Chao, Liang-Fang - 2-12-2018 1045 a.m._RedactedFrom: Liang-Fang Chao ]
Sent: Monday, February 12, 2018 10:45 PM
To: City Council <CityCouncil@cupertino.org>; David Brandt <Davidb@cupertino.org>; Aarti Shrivastava
<AartiS@cupertino.org>; Catarina Kidd <CatarinaK@cupertino.org>
Subject: Re: Vallco EIR NOP Provides Inaccurate Information on General Plan Allocation
How come the NOP did not ask which options the EIR should evaluate?
Shouldn't the public comment on which options that should be evaluated in the EIR?
But at the very least, the NOP should include the list of options that the city staff has in mind
from the Dec. 19 Council meeting staff report.
Liang
On Mon, Feb 12, 2018 at 5:58 PM, Liang-Fang Chao <lfchaokgmail.com> wrote:
Dear Mayor Paul and City Council Members,
The Vallco EIR Notice of Preparation provides inaccurate information the the General Plan
Allocation for Vallco Shopping District.
hqp://www.cLipertino.org/home/showdocument?id=19386
Please instruct the staff to correct the General Plan Allocation as it is stated in the 2040 General
Plan.
On December 4, 2014, the City Council promised that the office and residential allocation at
Vallco "will expire" by May 31, 2018.
It can be proved by the city council video. The citizens attending the meeting and watching the
video later will hold you accountable to your promise.
The Planning Commission recommended 0 office space and 0 housing units specifically because
they said "the community hasn't weighed in yet." Some Council members pushed to give Sand
Hill a chance to start the design process, so the Council gave them "provisional allocation", not
entitlement.
However, As stated in the Vallco EIR Notice of Preparation (quoted below), the office and
residential allocation have become "entitled". When did the City Council make such a decision to
alter the General Plan? How come the community was never notified?
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.2 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).
General Plan Table LU -1 specifically included the condition approved by the City Council.
The Vallco EIR Notice of Preparation did not mention the fact that the Housing Element has two
scenarios, specifically because the allocation of 389 units at Vallco is "provisional". The NOP
should not attempt to alter the content of the General Plan and the Housing Element.
It is important to establish the baseline in the Vallco EIR Notice of Preparation and the EIR
document that the site is still zoned P(CG) and P(Regional Shopping) as of today.
The office and residential allocation for Vallco is "provisional", pending on the approval of
Vallco Specific Plan.
In the South Vallco Master Plan, approved by the City Council on September 19, 2008,
designated Vallco area as "Regional Shopping".
Who made the decision to turn Vallco Shopping District into a housing development BEFORE
the community process?
There is NO entitlement for 2 million square feet of office space at Vallco Shopping District.
There is NO entitlement for 389 housing units at Vallco Shopping District.
Not yet. Not until Vallco Specific Plan is approved.
There might be stronger community sentiment to accept some housing units at Vallco Shopping
District, but it is predicated on the condition that the developer would be able to deliver a strong
retail experience component, including shopping, dining, entertainment, fitness and more.
The retail experience component cannot be a side note.
Therefore, it is important to establish the baseline that the site is still zoned for Regional
Shopping. That should be the starting point of any negotiation.
Please do not allow outside forces to alter Cupertino's General Plan.
Please do not start the Vallco process by altering the General Plan to give out entitlements
without any community inputs.
Sincerely,
Liang Chao
Cupertino Resident