Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC 03-17-2026 Item No. 1 Housing Development 10333 N. Wolfe Road _Written CommunicationsCC 3-17-2026 #1 -Study Session Housing Development at 10333 N. Wolfe Rd. Written Communications From:Steven Liao To:Public Comments Subject:Urgent Opposition to Opening [Wall/Access Point] Date:Sunday, March 15, 2026 7:38:08 PM 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. To the Honorable Mayor and City Council Members, I am writing to strongly urge the City, County, and CalTrans to utilize Wolfe Road for secondary emergency access and to formally reject any proposals to open the existing wall or create through-traffic access at N. Blaney Ave, Merritt Dr, or Vista Dr. My opposition is based on the following critical concerns: 1. Pedestrian Safety: N. Blaney Ave and Merritt/Vista Dr serve as the primary conduits for students attending Collins Elementary and Lawson Middle School. Opening this access would introduce significant traffic to areas heavily populated by walking and biking children safety are at risk 2. Traffic Gridlock: These residential streets are already burdened by school-related congestion. Adding regional cut-through traffic would result in total gridlock, hindering residents and potentially delaying the very emergency services the project intends to assist. 3. Superior Alternative: Wolfe Road is a secondary arterial specifically designed for higher traffic volumes and provides a safer, more efficient route for emergency access without compromising school zones. I request that the council prioritizes the safety of our children and the integrity of our neighborhoods by maintaining the current sound wall and focusing access improvements on major transit corridors. Sincerely Steven (Resident) From:Stuart Yahoo To:Public Comments Subject:Notes on study item 26-14827 Date:Sunday, March 15, 2026 3:39:35 PM Attachments:image0.png 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. In County’s minutes: see page 3, Why not focus attention on bikeway along sound wall. What about Junipero Serra Channel, bikeway ( this will take students to both elementary and middle school). Let’s not put kids on street where there isn’t crossing guards. The bike group feedback was from out of the immediate area and may not appreciate a path like Regnart trail. This will be a class4 bikeway and not have students going on the streets sooner. Don’t break the covenant on the wall. Stuart Chessen Portal - Auburn - Drake Block Leader From:E. Poon To:City Council; City of Cupertino Planning Commission; Cupertino City Manager"s Office; Piu Ghosh (she/her); City Clerk Subject:Cupertino Evacuation Route Capacity (in DRAFT Health and Safety Element) Date:Friday, March 13, 2026 12:30:38 PM 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. Subject: URGENT: Integrating the Active Transportation Plan with Wildfire Evacuation Studies Dear Mayor, Councilmembers, and Planning Staff, I read from the City Manager's Newsletter that March 13 is the last day of comments for the DRAFT Health and Safety Element. The Cupertino Evacuation Route Capacity, or the Wildfire Evacuation Route Study, is part of that draft. I like "Wildfire Evacuation Route Study" as it needs no further explanation. I am writing to express a critical concern regarding the lack of apparent coordination between two of Cupertino’s major planning efforts: the Wildfire Evacuation Route Study and the Active Transportation Plan (ATP). While both initiatives aim to improve public safety, their physical implementations may be at odds. As the city may consider installing Class IV protected bike lanes on Stelling, Blaney and Finch, we must ensure that these permanent modifications do not inadvertently turn our evacuation routes into inescapable bottlenecks. The Conflict: Capacity vs. Protection The ATP’s proposal for Class IV protected lanes often involves permanent concrete barriers or curb separators. While beneficial in some ways for daily cyclist safety, these features can: Restrict Roadway Elasticity: During an evacuation, every inch of asphalt is vital. Fixed barriers prevent the temporary use of the full roadway width for multi-lane egress. Hinder Emergency Response: Narrower lanes and physical dividers can limit the maneuvering space required for fire engines and ambulances to bypass stalled traffic. Solidify 1950s Constraints: Our street network was designed for mid-century suburban access, not 21st-century disaster egress. Adding rigid infrastructure to these aging layouts without an evacuation "stress test" is a significant risk. Localized Concerns The Fehr and Peers Evacuation Study highlights harrowing projections, such as the 3 to 4- hour evacuation estimate for the bottleneck at Foothill Expressway and McClellan Road. Furthermore, the school cluster (Monta Vista/Kennedy/Lincoln) off Bubb Road presents a unique nightmare scenario where parents rushing in to collect students will collide with residents trying to get out. In any major evacuation, every street will be impacted. We can be sure of that. Recommended Actions To ensure a safe, coordinated future for Cupertino, I respectfully request that the City: 1. Do its own Cross-Consultant Review: City Council can review the Wildfire Evacuation and ATP proposals regarding our streets. Or the review can be done by staff, since they are finally responsible for measurements and street plans. 