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Home My WebLink AboutCC 1-21-2026 Item No. 15 & 16 Dividend Homes I & II_Written CommunicationsCC 01-21-2026 #15 & 16 Dividend Homes I & II Written Communications From:Whitney McNair To:Kitty Moore; Sheila Mohan; J.R. Fruen; Liang Chao; R "Ray" Wang; Public Comments Cc:Todd McNair Subject:Items 15 & 16: Application #: DP-2025-002, ASA-2025-004, TM-2025-002, TR-2025-005, & U-2025-007 Date:Tuesday, January 20, 2026 9:46:35 AM Attachments:Cupertino Development.pdf 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. Dear Mayor Moore, Vice Mayor Chao, and members of the City Council: Location: 20045 & 20065 Stevens Creek Blvd. (APN: 316-23-095, -096) We are long-standing homeowners, having resided at 20074 Wheaton Drive for nearly 25 years. We represent a number of longtime homeowners who reside along Wheaton Drive, Myer Place, and Carol Lee Drive, many of whom attended the December 9th Planning Commission hearing. We urge you to consider changes to the proposed 32-unit project, which is located directly behind our home. Although this letter focuses on the 32-unit project, the comments can be applied to the project at 20085 & 20111 Stevens Creek Blvd also being considered by the Council. I’ve attached a summary document showing the requested changes. On December 9, 2025, the Planning Commission reviewed the proposed projects and for comparison purposes, they referenced the success of the recently approved SummerHill Homes project at 20770, 20830, and 20840 Stevens Creek Boulevard. Although they are similar housing projects, SummerHill Homes, upon hearing neighbors' concerns, modified the design to increase the setback to the property line where the project abuts single-family homes from 10 feet to 33 feet, and added a dense row of screen trees along the property line (see attached). The project before you tonight proposes a 13-foot setback to the property line. The applicant, Dividend Homes, has developed a project in Palo Alto on Acacia Avenue with the same unit design and neighborhood context as proposed for this project in Cupertino: https://www.dividendhomes.com/communities/acacia/. Here, the developer has a 20 foot setback and a row of screen trees planted every 15 feet along the shared property line with existing single-family homes (see attached). We are asking for the same consideration. After the Planning Commission hearing, several neighbors met with the developer to request a rear setback of at least 20 feet. A 20 foot setback would provide a setback similar to that between other residential properties and mirrors the project's setback in Palo Alto. This request is less than than the changes SummerHill Homes made for similar conditions. The setback can be increased with minimal impacts to the project design and site layout. The developer has declined to make this change, choosing to keep the setback at 13 feet. The Heart of the City Specific Plan requires that the rear setback be more than 60 feet. We are asking for a standard setback that any residential project would need to meet. We are asking the Council to increase the rear setback to 20 feet. With a two-story home 13 feet from the property line, privacy will be an issue. We are requesting that windows along the rear elevation be minimized or placed high on the wall to avoid a direct view into the existing homes. Alternatively, windows should be treated or opaque to minimize direct views. At the Planning Commission hearing, the developer committed to reducing the height of the units facing the rear of the site from three stories to two, mirroring the design they have in Palo Alto (see attached photo). This was an appreciated project change and should be reflected in the project approval. However, the project is still only 13 feet from the rear property line. The project, as proposed, doesn’t include any trees in the rear yard area of the homes facing the rear property line. Therefore, no screening is proposed where a building is only 13 feet from the property line. The developer’s project in Palo Alto successfully includes trees planted every 15 feet in the rear yard of the homes (see attached photos). SummerHill Homes planted a dense row of screen trees along the property line to screen their project. The developer has agreed to plant one tree in the yard. The Planning Commission suggested hedges. We are asking that the Council require not just one tree, but trees to be planted every 15 feet along the rear property line. Lastly, neighbors have asked that the wall along the rear property line be increased to 8 feet. The developer has agreed, and the homeowners support, adding a 2-foot trellis along the wall. We are asking that the Council require the developer to add a 2-foot trellis to the existing wall. It is vital to provide housing throughout the region to a wide range of prospective owners and renters. The residents will be part of an existing community, one that we’ve been proud to be part of for nearly 25 years. The developer has accepted and incorporated these same components in their project in Palo Alto. The Cupertino Council should take pride in the design of projects within its city, and hold the same, if not greater, regard for its citizens, and require the modest changes proposed in this letter. These changes would also better align with the recently approved SummerHill Homes project that has a similar condition of backing up to existing single family homes. We thank you for considering these modest changes to the proposed project, which aim to ensure that all Cupertino residents enjoy well-intentioned, thoughtfully designed housing. Whitney & Todd McNair 20074 Wheaton Drive Sandy & Tom Siron 20064 Wheaton Drive Jerry Yu 20094 Wheaton Drive 20054 Wheaton Drive William R. Lee, Jr. & Lisa Lee 20104 Wheaton Drive Diana & Rich Lordan 10128 Meyer Place Mary, Stephania & Susan Higdon & Julie Coy 10138 Meyer Place Proposed Projects ●13 foot setback to rear property line shared with existing single family homes 13’ setback to rear property line Council approved project at 20770, 20830, 20840 SCB ●Comparison project references as successful by the Planning Commission ●SummerHill Homes ●Original design had a 10 foot setback to the rear property line SummerHill revised their plans ●Developer revised the project and increased the setback from 10 feet to 33 feet ●Added row of screen trees Increased setback Row of screen trees Dividend Homes project in Palo Alto This is the same development in Palo Alto ●20-foot setback to existing single family homes ●2-story unit ●Stepping up to 3-story unit 20’ setback 2-story 3-storyExisting single family homes Dividend Homes project in Palo Alto ●Screen trees planted every 15 feet Trees every 15’ 20’ setback from fence to home Request a 20 foot setback Increase to 20’ Add trees in the yards to screen the building Add trees here Add trees hereRear property line adjacent to existing single family homes