Audubon Society - Comments on Vallco Notice of PreparationC�
Santa Clara Valley
Audubon Society
Established 1926
City of Cupertino
Community Development Department
Attention: Piu Ghosh, Principal Planner
10300 Torre Avenue
Cupertino, CA 95014
March 9, 2018
Re: Scoping Comments for the Vallco Special Area Specific Plan
Dear Ms. Ghosh,
via email
The Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society appreciates the opportunity to comment on the Notice of
Preperation for the Vallco Special Area Specific Plan (Project). Our organization has been
headquartered at McClellan Ranch for over 25 years, and we consider Cupertino our home. Our mission
is to promote the enjoyment, understanding, and protection of birds and other wildlife by engaging
people of all ages in birding, education, and conservation.
We submit the following comments for the Environmental Review (EIR) of the Project:
Bird -safe Design
The issue of bird collision with glass structures should be paramount in evaluating the biological
resource impacts of the proposed Project. It is now widely recognized that bird collisions with man-
made structures, especially glass buildings and glassy elements, are significant contributors to bird -
mortality and, most importantly, to the cumulative decline of bird populations in North America. Birds
collide with glass buildings and structures during the day as they attempt to access resources reflected by
or seen through the glass. At night, brightly lit glass buildings lure migrating birds to their death.
When bird -safe design is implemented as a guiding principal, the hazards can be greatly reduced. Many
neighboring cities recognize bird -collision with glass as an important issue and make an effort to
minimize hazardous construction. The issue is addressed in General and Specific Plans (San Jose, Palo
Alto, Mountain View), in ordinances and mandatory Guidelines (San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose,
Sunnyvale, Richmond) and in Mitigation Measures for areas near the Bay (Menlo Park).
22221 McClellan Road, Cupertino, CA 95014 Phone: (408) 252-3748 * Fax: (408) 252-2850
email: scvasna,scvas.org * www.scvas.org
The EIR should adhere strictly to bird -safe building design principles as mitigation for cumulative
impacts to bird populations. We recommend reviewing the bird -safe building design guidelines of
Sunnyvale (attached), Mountain View's North Bayshore Precise Plan
(http://www.mountainview.gov/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?BlobID=15050, seepages 125-126),
and from the American Bird Conservancy (https:Habcbirds.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Bird-
friendly-Building Guide LINKS.pdf).
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
J
Mackenzie Mossing
Environmental Advocacy Associate
Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society
22221 McClellan Road, Cupertino, CA 95014 Phone: (408) 252-3748 * Fax: (408) 252-2850 2
email: scvasna,scvas.org * www.scvas.org