2. Conduct Evacuation Modeling: Use traffic simulation software to model how proposed Class IV bike corridors perform under "full-city" evacuation loads. 3. Explore Flexible Protection: Evaluate high-visibility, "knock-down" bollards or mountable curbs that provide daily protection for cyclists, and allow emergency vehicles to move along the streets without fixed impediments in a crisis. We should not have to choose between a bikeable city and a survivable one. I urge the Council to ensure these two safety goals are balanced through integrated, data-driven planning. Thank you for your attention. Regards, Emily Poon Resident since 2007 From:Dennis Park To:City Council; City Clerk Subject:Sound Wall Preservation regarding Wolfe Housing Project Date:Monday, March 16, 2026 3:03:10 PM Attachments:PETITION package-N Portal Sound Wall_stamped received.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, Council Members, and City Clerk, I'm Dennis Park, a resident of the N Portal community. Regarding the Study Session for the Eden Housing (Housing Development Project at 10333 N Wolfe Rd), I would like to remind you about our Petition opposing the opening of the Sound Wall (attached). Since the petition is submitted nearly a year ago, we have not received meaningful updates about the plan for alternative emergency exit, other than the stakeholders are trying to engage with CalTran on this matter. We want this clearly addressed in the Study Session. Thank you Dennis 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. From:Debbie Timmers To:Public Comments; City Council; City Clerk Subject:Eden Housing (Special Meeting - Study Session) Date:Monday, March 16, 2026 3:57:41 PM 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 Councilmembers, I am a Cupertino resident with grandchildren at Stevens Creek and Kennedy Schools. I fully support the Eden Housing plan and hope that you will accept the staff proposal. Many teachers, who are now retiring, were able afford to live here. However, now they are being replaced by recent graduates who cannot. They simply do not earn enough money to purchase or rent in the area, and many have to live an hour away! For this reason, it is hard for them to stay after school to help kids or work on after-school programs. I want my grandchildren to have the same enriching after-school experiences (clubs, sports, etc.) that I had. It is also important to note that this is a Housing Element site. As Cupertino is not yet meeting its State goals, this would help to pull us out of the deficit, especially since this involves below market rate housing. Please approve this plan. We want the best for our kids! Debra Timmers From:Alex Shoor To:City Council; Public Comments; Benjamin Fu; Jelani Mora; victoria@architectsfora.com; info@wolferoadhousing.com; jared.Nolan@edenhousing.org; isaiah.mays@edenhousing.org; Sarah Vaccaro; gabriella@architectsfora.com; nicole@engagefora.com Cc:info@catalyzesiliconvalley.org; cupertinoforall@gmail.com Subject:from Catalyze SV: PUBLIC COMMENT - STUDY SESSION AGENDA ITEM 1 - March 17, 2026 Date:Monday, March 16, 2026 3:57:36 PM 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 Cupertino Mayor Moore, Cupertino Councilmembers & the County of Santa Clara Office of Supportive Housing, I write to you today on behalf of the members of Catalyze Silicon Valley with respect to tomorrow’s study session. Background on Catalyze SV: Catalyze SV is a local nonprofit organization that has existed since 2017, with members from across our region, including in Cupertino. Our goal is to create sustainable, vibrant, and equitable places for people in Silicon Valley. We do that through programs like community education events, community engagement services, and policy advocacy. Another program of ours, one of our foundational ones, is advocating around specific development proposals. For the last decade, our members have evaluated, scored, and advocated for over 70 proposed projects in Silicon Valley. Our Members Score and Now Support Wolfe Road Housing Project: In September 2025, we joined with Cupertino for All to score our first-ever project in Cupertino — the Wolfe Road Housing proposal — because we believe it is one members from both our respective organizations would like to see as a key addition to Cupertino. Sure enough, when our members gathered together to evaluate the project, we rated it highly. Catalyze SV members scored it a 4.14 out of 5. Cupertino for All members scored it a 4.67 out of 5. Any project scoring 3.5 out of 5 or higher is eligible for our support. So on behalf of Catalyze SV and our members, I write to tell you that our organization joins Cupertino for All in enthusiastically supporting the Wolfe Road Housing project being built! Interfaces with the planned Tamien Innu Trail on its edge Includes a resident-serving playground and a dog park Has a higher number of bike parking spaces Includes a lot of affordable housing Retains as many trees as possible Improvement Developers Made After Our Input: We’re grateful to the development team for adding