Notice of PreparationCUPERTINO
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
CITY HALL
10300 TORRE AVENUE • CUPERTINO, CA 95014-3255
(408) 777-3308 • FAX (408) 777-3333
Notice of Preparation of a Draft Environmental Impact Report
Vallco Special Area Specific Plan
File Number EA -2017-05
February 9, 2018
To: State Clearinghouse, Responsible Agencies, Trustee Agencies, Other Public
Agencies, Interested Parties, and the County Clerk of Santa Clara
From: City of Cupertino, Community Development Department
10300 Torre Avenue
Cupertino, CA 95014
Contact: Piu Ghosh, Principal Planner (piug@cupertino.org, 408-777-3308)
Notice is hereby given that the City of Cupertino ("City"), as the Lead Agency, will prepare an
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Vallco Special Area Specific Plan (hereinafter referred
to as the "project"). This Notice of Preparation (NOP) has been prepared in compliance with
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines §15082. The purpose of this NOP is to
solicit comments from the public and public agencies on the scope and content of the EIR for the
project.
The City has determined that a Draft EIR will be prepared for the Vallco Special Area Specific Plan.
An EIR is a detailed statement prepared under CEQA describing and analyzing the significant
environmental effects of a project and discussing ways to mitigate or avoid the effects.
Consistent with CEQA Guidelines §15206, the project is considered of statewide, regional, or
areawide significance.
Notice of Preparation Vallco Special Area Specific Plan
City of Cupertino 1 February 9, 2018
Members of the public and public agencies are invited to provide comments on the scope and
content of the EIR to the City. The City would like to know the views of your agency as to the
scope and content of the environmental information germane to your agency's statutory
responsibilities in connection with the proposed project. Your agency may use the EIR prepared
by the City when considering your permits or other approvals for the project.
Due to the time limits mandated by state law, your response must be sent at the earliest possible
date, but no later than the close of the 30 -day NOP review period on Monday, March 12, 2018
by 4:30 p.m. Please send your responses to the City at one of the following addresses below.
Please include the name of a contact person for your agency.
You are encouraged to email your comments to: planning@cupertino.org. As an alternative, you
may submit written comments to the following address:
City of Cupertino, Community Development Department
Attention: Piu Ghosh, Principal Planner
10300 Torre Avenue
Cupertino, CA 95014
If you submit comments on the scope and content of the EIR, you will automatically be added to
the City's distribution list for future notices and information about the environmental review
process for the project. If you do not wish to submit comments on the scope of the EIR, but
would like to receive updates on the project, please sign up to receive e -updates at
www.envisionvallco.org or submit your mailing address to receive mailed notices.
In addition, the City will hold a Public EIR Scoping Meeting to receive comments regarding the
scope and content of the EIR on Thursday, February 22, 2018 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the
Cupertino Community Hall (10350 Torre Avenue, next to the library). An Open House will be
hosted immediately prior to the EIR Scoping Meeting between 6:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. to help
interested persons learn more about the environmental review process. Members of the public
and public agencies are welcome to attend.
The proposed project, its location, and potential environmental effects are described on the
following pages.
Notice of Preparation Vallco Special Area Specific Plan
City of Cupertino 2 February 9, 2018
Introduction
The purpose of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is to inform decision makers and the public
of the significant environmental effects of a proposed project. The EIR process is intended to
provide environmental information sufficient to evaluate a project and its potential for significant
effects on the environment; discuss methods of reducing or avoiding adverse environmental
impacts; and consider alternatives to the project. Prior to taking any action on the proposed
Specific Plan, the City Council must, at a public hearing, certify that the EIR has been completed
in compliance with CEQA, and reflects the independent judgment of the City.
Project Location
The project site/Specific Plan area comprises approximately 70 acres of which approximately 58 -
acres is developable. The developable area consists of multiple parcels (Assessor Parcel Numbers:
316-20-080, -081, -082, -088, -092, -094, -095, -099, -100, -101, -103, -104, -105, -106, and -107)
and is located on both sides of North Wolfe Road between Vallco Parkway and Interstate 280 (1-
280) on the east side and between Stevens Creek Boulevard and Vallco Parkway on the west side
in the City of Cupertino. Most of the project site (approximately 50 acres) is developed with the
Vallco Shopping Mall and associated parking facilities, and the remaining acres are developed
roadways, a hotel (currently under construction), and a surface parking lot. Regional and vicinity
maps of the project site are shown on Figures 1 and 2, respectively.
