Chao, Liang-Fang 3-12 2am_RedactedFrom: Liang-Fang Chao ]
Sent: Monday, March 12,2018 1:52 AM
To: City of Cupertino Planning Dept. <planning@cupertino.org>; City Council
<CityCouncil@cupertino.org>
Subject: Job -housing balance, job growth and demands on housing
RE: Vallco Shopping District Specific Plan (NOT Vallco Special Area, which doesn't
exist in the General Plan)
This area has a housing shortage and very low unemployment rate.
Therefore, every 1000 jobs created will be filled by 1000 workers recruited from out of
this area. These 1000 workers will displace 1000 local residents at the lower income level
since the 1000 workers will drive up demands and housing prices.
As a result, Cupertino might be mandated by the state to build 1000 below -market -rate
(BMR) housing for these 1000 displaced workers.
Therefore, the economic impact of an office building housing 1000 workers should
include not only tax revenue generated, but also the social impact of displacing 1000
local residents and the financial impact on the city for funding & building 1000 BMR
housing units. Please calculate the actual cost of creating BMR housing for one low-
income local resident for each office job created, likely occupied by someone recruited
from out of this area.
With the 2017 pro -housing laws which significantly increased the power of the state to
hold the city accountable to meet the RHNA allocation. The RHNA allocation was
already considered more aggressive; yet, SB 828 is likely to double the RHNA
allocation. More office space will result in higher RHNA allocation. The possibility that
projects will be streamlined become higher, even with only 10% affordable housing.
When projects got streamlined, it won't pay the sufficient amount of impact fees and the
impact on overloaded infrastructure won't be evaluated. However, the fees will still
come from the general city fund or additional tax from tax payers. Someone has to pay
for the infrastructure expansion as projects get streamlined. Thus, the economic impact
on the city would be greater.
Therefore, the EIR should evaluate the impacts on infrastructure and services, such as
water, sewage, police, emergency response, library, community center, teen center,
senior center, when large amounts of development projects get streamlined, resulting in
an explosion of population.
Please also use realistic "office space per employee" numbers, not the out -dated 300
square feet per employee. Most newer offce buildings use open floor design without
cubicles. An office brochure for the Main Street site showed that the space per employee
is 181 sf. Please do not under -estimate the number of office workers by using out -dated
numbers.
Silicon Valley area already absorbed the majority of the tech talents from the entire U.S.
Adding more jobs here would take away more tech talents from else where and deprive
the other areas of a chance for better prosperity. Creating more jobs here, where the
economy is already ultra strong, is simply selfish. Creating more jobs here, while the
housing shortage is severe and gentrification is severe, is simply irresponsible.
Sincerely,
Liang Chao
Cupertino Resident