solar panels to the roof of Building 7 of the proposal, which is in line with one of our recommendations. Features We'd Still Like to See Improved: As you consider and discuss the project at tomorrow’s study session, we’d like to invite the Cupertino City Council and the development team to support the following improvements to the proposal before it is finalized: 1. An emergency vehicle plan that enables people to walk and bike between this new development and the Portal neighborhood, not walling it off from the neighborhood. This is something only the Cupertino City Council can actualize, so we urge you to make it so! 2. Because of how hard it is for folks making less money to secure stable housing, we want the housing units to be as affordable as possible, ideally for folks making 80% or less of our area median income, which is currently about $111,000. 3. We'd prefer to see the project include more homes overall by increasing its density/height. We need all the homes we can get in this Valley! 4. To encourage walking, biking, and public transit, we urge you to add more crosswalks, protected bike lanes, and/or free transit passes for residents. Please help ensure the above 4 improvements are made through your words and/or deeds. Public Land Standard: Since this project is on public land we all own, our government needs to ensure the project has the most positive impact possible. The bar for a project must be higher when it is land owned by the taxpayers. Our Ask of You: So at tomorrow’s study session, we urge the Cupertino City Council: a) echo the aforementioned input of Catalyze SV members / Cupertino for All members to the County; and b) update the vehicle emergency plan by allowing bikes and pedestrians to pass through the wall. Thank you so much for considering our perspective, Catalyze SV is grateful that Cupertino and the County are advancing Wolfe Road Housing forward. Yours in community, Alex -- Alex Shoor Executive Director | Catalyze SV www.CatalyzeSiliconValley.org Schedule time w/Alex From:Peggy Griffin To:Public Comments; City Council Cc:City Clerk Subject:2026-03-17 City Council Study Session - Item #1 Wolfe Road Housing-DO NOT OPEN WALL Date:Monday, March 16, 2026 3:57:05 PM Attachments:PETITION map of N Portal signatures.pdf The Rise bike maps-2024-02-16 approved plans for Portal hood.pdf tamien-innu-map.png 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. PLEASE INCLUDE THIS EMAIL AND ALL ATTACHMENTS AS PART OF WRITTEN COMMUNICATION FOR THE ABOVE MEETING AGENDA ITEM. Dear Mayor Moore, Vice Mayor Chao, Councilmembers, Staff and County Representatives, Please do everything you can to speed up securing the secondary emergency access directly to Wolfe Road through the Caltrans Right-of-Way. From the project email we received on February 23, 2026 from Victoria Via at FORA Architects (see attached), their priority is obtaining this access. I support this project but DO NOT support opening the wall in any way, at any location. Some of the many reasons are: Safety of BOTH the neighborhood and the project residents– prevent large emergency vehicles coming quickly down residential streets when there is a better way to access the project area that is better equipped for larger vehicles. Prevent overflow parking from projects with inadequate parking resources. Noise prevention – The N. Portal neighborhood, as with all areas bordering the I-280 sound wall experience significant noise already. Opening the wall allows additional noise into the neighborhood. One reason for this wall was to mitigate sound! Security – adding an opening in the wall adds another way for access and escape when committing crimes. Encourage the use of already planned bike and pedestrian trails that have cost millions of dollars! The Tamien Innu Trail is right beside this project and the trailhead is right there, easily accessible to project residents for both bike and pedestrian uses. A separate multi-use trail is much safer than traveling on any street could ever be. The Rise has a Class I Bikeway off-street Bike Path planned that connects to both sidewalks along Stevens Creek Blvd AND a Class IV Bikeway along Stevens Creek. The N. Portal neighborhood is strongly against opening the wall. Attached is a map of homes where one or more residents over 18 signed a petition against opening the wall in any location. (See attached map) REQUEST: I am requesting that our City Council to 1. please help the County to speed up securing the secondary emergency access through CalTrans Right-of-Way AND 2. Direct the project designers to NOT include any opening through the wall. 3. Encourage the use of the Tamien Innu Trail and the bikeways along the wall to Stevens Creek Blvd. Thank you! Peggy Griffin P.S. I’ve attached the following files Map of all the North Portal homes that signed the petition in person to NO OPEN THE WALL. A 2024-2-16 The Rise approved plans Page 49 of 190 – Bicycle Circulation P-0504 (NOTE – these plans may have been changed since then. I have not had time to check them.) Link to Tamien Innu Trail map and here’s the link too https://www.cupertino.gov/Your- City/Departments/Public-Works/Transportation-Mobility/Projects/Tamien-Innu Each RED DOT represents ONE OR MORE signatures.