An aerial photograph of the project site and the surrounding land uses is shown on Figure 3. The
surrounding land uses include residential and commercial uses to the west; a freeway (1-280),
hotel, residential, and office uses to the north; commercial, office, and residential mixed -uses to
the east; and commercial uses to the south.
Background
The City of Cupertino is organized into 21 General Plan "Planning Areas," consisting of nine
"Special Areas" and 12 "Neighborhoods." The project site is the Vallco Shopping District Special
Area (Vallco Special Area). The Vallco Special Area is designated Commercial/Office/Residential
in the City's General Plan Land Use Map.' Development, both residential and non-residential, is
subject to the numerical limits and other policies in the City's General Plan. The Vallco Special
Area is also identified as a Priority Housing Element Site (Site A2) with a realistic capacity of 389
units in the General Plan Housing Element.
1 The Commercial/Office/Residential land use designation applies to mixed-use areas that are predominantly
commercial and office uses. Supporting residential uses may be allowed to offset job growth, to better balance
the citywide jobs to housing ratio, and when they are compatible with the primarily non-residential character of
the area (source: City of Cupertino. Cupertino General Plan Community Vision 2015-2040. Appendix A: Land Use
Definitions, Page A-7. October 15, 2015.).
Notice of Preparation Vallco Special Area Specific Plan
City of Cupertino 3 February 9, 2018
As shown in General Plan Table LU -1, the General Plan development allocation for the Vallco
Special Area is as follows: approximately 1.2 million square feet of commercial uses (minimum
600,000 square feet of retail uses with a maximum of 30 percent of entertainment uses, pursuant
to General Plan Strategy LU -19.1.4), 2.0 million square feet of office uses, 339 hotel rooms, and
389 residential dwelling units.' Pursuant to General Plan Strategy LU -1.2.1, development
allocations may be transferred among Planning Areas provided no significant environmental
impacts are identified beyond those already studied in the Cupertino General Plan Community
Vision 2015-2040 Final EIR (SCH#2014032007).3
Project Description
The City of Cupertino is currently undertaking a community-based planning process to develop a
Specific Plan for the Vallco Special Area. The proposed project is the adoption of the community -
developed Vallco Special Area Specific Plan.
As defined in by state Government Code §65450, a specific plan is a tool for the systematic
implementation of the general plan. It establishes a link between implementing policies of the
general plan and the individual development proposal(s) in a defined area. Consistent with the
adopted General Plan, the Specific Plan would facilitate the development of 600,000 square feet
of commercial uses, 2.0 million square feet of office uses, 339 hotel rooms, and 800 residential
dwelling units onsite. The proposed Specific Plan would include text and diagrams which specify
all of the following in detail:
1. The distribution, location, and extent of the mix of land uses, including open space, within
the project site.
2. The proposed distribution, location, and extent and intensity of major components of
public and private transportation, sewage, water, drainage, solid waste disposal, energy,
and other essential facilities proposed to be located within the area covered by the plan
and needed to support the land uses described in the plan;
3. Standards and criteria by which development will proceed, and standards for
conservation, development, and utilization of natural resources, where applicable; and
4. A program of implementation measures including regulations, programs, public works
projects, and financing measures necessary to carry out points 1-3 above (Government
Code §65451(a)).
2 City of Cupertino. Cupertino General Plan Community Vision 2015-2040. Table LU -1: Citywide Development
Allocation Between 2014-2040. October 15, 2015. Page LU -13.
3 Community Vision 2040 Final EIR analyzed the development of up to 1.2 million square feet of commercial uses,
2.0 million square feet of office uses, 339 hotel rooms, and 800 residential dwelling units within the Vallco Special
Area. Residential allocation is available in other Planning Areas that may be transferred to the Vallco Shopping
District without the need to amend the General Plan.
Notice of Preparation Vallco Special Area Specific Plan
City of Cupertino 4 February 9, 2018
In addition, the Specific Plan shall include a statement of the relationship of the Specific Plan to
the City's General Plan (Government Code §65451(b)). The project may include the extension of
existing recycled water infrastructure to the site.
Probable Environmental Effects of the Project
The EIR will describe the existing environmental conditions on the project site and will identify
the significant effects on the environmental ("impacts") that may result from implementation of
the project. Where potentially significant environmental impacts are identified, the EIR will
identify mitigation measures to avoid or reduce those impacts, as feasible. The EIR also will
discuss a reasonable range of alternatives to the project that could reasonably attain most of the
basic objectives of the project and would avoid or substantially lessen any of the significant
environmental effects of the project (CEQA Guidelines §15126.6(a)). The EIR will discuss the
project's significant environmental impacts in the topic areas described below.
