Geoffrey Paulsen_RedactedGeoffrey Paulsen Sent via email Monday 3/12/2018 3:48 p.m.
Hi, Piu.
In reviewing the video of the scoping meeting, I have a few more thoughts:
- AIR QUALITY: Can Oak trees, specifically Quercus regosa, be used to mitigate
freeway soot? I'm on the board of Canopy, a tree -planting organization that worked
with Dave Muffly (Apple's tree person) to plant these trees along the sound wall inEast
Palo Alto, and when I worked with Dave to prune these trees, we were covered with
soot. Perhaps we can study the soot -catching capabilities of these oaks, and if they
really make a significant reduction in pollution. Also, I favor (to establish a baseline)
pollution monitoring stations that measure gases and microparticles, not just the
aforementioned soot (which I suspect is mostly benign carbon black from tires).
- TRANSPORTATION: Can a dedicated high-speed bus trackway (protected by a guard
rail) be used to replace the carpool lane? How effective would this be if buses were
frequent, free, and fast? Is this feasible? When I was President of the Bay Area Section of
the Mercedes Benz Club of America, I met with some Daimler-Benz executives from
Stuttgart, and they told me that yes, this is feasible, and they have implemented such
systems worldwide. Could we study this in detail for 280 and 85 with regard to Vallco?
- RECREATION: Could tall buildings provide for more recreation opportunities?
Google "vertical Forest" to see playing fields adjacent to tall buildings. Can the EIR
study how tall buildings could increase our recreational opportunities at Vallco?
- HYDROLOGY: Is it feasible to design the entire Vallco complex for zero stormwater
runoff? Can condensation drainage from air conditioning systems be used to water
landscaping? (I've noticed that the drainage channel downstream from Apple Campus I
will flow with such runoff during heat spells...)
- WATER USE: Can the landscaping at Vallco be designed to be water independent
once plants are mature? Our local open space preserves are - why not the built
environment?
- SEWAGE CAPACITY: Can we buy back the $5M worth of sanitary sewer capacity that
the Cupertino Sanitary District recently sold to San Jose? Will we need to do so?
Thanks, Geoff.
Geoffrey Paulsen
Private Citizen
Board member, Canopy.org