: urban, neighborhood, and rural standard; and three
different concepts, and proposed lowering tbe threshold for traffic to E or E-.
Mr. Piasecki asked if all commissioners were interested in lowering tile LOS to all E or all E-.
Com. Chen said she was concerned with an E level and questioned how to assess the impact tmtil
there is a traffic study. Com. Saadati said at some point it may not be realistic tu cxpcct
Planning Commission Study Session 3 .lanuary 28, 2002
everything to be below level E, but if it was for a short period of time, it may be acccptablc. Chair
Corr said that Level E at peak hours was not a problem.
Mr. Bob Harrison, Planning Resource Associates, explained LOS D and E. He commented that thc
outline for the proposed General Plan changes was a radical change from the outline currently in
the General Plan.
Ms. Wordell said they hoped to bring back numbers related to the preferred alternative al thc
February 1 lth Planning Commission rneeting; February 25th will address environmental rcsourccs
and parks.
ADJOURNMENT: The study session was concluded at 6:30 p.m. Chair Corr callcd a rcccss to
6:45 p.m. when the regular Planning Commission meeting would commence in the Council
Chambers.
Respectfully Submitted,
Recording Secretary
Approved as amended: February 25, 2002