• Aesthetics — The EIR will describe the existing visual character of the site area and the
projected changes resulting from implementation of the project. Visual impacts resulting
from the proposed project would include any significant adverse environmental effects
resulting from building mass and height, lighting, and possible glare to adjacent land uses.
• Agricultural and Forestry Resources — The project site is located in an urban and
developed area. The project site is not used for agricultural or forestry uses. The EIR will
discuss the project's impact on existing farmland, forest land, and timberland.
• Air Quality — The EIR will describe the regional air quality conditions of the San Francisco
Bay Area and will evaluate air quality impacts to and from the project, in conformance
with the criteria identified by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. The project's
consistency with the 2010 Bay Area Clean Air Plan will also be discussed.
• Biological Resources — Given the urban and developed nature of the project site, the
primary biological resources on-site are existing trees. The EIR will evaluate the project's
impact on biological resources, such as removal of trees and impacts on nesting birds that
may be present.
• Cultural Resources — The project site is designated a City of Cupertino Community
Landmark (Cultural Resource Site 68) in the City's Community Vision 2040. The EIR will
evaluate the potential for the project to impact historic, as well as pre -historic, resources
on-site.
• Energy — The EIR will examine the potential for the project to result in excessive or
inefficient use of energy and will discuss the energy conservation measures included in
the project.
Notice of Preparation Vallco Special Area Specific Plan
City of Cupertino 5 February 9, 2018
• Geology and Soils — The existing geologic and soil conditions at the project site will be
described in the EIR. The EIR will evaluate impacts to persons or property likely to result
from the existing geologic conditions, including seismic and seismic -related hazards.
• Greenhouse Gas Emissions — The EIR will discuss the project's consistency and
conformance with applicable plans, policies, and/or regulations adopted for the purpose
of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, including the City's Climate Action Plan, and assess
whether the project's greenhouse gas emissions would have a significant impact on the
environment.
• Hazards and Hazardous Materials — The EIR will evaluate the potential for hazardous
materials contamination on and near the project site which could be affected by site
demolition, grading, or excavation. The EIR will discuss the potential for hazardous
material contamination to impact construction workers or future occupants at the site.
• Hydrology and Water Quality — The EIR will describe the existing hydrologic and drainage
conditions (including flooding) at the project site, as well as any changes in site drainage
and hydrological conditions resulting from the implementation of the proposed Specific
Plan and development project. Water quality impacts during and post -project
construction will also be addressed.
• Land Use and Planning — The EIR will describe the existing land uses on and adjacent to
the project site, and discuss the project's conformance with relevant land use plans,
policies, and regulations including the City's General Plan and Zoning Ordinance. The EIR
will evaluate the proposed land uses and the relationship between the proposed uses to
existing development in the area. Land use conflicts between the proposed uses and
existing surrounding uses will be identified.
• Mineral Resources — The EIR will describe if the project would result in the loss of
availability of a known mineral resource or locally -important mineral resource recovery
site.
• Noise and Vibration — The existing, predominant noise sources in the project vicinity are
traffic on 1-280, Stevens Creek Boulevard, and Wolfe Road. The EIR will describe the
existing noise conditions in the project area and will address noise and vibration impacts
from the project (including noise from project -generated traffic and project
demolition/construction).
Notice of Preparation Vallco Special Area Specific Plan
City of Cupertino 6 February 9, 2018
• Population and Housing —The proposed project includes new housing (as well as office
and commercial uses) onsite. The EIR will discuss if the project would induce substantial
population growth in the area, displace substantial numbers of existing housing units, or
displace a substantial number of residents.
• Public Services —The EIR will discuss the availability of public services (e.g., fire and police
protection, schools, and parks and recreational facilities) in the project area and the
potential for the project to require the expansion or construction of those facilities.
• Transportation — The EIR will describe the existing transportation network serving the
project site and will evaluate the traffic impacts resulting from the proposed project
(including impacts to intersection and freeway segment levels of service, as well as transit,
bicycle, and pedestrian facilities). The project's effect on vehicle miles travelled will also
be discussed.
• Utilities and Service Systems — The EIR will describe the existing sanitary sewer, storm
drain, water, and solid waste services in the project area. The EIR will address the ability
and capacity of the existing utilities to serve the project and will describe any utility
improvements (and the impacts from those improvements) proposed by the project,
including the possible extension of recycled water infrastructure.
Notice of Preparation Vallco Special Area Specific Plan
City of Cupertino 7 February 9, 2018
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Aerial Source: Google Earth Pro, Jan. 12, 2018. Photo Date: Apr. 2017
AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH WITH SURROUNDING LAND USES FIGURE 3